RETROBUTION

Two years would pass after the recordings of ''Terminally brave'', before we get some fresh news by Ian Gordon.In July 2013 he released ''Retrobution'', far from concept works, this was a collection of songs and thoughts, inspired by his travels in Europe and the States as well as the way of living in his hometown, Bolton.All material was written, performed and produced by himself.

A nice, fresh and modern Rock album with excellent songwriting and quirky instrumentation, powered by the sound of guitars, keyboards and piano, still ''Retrobution'' sees Gordon moving away from the classic realms of proggy influences he presented in his first couple of releases.This one recalls heavily of MUSE, it has a certain melodic approach, echoes of Indie and Alternative Rock and some Power Rock values, anyway, this goes beyond our expectations, as Gordon prooves to be such a talented composer, instrumentalist and singer, that all of his albums have good things to offer.''Zanzibar'', ''Stars over Lebanon'' and ''Dixi'' are great rock pieces with melodic hooks and dynamic breaks/riffing to go along with vocal distortions and deliver impressive musicianship, albeit far from what you call a typical Prog effort.The deeper you go, certain proggy tunes start to surface and during the longer tracks Gordon's prog background starts to become clear.''Frankincense'', ''No smoke without fire'' and ''Long live the new flesh'' are the three definite prog cuts of the album, an affair of modern and heavy prog elements with complex variations, surrounded by echoes from the past, like the use of Mellotron, the big orchestral breaks and the jazzy spices on guitars and synths.The result is a bit confusing, because not every piece in here sits well with the most progressive numbers, but noone can deny that the material is very strong throughout with memorable songwriting and some amazing atmospheres.

Propably the one release by Gordon, that will satisfy the Muse fans worldwide.Nice Rock-based music with a decent atmospheric depth, occasionally sinking into Gordon's prog background, as proposed in his previous albums.Warmly recommended...3.5 stars.