EGOIST

Polish band Loonypark was formed in 2007 by Krzysztof Lepiarczyk (keyboards) and Jakub Grzesło (drums). They soon found the right singer in Sabina Godula-Zając (who had previously been in Liquid Shadow with Krzysztof and had sung with Millenium), and Krzysztof then looked to another of his previous bands, Meteopata, for guitarist Piotr Grodecki and bassist Piotr Lipka. For a debut album, this is a polished affair, but given that the guys had all been around the scene for a while that probably isn't too surprising. Unlike Liquid Shadow, here all the vocals are in English, which immediately makes it more accessible for those who don't understand Polish, and the music is also quite different in that here it is far more reflective, and not nearly so in your face.

It contains elements of symphonic prog, mixed with good strong melodies and sensibilities while also using some wonderful Camel or Jadis-style guitar lines. There is a real warmth to the keyboards, and Sabina has beautiful control and timbre that gives the music a depth and quality sadly missing from many bands. It certainly doesn't come across as a debut, there is far more power and passion, but all restrained and dealt with in the right manner. Guitarist Maciek Tomczyk, who later turned up in the Polish avant-garde metal band Luc Occulta, is a guest on this album for some of the songs, and it is hard to imagine that he later became more abrasive as here his guitar sings gently and sweetly, combining with some wonderfully dated keyboard sounds to create something quite special. Poland has long been a haven for some amazing progressive bands, and Loonypark are yet another strong act.