UNDERCOVER

Primarily, this album is a tribute to some of the classic prog bands of the seventies and beyond, with cover versions of songs by ELP, Pink Floyd, Genesis, Yes, and more. It's a grand concept, and one that this band pulls off with style.

These samurai tread a fine line, showing that they are able to retain the spirit of the original pieces while adding their own flair. They especially succeed on Yes' Starship Trooper, where they really go off on a great jam in the Wurm section, and Pink Floyd's Dogs.

I'm disappointed in their choice of a Genesis song to cover. The Lamia was never one of my favorites, even though it came from Genesis' most progressive period. Although I suppose they chose ot because of pianist David Myers' Tony Banks tribute, Before The Lamia, which opens the album.

Where these samurai fall on their swords in in the original pieces, most of which are tracks that the primary band members played on with earlier groups. By comparison, these songs don't match the intensity of the covers, and feel out of place on the collection (to be fair, most are billed as "bonus tracks").

Without the originals, this album would rate a solid four stars. But those bonus track pull almost a full star from the score.

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