SHADOWLANDS

I must admit i'm not a big fan of this band so I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked this album, in fact for me it's their best recording. They have a guest string trio helping out as well. The negative, and for me it's a big one, is their cover of Dan Fogelberg's "Longer". It's not that it's a bad cover in fact it's better than the original, it's just that back in 1979 when this was on the radio in my final year of highschool I detested it. I mean I hated this song with a passion. How could they cover such a wimpy ballad ? Believe me i'd like to describe it in a different way but I have to be political correct.

"So Close, So Far" opens with strummed guitar then some nice bass along with drums. How good do the synths sound here. Vocals after 1 1/2 minutes and I like the guitar after 3 minutes. A calm follows then we get guest female vocalist Flo Paris singing. Male vocals later as it continues to be slow paced. It picks up before 7 1/2 minutes. "Run Lisette" sounds great early with the bass and guitar. Male vocals and lots of synths follow. Female vocals after 5 1/2 minutes. There are strings on this song too. "Farewell To Shadowlands" features some great sounding guitar early and chunky bass. Lots of synths too. Female vocals before 3 1/2 minutes. Love the bass.

"Longer" is stretched out to almost 10 minutes. Awesome is all i can say as I throw-up on the floor. "Behind The Great Beyond" is the over 20 minute closing epic. I've brushed my teeth and am ready to go. Piano to start as strings join in. It changes before 2 minuts with a GENESIS-like soundscape but more powerful. It settles some 4 1/2 minutes in with reserved male vocals coming in a minute later. I like the atmosphere after 9 1/2 minutes then it picks up with guitar and fat bass lines. The instrumental section that follows kicks ass. Atmosphere ends it beautifully.

This is good but flawed by one track. Like a virus it's affected the whole recording for me. Okay not really but 3.5 stars is all I can come up with.