PICTURES

One-shot album by this Swiss band. The band was lead by Benjamin Jäger, who was previously with a band called TOAD (which featured ex-Brainticket members). This is a totally fascinating album! The band consisted of vocals, Hammond organ, Mini Moog, Moog Taurus bass pedals, sax, drums, and percussion. But the band didn't use guitar or even a bassist! That means the keyboards and the wind instruments shine! For the most diehard prog fans out there who want the most over-the-top complex prog out there, this album will satisfy! The music sounds like a combination of VAN DER GRAAF GENERATOR, GENTLE GIANT, and RIO (such as UNIVERS ZERO). The atmosphere, for the most part, is quite sinister, as is the cover artwork, done by their countryman H.R. Giger (same guy responsible for ELP's "Brain Salad Surgery" and helped design the creatures for the 1979 movie Alien, in fact the artwork to "Pictures" looks very much like the creatures from Alien). The music is very long, with the exception of a short intro and a 7 minute instrumental, nothing on this album is under 12 minutes long (there are five songs total).

The album has its detractors, because the unbelievable complexity (they make GENTLE GIANT seem like the MOODY BLUES, as far as complexity is concerned - I might be overexaggerating there). Definately not an easy album to get in to, but if you like GENTLE GIANT and VdGG, you're sure to enjoy this.