WANTED

This album is my first experience with RPWL. I had heard of them as they were once a Pink Floyd cover band that had extended into origin music, but I never explored them as such. I hobtained a Yogi Lang solo album at one point, and noted the strong resemblance to David Gilmour's music. So while I love Pink Floyd, I never ventured into RPWL, as I just expected a clone.

But clone this is not. Sure, Lang's voice has that Gilmouresque tone, as does Kalle wallner's guitar. And a few tracks do have more than a passing compositional nod to the Floyd roots. RPWL has expanded on this base, mostly into more deeply progressive waters, with very successful results.

The opener, Revelation, is a powerhouse instrumental heavy prog track. In a vague way, it reminds me of Rush, as they were incorporating electronics into their sound in the late 70s. Swords And Guns follows, with a chanted vocal track, and middle-eastern sounding scale. This is another strong track that compares favorably to Opeth's "Heritage" album. All of the other tracks are wonderful, with styles ranging from light and folky to a Deep Purple-like jam. Special mention must be made for The Attack, which climaxes the album in a multi themed, very progressive piece.

Lyrically, the main theme of the album is the tyranny of religion. As a lifelong atheist, this strikes a chord with me. While the words are definitely defiant and controversial (to some), the target does not seem to be the faith of the religious, but the misuse of the power and authority by the religious organizations. And in my not so humble opinion, they are spot on.

I have been unable to stop listening to this album over and over, and cannot wait for this long cold winter to end, so I can share it with the world from my car stereo, with the windows down.