BLACK MOON

This is easily the best Emerson Lake & Palmer album since Brain Salad Surgery that was released 20 years earlier! Of course, Black Moon is not as inventive and adventurous as the bands classic 70's albums. However, that is irrelevant since this is also a different type of music. Black Moon is more of a rock album, and it rocks quite hard at times too. The songs here are really good and memorable.

There are no long conceptual pieces here (like Tarkus or Karn Evil 9), there are also no ultra intricate, experimental things (like Toccata), but still this album really captures the true spirit of the band. We find here great instrumental passages; Romeo And Juliet, Changing States, good hard rock songs; Black Moon, Paper Blood, and even Greg Lake's ballads are good this time; Farewell To Arms, Footprints In The Snow. The latter are easily Lake's best songs of this type since Lucky Man and In the Beginning from the very early 70's.

This album is also very consistent. There aren't really any standout tracks, but also no weak tracks. In many ways Black Moon is the exact opposite of Works Vol.1 where the three members did quite different things from each other on their respective vinyl sides. Here on the other hand, they really feel like a band again, working together.

This album is highly recommended if you like this band. For me personally this is one of the three or four best Emerson Lake & Palmer albums of all time.

Excellent addition to any prog music collection