STARCASTLE

Much has been made about Starcastle being a poor American Yes clone, and for good reason. But any band that sounds so close to Yes and exhibits good songwriting and stellar playing can't be that bad. Indeed, this is band that delivers pleasing music. Two major elements give rise to this praise or accusation (depending on the critic): Gary Strater's bass tone is unmistakably similar to that trebly punch of Chris Squire, and Terry Luttrell just sounds uncannily like Jon Anderson at many points. But I hear many other influences here, namely ELP, Camel, and Gentle Giant. In addition, there's some highly original compositions present really worth hearing.

"Lady of the Lake" The most creative and engaging song on the album, it is also the lengthiest. The guitar playing is more than sufficient, ringing out nice and clean despite the use of distortion. Herb Schildt's organ solo sounds much more like Emerson did on Tarkus or Pictures at an Exhibition than anything Wakeman or Kaye ever did. The light atmospheric section is much brighter than, but very similar to the softest section of "Close to the Edge."

"Elliptical Seasons" That twelve-string acoustic introduction may easily be compared to "And You and I," but the rest of the song moves toward a funk-driven direction. The lead singer stands alone (rather than clothing himself with heavy vocal harmonies). The synthesizer lead, however, reminds me of Peter Bardens of Camel.

"Forces" Here, Luttrell does not sound as much like Anderson, stripped of the harmonies as he is. The vocalizations of "I've Seen All Good People" are present here. This time, the synthesizer tone is very similar to that of Wakeman's on "And You and I." Other than that, this song sounds incredibly original and fresh.

"Stargate" A light synthesizer and lead make up this terse, building instrumental, as drums, guitar, and bass butt in at several points. However, I can't shake the feeling that the band decided to reinterpret Stravinsky's finale to his Firebird Suite (which Yes frequently used as an introduction at live shows); it just sounds too convenient, especially since it goes right into the next track.

"Sunfield" The vocals here are a tad embarrassing. They sound out of place, poorly mixed, and spouting goofy lyrics. Otherwise, the music is stellar, with more fantastic keyboard and bass carrying on. Schildt is the clear star here, giving his synthesizer a workout. The guitars both take a more submissive role, similar in vein to Gary Green of Gentle Giant.

"To the Fire Wind" Heavy and oddly timed organ chords run under some strange punctuation just before the lead guitar comes in, leading into the harmony-ridden vocals. The vocalizations grow a bit stale though, but inward bound is a fantastic synthesizer solo before the introduction overtakes things again. The guitarists do get a shot at showing their stuff, assaulting the listener from both speakers.

"Nova" Tribal drumming initiates this odd album closer. The rest of the instrumental uses the instruments in an odd arrangement, with punctuating organ as guitar and synthesizer play various leads. Sadly, the strong bassist has nearly no place.