STARFOOTED

METAPHOR originally started out as a GENESIS tribute band. Their debut CD "Starfooted" though is a concept album with their own compositions. The music however is very reminiscent to early 70's Peter GABRIEL-era GENESIS but with a more modern sound. There's also reminiscences to ARENA, The FLOWER KINGS, GALLEON, GENTLE GIANT, IQ, MARILLION, SPOCK'S BEARD and the Swedish band TWIN AGE, but after all, TWIN AGE were once a GENESIS tribute band too. This album has it all: Mellotron, odd-time signatures, many complex rhythm changes, good compositions and arrangements. The songs are very much built up the same way as typical GENESIS songs, but it would be unfair to say that METAPHOR hasn't got moments when they are blooming out in their own personal style. The vocalist John Mabry is very good and so are the musicians. John Mabry is one factor that makes METAPHOR differ from being a GENESIS-clone. This album is highly recommended to lovers of Peter GABRIEL-era GENESIS. They are a perfect substitute for the symphonic progressive rock that GENESIS abandoned with the release of "-And then there were Three" in 1978. I'm a big GENESIS fan so I can't help but to love this album after all. Hopefully they will develop their own style on forthcoming albums, then they would surely get a breakthrough. I think that METAPHOR has a good chance to become one of the major progressive rock bands in the near future. Remember my words!