TIME TO FLY

With such a name, I would have expected some more keyboards fantasy than the one delivered in this album. Actually, the whole is a pure neo-prog affair (most reviews mentioned this), so I don't know why it sits in the symph category.

Sounds remind us of course of the great trio, but without too much enthusiasm I would say ("New Foundation"). This is a true dull opening number: flat and unemotional vocals (but this is consistent throughout the album, unfortunately), average keyboards, weak melody?

But in terms of melody, the listener is not really rewarded while listening to this long album (over sixty minutes). There will be no follow-up to this debut work and I won't complain. This is just basic neo-prog with sub-par vocals; but still some fine keyboard work ("Running With The Stars").

Vocals are dragging the whole down. If only instrumental a track as "Is It All Too Late" would have been quite acceptable, but as it is?gosh!

As one could have expected, "Manticore Theme" is one of the most ELP-ish track from this album. Excellent keys and rhythmic; this track is bombastic (would you believe) and it is by far my fave. It is also all instrumental which is probably the reason I like it better.

Big hopes could be expected with the soft acoustic guitar intro of the epic "The Maiden", but this is really too much cliché for my ears after that. "Manticore" reminds me of a sub- par "Neuschwanstein" (a German band from the seventies who only released one album).

This is not a very intersting work. Just average. Since the half star rating is not available, I'll just downgrade "Time To Fly" to two stars.