NOVOX

Novox is a fun little album that thankfully does not take itself too seriously thus destroying the oft quoted quip that prog is pretentious and arrogant. Pretentious maybe at times but arrogant? When Dutch stalwart Neo prog band Cliffhanger decided to end its all to brief run, keyboardist Dick Heijboer and drummer Hans Boonk gathered around some pals and formed the Novox project, some of the members going on to join Knight Area (guitarists Mark Vermeule and Rinie Huigen as well as Rickenbacker bass specialist Gijs Koopman), the new Neo darlings. Almost 99.9 % instrumental,(No Vox , get it?) this is a jam-laden, guitar/keyboard feast that is pure, unadulterated fun. The expert bass rumbles tightly throughout, proving again the evident talents of Koopman's 4 stringed instrument. Some tracks are pure atmospherics ("First and Second Bridge of Tears", "Then There was One" where Dick plays the piano like a true master and "Eclipse", a bass and keyboard duet with ornate classical tendencies), others are loose jam sessions loaded with skilled experimentations:" Be My Guest" has some rollicking organ work, "Looking Up at the Sun", a rather fluid Vermeule guitar solo, "Never Mind" is the owner of a frantic mellotron passage that is awe-inspiring, weaving nicely with the crunchy bass and searing guitar hysterics in the frontlines, shredding endlessly. "Galactic Storm" is a keyboard fest a la ELP/Trace, densely atmospheric at first with posh sonic whirls, then morphing into the more classic trio prog format, led by some furious Boonk drumming, precise bass and slippery synthesizer slurping. The monstrous rhythmic duet "Valentine Fuzztrations" is heavy, sweaty, lewd and rude, the bruising hyper-fuzzed bass devastating all in its passage while Boonk bangs along furiously. Incredible bass insanity that needs to be witnessed, proving again that Gijs is a bass genius. "Sunset on a Sad Horizon" suggests some Manzanera-like guitar inflections from axeman Rinie Huigen, with more wallowing keys in the background and that stellar bass abetted by tight drum accelerations. Ask Mr Spock would say "fascinating"! The Huigen solo is devastatingly posh, loaded with intricate sizzles and robust feeling. "Emptiness" contrary to its title, is actually brimming with spellbinding performances by all concerned, a nearly 10 minute extravaganza that has all the exquisite chops you would want to find delectable. While there is little here that falls in the memorable category, I have a soft spot for albums that clearly espouses the pleasure of Prog without the overindulgence, the endless mastering, editing, sequencing and formatting. Plus any album that has such absorbing bass playingfun is highly deserving of priceless accolades. Let's hand out 4 "guildered" Amstels