STRATOSFEAR

Certainly among my three favourite TD albums! (Two others being Force Majeure '79 and Cyclone '78). Stratosfear is the last one with the Froese-Franke-Baumann line-up. The sound is simultaneously warm and somehow estranged and mystical, lots of acoustic guitar for a TD album, a wide range of Moog, Mellotron, organ and other keyboards. An interesting feature is the harmonica on '3am At The Border Of The Marsh From Okefenokee'. You can imagine being there. Most of the album is also rather melodic, delicate and calm, but with a strong, at times even nightmarish atmosphere (indeed, what a great title!).

It continues where Phaedra had left, featuring four tracks between 4:45 and 11:40 in length. I do appreciate also their classic albums with only side-long parts of the title piece (Ricochet, Rubycon, Tangram, ...), but often either one of the parts doesn't quite fulfill the expectations. All of the tracks of Stratosfear are exciting, never getting too repetitive. There are sections completely different from what preceeds them, such as the piano at the end of the title track. So this is a truly progressive album in every sense. Music to paint strange landscapes in your mind. I only wish it was longer. 4,5 stars.