STRATA

A rather indistinct record and possibly too contrary for its own good - the individual pieces hold up well enough but it's difficult to find a unifying theme among them. Variously gothic, alien opera, Bartok-esque and evocative of languid court music, the only constant Opus Avantra offer you is the hook of Donella del Monaco's remarkable voice - which is admittedly sensual in certain places - and certainly don't deign to play rock music on this album. That would be uncivilised.

Even so, this reviewer rewards Strata with four stars in reverence to the moments of brilliance contained within - this record bears the signs of meticulous arrangement and a resourcefulness which spans beyond the wide arsenal of instruments it employs. If you want to hear avant-prog undiluted by rock and roll, then here it is.