TALES OF ARDOUR & DECEIT

In '98 the Danish progrock band Etcetera released their debut-CD entitled "Fin du siecle". Not until five years later their next, long awaited album came out. The first, very long track "The song of marsh" (15 minutes) is very alternating: a sumptuous climate featuring moving Mellotron (like mid-Led Zeppelin), dreamy twanging acoustic guitars and volume- pedal guitar play (in the vein of early Genesis/Hackett) and fiery, more complex parts with saxophone like King Crimson and bombastic church organ with echoes from Keith Emerson. So you can conclude that this band sounds like a progrock stew of the Seventies dinosaurs! Then the short "Songs" with tender Fender Rhodes piano, beautiful acoustic guitar and halfway wonderful violin-Mellotron and vocal harmonies. In "Kentisch suite" you will be delighted about the fiery wah-wah drenched guitarwork and runs on the Moog synthesizer and Hammond organ, VINTAGE TIME!! The track "The lady of Castela" is indeed Spanish influenced delivering an intro with Spanish guitar like Julian Bream, followed by twanging acoustic guitars, mellow flute (evoking early Hackett solo) and soaring keyboards and a bagpipe sound. The climates are very alternating featuring choir- Mellotron, up-tempo with Gilmour-inspired guitar and great Moog and Hammond work. The final tracks are "The exit" (excellent brainwork!), this short song contains fiery electric guitar and an exciting guitar/synthesizer duel and "The ghost of Yang Part II" with lots of nature sounds. Although this CD delivers lots of captivating progrock moments, to me it often sounds a bit too fragmentic, the compositions need more maturity. But Etcetera deserves credit on their second album, I'm looking forward to their next one!