RESISTANCE

4.5 stars. I just can't give that fifth star despite wanting to. I want to because I like how they have changed things up on this album. It reminds me of when "Dark Matter" came out with that heavier sound, well this one just sounds different because of the new keyboardist Neil Durant who joined the band on the previous effort "The Road Of Bones". We get the same lineup as the previous recording in fact.

There's more space on this album, more atmosphere. My first spin through that second disc had me consciously saying I've never heard so much organ on an IQ album. Peter Nicholls sounds better than ever if that is possible. If you don't like Peter's vocals you probably don't like this band because he dominates each album as he does here.

Great album cover, that gate fold opens up looking apocalyptic then opening the package we get cold and ice as everything is blue and white. Contrasts right? Both apocalyptic but different. We get plenty of contrasts on here. Album of the year on here for 2019? A Neo Prog album? Says something right there because that was a first for this site. I like how balanced this record is although more heaviness would have been appreciated as they do seem to meander a lot in those spacey moments. Again I'm okay with this I'm just excited at how good this one is and how slightly different it is as well.

We get three massive tracks with the 15 1/2 minute closer "For Another Lifetime" on disc one plus the 22 minute opener "The Great Spirit Way" on disc two along with the 20 minute closer "Fallout". "The Missile" and "Rise" the first two songs off disc one start the recording off perfectly in my opinion, that nice heavy crunch plus some emotion is what this band is all about.

Without question a top five album for me for 2019 and really the only other Neo band that comes close right now in the '20's is PENDRAGON.