UNIFAUN

When I heard about UNIFAUN in the GENESIS Forum, couldn't stop having some curiosity, specially because I'm a fan of the Charterhouse School band, mainly the Gabriel era, so I expected something worth the to listen, despite the lack of originality.

But when I got the album must say it was a bit of a disappointment, I expected music that sounded closee to the earlier GENESIS years and instead I find mostly polished POP stuff

The album starts with "Birth of a Biggie" which was a shock, because it was like listening Phil Collins singing some POP era GENESIS stuff with some reminiscences of "Robbery Assault and Battery", but without the originality required, simply anti-climatic starting point for the album.

"To the Green Faerie" sounds like something rejected from "A Trick of the Tail" but even more less imaginative, the efforts of Nad Sylvan trying to sound like Phil Collins are evident and sadly successful.

"Mr. Marmaduke and the Minister" starts with a very nice keyboard intro that at last reminds me of early GENESIS, somehow reminiscent of "Battle for the Epping Forest" but sung by Phil Collins in Peter Gabriel's style. Not a masterpiece but the competent use of the keyboards makes it worth to listen.

"Swinger's Party" brings us directly into POP Genesis territory with hints of the 4 men era, to be honest I can't say much about this track, being that is totally predictable from start to end without any meaningful changes or something that captures my interest.

"Rehacksis" has a mysterious sound that brings us back to the Wind & Wuthering album, with a strong Hackett influence, especially from his first albums, a very interesting song that proves these guys are very skilled and versatile when the material is solid. Excellent track.

"Quest for the Last Virtue" puzzles me, starts as very late GENESIS or Phil Collins solo stuff, but after the first three minutes and when was falling asleep, a radical change that combines elements from various albums wakes me up, again the keyboard work is outstanding, after a sung section the band enters into an excellent instrumental break, which is extremely interesting, only interrupted by the annoying vocals, and again another change.

Now they sound very close to Wind & Wuthering with special emphasis in the acoustic guitar which is played with singular dexterity, but again they move to a long and refreshing mellotron section in the vein of "A Trick of the Tail" that leads to a complex vocal finale, another good track for UNIFAUN.

"A Way Out" reminds me again of "Steve Hackett's" albums until the vocals irrupt to ruin the effect, from this point forward and despite the efforts of the band, they hardly capture my interest.

"Finistere" is a short instrumental track with influences from "A Trick of the Tail" which flows gently and pleasant without surprises from start to end, but must say that I found it enjoyable.

"Welcome to the Farm" sounds like taken from ABACAB, one GENESIS album I can't stand, so must be no surprise for anybody how boring and repetitive I find this song.

"Maudlin Matter" starts with a very interesting piano intro that leads to a complex instrumental passage that starts to capture me until the vocals take me back to reality, we are before a couple of talented musicians that are not so far away from a tribute band, because even when they play original material, the sound is so close to GENESIS that almost anybody would qualify them as a clones.

Bon-Apart is an incredibly beautiful piano solo that captivates me from the first moment, even when very short, is a completely original piece of music that proves this guys are able to write good music if they try to be original.

"End or Fin" is an instrumental closer in "Los Endos" vein but without the strength of the original, please even the name is a clear reference to the GENESIS masterpiece, not bad a all, but at least they could close the album in an original way.

Now, how to rate this album? 2 stars seem to low because these guys are very skilled, but I rated much more solid and ORIGINAL albums with 3 stars, so the right rating would be 2.5.

Not existing this possibility in Prog Archives and being a debut album from a new band of talented musicians who can do better, I will have to go with 3 stars and wait for an original release.