TRAUMATIZED

This band plays a fully Genesis oriented music (while they were five for most of it). The keyboards sounds are really similar while the vocalist tries to match Gabriel quite often ("Relativity" being an exception probably).

It happens that I like such bands even if in this case it might not be as strong as "The Watch" for instance. But I guess that you have the idea. If you can't tolerate that a band emanates / perpetrates this type of music this album is not for you. If, on the contrary, you fancy once in a while to listen to Genesis related music (or even more than related) I guess that you won't be "traumatized" by this album.

"Marathon" is one of my fave : a bit of "Watcher", some great guitar work and the according Gabriel vocals. Do you like this cocktail ? Needless to say that you will find PLENTY of Banks keyboard style elements in here. But this is the essence of "Puppet Show".

Surprinsingly enough, "In the Heart of man" start as a KC song (for about 2'30"). After this, we'll be reverted to some "Trespass" music (which was also strongly influenced by ITCOTCK). So, globablly, we'll remain in the same family. And it is rather nice. The melody of the chorus is very pleasant, somewhat theatrical (but not too much). The middle part is more "Wind & Wuthering" oriented. Insn't it a wonderful journey ? Another highlight.

The closing number also starts a bit different with some nice Spanish guitar notes, but after this the track will be fully in-line with the classic "Puppet Show" production. Great mellotron and synthesizers, you know like ...But to use again the "Watcher" riffs show some lack in creativity.

Compositions are mostly long ones (from ten to forteen minutes for the majority of them). They might sound irritating here and there ("The Ring of Truth" ) but I would say that this is a good album. Not particularly creative but enough to deserve three stars (in my rating system).