STRANGEFISH

"The Spotlight Effect" is the third full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Strangefish. The album was independently released in 2018. It´s the successor to "Fortune Telling" from 2006. Strangefish decided on a longer hiatus in 2008, but in 2012 the band slowly started up again and by 2014 they had rehearsed and written enough new material to consider themselves reunited and ready to work again under the Strangefish monicker. There have been a couple of lineup changes since "Fortune Telling" as bassist Julian Gregory has been replaced by Carl Howard, and female lead vocalist Jo Whittaker (wife of drummer Dave Whittaker) has been added to the linuep to compliment male lead vocalist Steve Taylor. Strangefish is therefore a sextet on "The Spotlight Effect".

Stylistically they still play a hard rock infused neo-progressive rock style and the material on "The Spotlight Effect" is instantly the sound of Strangefish. The addition of Whittaker to the lineup has a great impact on the band´s sound as she both has some lead parts but otherwise almost constantly provide harmony vocals to the lead vocals by Taylor (who as always delivers and impressive performance). If it´s a vocal sound you appreciate or not is a subjective matter, but objectively it works pretty well and it´s obvious that Strangefish felt the need to try something new and develop their style.

Strangefish are generally a very well playing unit and there is nothing wrong with their songwriting skills either. The sound production is a bit up and down during the album, suggesting that the album was maybe recorded and mixed over a longer period of time, which is just a detail, but it´s slightly disturbing for the consistency of the listening experience. Personally I think I prefer the sound of the 2000 - 2008 period lineup, but "The Spotlight Effect" is still a good quality release and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

4,5 stars !!! Fantastic second album from STRANGEFISH , at this time the sound is a little more "soft" in a overall way, but the mix of hard/heavy/symphonic of first album that I point in my review still remains. Maybe the conceptual theme of the album ( the old inner battle between "be somebody or possess something" can contributes to this difference. In track 1 "Happy as I am" are easy to feel this difference, the overture and main theme is a "light' or "festive" melody very beautiful wiht a great guitar phrase - starting about 2 min 27 sec -, but , how above mentioned the hard and heavy passages , in spite isn't predominant is present in the track . Track 2 "It could be me" and the acoustic guitar accompaniment emphasizes the more soft purpose . Track 3 "Random" and track 6 "Have you seen the light?" ( this last again recall me DEEP PURPLE and their riffs ) are the more hard/heavy moments in the whole album. This is more close to perfection than their previous album and my rate is 4 stars !!!

4,5 stars !!! STRANGEFISH is a band which I lament their absence after 2 brilliant albums (his second and last album, until now, was release 8 years ago) ! This "Full Scale" is really full... full of different styles hard/heavy/symphonic and more... plenty complex, with lots o riffs in the hard and heavy moments ... very enchant guitar melodies insinuating symphonic prog. They produces a sound influenced by so conflicting styles, bringing to me reminiscences of DEEP PURPLE, YES, GENESIS, ECHOLYN ! Is enough to understand how they walks between so different styles listen track 4 "Take A Holiday"... their main theme recalls Deep Purple but in the middle section ( about 2 min ) a calypso or merengue theme make a break in the frenetic rhythm. The album is very close to perfection and , only by make mention my favorite tracks are: track 1 "Shifting Sands And Turning Tides" , track 3 " Listening To Ghosts " and track 5 "At First Sight"! My rate is 4 stars !!!

Fantastic album.Better than the first one.

Very complex,this incidental album shows they are neo prog bands that are very creative and inspired. (unfortunately most of this bands are in the rock easy listening issue).

Instrumental arrangements are very good, unexpected musical variations are notable.

This album is a mix of neo and symphonic prog rock because has roots of the old art rock.

The music style reminds me more the best american neo and symph prog rock bands than the British ones.

Yes we find here similarities to Genesis ,Pendragon and IQ but more similarities i can find with the best albums of Spock,s Beard(V),Salem Hill(Mimi,s Magic Moment) and Echolyn(The End Is Beautiful)

So a very good album and to be the second one we must hope very good next works of these guys.

4 stars

This is a concept album about an ordinary man who is content with his life but because of the constant media barrage that he hears and sees he wonders about what it would be like to be rich. One day a robbery occurs and he is shot and is taken to the hospital in a coma. During this state he dreams that he is rich and famous, but he doesn't like it's trappings and what he has become. He wakes up from the coma to find out(surprise) he has won the lottery, and now that he is awake he can collect. He decides to pass on the riches though and continue his normal life. A little corny in my opinion although I like the message of being content with who you are and what you have. I think musically it's pretty similar to "Full Scale"(their debut), but I don't think it's as good. Something is sacrificed I believe in trying to stay true to the concept.This one has violin on it as well.

"Happy As I Am" takes a while for a melody to appear, but when it does you know it.The Banks-like synths are cool. Some nice bass lines 2 minutes in followed up by some great guitar from Bob. Vocals before 3 minutes and they do get theatrical at times. A calm 4 minutes in is broken by some aggressive guitar and a full sound. Check out the bass 5 1/2 minutes in. It becomes calm again to end it. "It Could Be Me" is sort of dark with piano to open before vocals come in. Our subject is being tempted. Some spacey synths before the bass becomes prominant. Acoustic guitar after 3 minutes. Electric guitar a minute later. More synths washes and guitar late in this melancholic tune. "Random" opens with the robber shouting "Don't anybody move !" This is where he gets shot. Great sound throughout this song.The synths and guitar are excellent. Vocals 2 minutes in with more powerful melodies to follow. "360" is one minute of violin melodies that blends into "Keep The Exits Clear". Piano joins the violins before it all sort of fades away as reserved vocals come in. It builds to a full sound a minute in. The contrast between the mellow and fuller passages continue. I love the guitar from Bob 3 minutes in that goes on and on. "Have You Seen The Light ?" is an uptempo track with fast paced vocals. He really reminds me of Marco from SYLVAN after a minute. Nice bass lines 2 1/2 minutes in followed by some ripping guitar. Organ follows and they really kick butt after 5 minutes. "Lightswitch" features lots of spacey synths. "Ignorance Of Bliss" opens with slowly pounded drums with synths and gentle guitar. Vocals slowly sing. Some heaviness comes and goes during this track. I like the mournful guitar later on. "Reflection" is spacey to begin with before guitar and synths take over. Nice sound. It blends into "This Is Me (Part I)" where we get vocals again sounding like Marco. "This Is Me (Part II)" opens with soft higher pitched vocals and normal vocals trading lines in a mellow soundscape. Piano followed by some nice gentle guitar and synths.The guitar becomes more passionate and simply shines. I can't help but smile because it all sounds so dreamy and content. Violin before 5 minutes. This is the end of the concept with a bonus track left called "Lighthouse Jig". The keyboard player(Paul) tells how this song was put together in his flat that they had nicknamed The Lighthouse. It really is a jig ! Yikes ! Actually it's pretty good with violin taking a lead role. It gets better as it goes with some blistering guitar and the jig part becoming less obvious.

I feel much like UMER in that "Full Scale" for me was barely a 4 star record, while this one is a notch below it in my opinion. So 3.5 is my rating. Hopefully tszirmay will still talk to me.

"Fortune Telling" is the second full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Strangefish. The album was independently released in 2006. It´s the successor to the 2003 debut full-length studio album "Full Scale". There have been no lineup changes since the debut album and therefore Strangefish operate in the same quintet lineup as they did on the first album. That includes powerhouse singer Steve Taylor.

Taylor is quite the impressive vocalist, singing both powerful and raw rock/hard rock parts and more melodic and subtle progressive rock vocals. He is definitely one of the greatest assets of Strangefish' music. The remaining part of the band are skilled and well playing too and you can´t say much negative about the musicianship on "Fortune Telling".

Stylistically the material on "Fortune Telling" is in the more diverse and adventurous end of the neo-progressive rock scale. While 80s neo-progressive leaders like Marillion and IQ are still influences here, Strangefish also include influences from a lot of other music genres. Particularly from rock- and hard rock artists like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep. Late 70s Genesis is of course also an influence. If I have to compare Strangefish to a contemporary artist it would be Big Big Train, but that´s when Strangefish perform their most progressive rock oriented parts (a track like "It Could Be Me" is a good example of that).

To my ears "Fortune Telling" features a better sounding production than "Full Scale" and it´s obvious too that Strangefish have honed their songwriting skills since the first album. It´s not like they invent the wheel or that they produce anything you haven´t heard before, but they do what they do very well and "Fortune Telling" is definitely a good quality progressive rock release. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

"Full Scale" is the debut full-length studio album by UK progressive rock act Strangefish. The album was independently released in 2003. Strangefish formed in 1989 and primarely spend their formative years as a live act. They did compose music along the way though and also released a four-tracks demo titled "Reeled In" in 2000.

Strangefish plays an intriguing and symphonic type of neo-progressive rock, with strong ties to the 80s UK progressive rock scene and artists like Marillion and IQ, but they occasionally also have a hard rock edge to their music which sends them in the direction of artists like Deep Purple ("Take a Holiday" for example smells a lot like Deep Purple), Uriah Heep, and Magnum. They are generally quite progressive in their approach to writing songs, and although there are vers/chorus structures present on the album, most songs are pretty long and features many different sections and instrumental parts where the musicians can show off their playing skills. Longer tracks like "Shifting Sands And Turning Tides" and "At First Sight" for example feature some very well performed and challenging progressive rock sections. Lead vocalist Steve Taylor is predominantly a rock/hard rock singer, but he can also deliver more melodic and sensitive vocals, so he is quite versatile.

"Full Scale" features a decent sounding production job, but it´s not up to par with more professional contemporary sound productions. You´re able to hear all instruments and vocals in the mix, and there´s nothing wrong with the clarity of the soundscape, but there is a lack of power and warmth here, which means the material isn´t enhanced in the way it could have been with had it featured a more professional sound production. Upon conclusion "Full Scale" is however still a good quality progressive rock release from Strangefish and a 3 star (60%) rating is warranted.

Another very good modern band,who strangely decided to call it off after releasing two great albums,despite waiting for over 10 years for the release of their debut.STRANGEFISH had been around since 1989,located in the city of Manchester and gained some wide recognition with their four-track demo ''Reeled in''.Finally the new millenium found STRANGEFISH on the road of a wider recognition with the private pressing of their debut ''Full scale''.

The album heads mainly to fans of mid-era GENESIS as well as fans of MARILLION,but note that STRANGEFISH have their own and unique style of playing,far from pathetic clones of the afore-mentioned bands.Additionally ''Full scale'' contains some rocking moments with nice groves and up-lifting tempos.The compositions are mainly long with good balance between vocal and instrumental parts and feature the strong vocal performance of Steve Taylor.Keyboards ,played by Paul O'Neil, are very much in the vein of TONY BANKS with leading passages and magnificent harmonic solos,while guitarist - hidden under the name- Bob delivers a few good breaks and more STEVE ROTHERY-like soloing.This was one of the most pleasant releases ,regarding 2004, with both modern and retro elements and reaching this album would be the kindest farewell to STRANGEFISH'es contribution to progressive rock.Strongly recommended!

I went out of my way to secure this judiciously reviewed album by Strangefish on our site , as well as a positive write-up in the French Canadian prog magazine Terra Incognita. The beguiling comments were unanimous in their praise for this much maligned sub-genre , which deserves a little more respect, for if it wasn't for Marillion back in the early 80s , there would be a much smaller and less rabid prog scene today, certainly, no more than rehashing reminiscences of the bygone glory of progressive rock. Neo is capable of delivering some excellent groups and stupendous recordings, especially when they search to distance themselves from cloning past successes and formulas. Well, these british lads most assuredly offer up a different recipe , both similar and distant to the neo ruling class (IQ, Arena, Galahad, Tantalus, Big Big Train, Knight Area, Pendragon etc.) . Firstly, excellent vocalist Steve Taylor doesn't attempt a Fish-Gabriel (which is why they named themselves Strangefish?) , owning a distinctive style that shines through most eloquently on all the tracks presented here. My colleague Sinkadotree , correctly compared Taylor's voice to Sylvan's powerful singer Marco Glühmann on his review of Strangefish's debut disc, and this is most crucial as vocals are our genre's Achilles heel and only rarely do we get good , dare I say intelligent lyrics to add to the mix. Great story line, highly contemporary and a tinge sarcastic (I love sarcasm, it's oh so British!), the songs fit well within an instrumental palette that seeks a little originality within the strict confines of the genre. Bob (I hope his discreet last name isn't Loblaw! Ha, ha, ha!) is a splendid guitarist, skillfully remote from the usual Hackettisms, thanks to a more level sounding attack, that will include whimsical Mark Knopfler-like picking , giving out an almost Traffic (The Low Spark" era) on "Ignorance of Bliss" a scintillating piece of classic prog. Bob also knows how to search and destroy, blazing a few scorching leads along the way. What a find, last name not withstanding! Keyboardist O'Neill paints the canvas , deftly combining sparkling synth leads, colored piano tinklings and rousing organ runs. Bassist Julian Gregory is a true revelation, playing a wicked violin, mandolin and viola, backing up his simple, yet precise bass patterns. Drummer Whittaker is not asked to Brufordize and he doesn't, keeping everything tight and edgy. I am really stunned at the sheer quality of this offering, especially the last half which is fabulously expressed, great stuff that deserves applause and recognition. The jig closes out with bombastic élan , an appropriate finale for a lusciously moody, well-crafted musical story that is most worthy of our respect . Fiver.

This came highly recommended to me but I had to wait for it as they sold out their first pressing. My first impressions were not that favourable as keyboard led Neo Prog isn't at the top of my list. To be fair though I wasn't giving the music my full attention. Well after repeated listens these guys have won me over.The synths are great and the guitarist can flat out play.The vocalist has this uncanny resemblance to Marco from SYLVAN which is a plus as I really like his vocals. The songs themselves have some thoughtful lyrics with a lot of humour.

"Shifting Sands And Turning Tides" features some good synth work, piano and vocals. Mood shifts abound and check out the guitar playing after 6 minutes as he goes on a bit of a tear. "Oceans Deep" again brings to mind that these guys are the UK version of SYLVAN. I prefer the mellow passages on this song especially the synths. "Listening To Ghosts" has some excellent guitar as he really lets it rip.This is such a catchy tune. Spacey synths to end it. "Take A Holiday" is a very uptempo, fun song, including a funny Carribean section, as well as the sound of an ice cube dropping into a glass.

"At First Sight" is mellow for the most part with tempo changes galore. Drums dominate 5 minutes in. Some nice guitar work, as he plays the same melody over and over, but higher up the scales each time. "Touch Sensitive" is my favourite song on this record. It's quite heavy and the soaring guitar 4 minutes in is so beautiful as a vocal melody comes in.The soundscape to follow is fantastic. "Wallflower" could have been released as a single. The drumming is fabulous to open. The chorus is great with back ground synths. "Simple Life" has some good bass and synths early. There is a jazzy sound 4 minutes in. He's so exhuberant when he shouts "The sun's still in the sky !" Uplifting guitar to follow. Nice.

If you are a fan of SYLVAN I know you'll love this cd, but any fan of the Neo genre needs to check this out.