DESTINATION

After the disappointing Ra, it took the duo of Bornemann and Gerlach four more years before the next Eloy studio album, Destination, would be released. Was the wait worth it? For me, it clearly was not.

Unlike the progressive leanings on Ra (although highly electronic and programmed), Destination returned Eloy back to the AOR sound they leaned heavily toward as the 1980s progressed. One improvement was the shedding of the programmed drums as much of the tracks feature guest drummer Nico Baretta. Also, former Eloy bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol appears on two tracks: Silent Revolution and Racing Shadows.

Destination has some good songs on it, although it has more in common with Asia and Saga than the extraordinary music of the Eloy of old. Probably the best track is Jeanne d'Arc which features a beautiful performance from a classical choir. Silent Revolution and Call of the Wild are nice, but throughout the album I had to wonder what happened to Eloy. It sounds like Bornemann singing for another almost nearly unrelated band. That's the main impression I got.

Another forgettable two star performance. Mostly for Eloy fans and maybe the occasional AOR enthusiast.