A GIANT'S LULLABY

Wow, this is what I call improvement! Kvazar´s second album took quite some time to come out, but, boy, was it worth it! While their first album was tentative, this one shows a band much more confident, mature and willing to experiment. Their songwriting skills and playing grew a lot in those four years between releases. Some line up changes also occured, with guitar and bass players being substituted. A host of guest musicians is also featured here, including some vocal interventions of female singer Trude Bergl (very good ones, by the way).

Their musical direction also changed: instead of the melancholic retro prog, lots of variety and new elements, like traditional jazz, jazz rock/fusion (the most proeminent influence here), eastern rhythms, gregorian chants, nothern folk and so on. Incredibly, all those elements work very well together giving the band a very distinctive sound where it could be just a big mess in less capable hands. And every track is quite a journey on itself, showing some great instrumental prowness (often in the King Crimson´s vein). The excellent, crystal clear production also helped to enhance all their incredible musicanchip and the strong arrangements. Once again drummer Kim A. Lieberknecht shines with his fine technique and inventiveness.

Conclusion: well worth the wait. The band evolved a lot and I hope they keep on this path. If you like eclectic and varied prog, with the influences I mentioned before, don´t miss A Giant´s Lullaby. An excellent adddition to any prog lover collection: 4 strong stars.