EGO

While the themes explored by Poland's MILLENIUM tend to the serious and downbeat, musically they tilt to the melodic axis, which seems deliberate, a hypothesis confirmed in the title of this album's successor. This does not mean lightweight, as the band incorporates majestic keys and guitars with somewhat less traditional instrumentation in the form of saxophone and trumpet guest spots. These render even the almost feathery "Born in 67" an exercise in elegance.

Like a cross between SATELLITE and PINK FLOYD fronted by STING (I didn't think of this myself), "Ego" drops the mood a few notches with numbers like "Dark Secrets", "When I Fall", "Lonely Man" and "Goodbye my Earth". All of these might have been soundtracks to ACNE-addled youths had they been released in 1973, but instead are probably commercially propelled, if at all, by nostalgic older folks who have forgotten that whitehead isn't a beach resort. It's all good, and somewhat redemptive and cathartic, although the parade of moroseness can be numbingly grey. I think most tracks would be improved with roughly a 40% haircut, but I will stop short of asserting that the band would be happy imparting a truncated message, since they do seem genuine on the matter.

MILLENIUM has established themselves as one of the more prolific aggregations in the flourishing Polish neo prog scene, but this release overflows with super ego when a titch more alter ego might have been expedient. A Floydian slip?