DEFINING THE LEGACY

Flamborough Head's second album delivers the neo-prog goods: tight compositions, extended instrumental sections which really show off the band's talent, and a hard-edged update of the Marillion/IQ style which takes on board some of the darker touches popularised by the likes of Arena.

Of course, there's no shortage of bands which offer a Genesis/Marillion/IQ-inspired sound, but Flamborough Head come across as having a genuine understanding of and appreciation for both the compositional approaches of their major neo-prog influences and that of the 70s bands who inspired the early neo-prog scene in the first place.

At the same time, Siebe-Rein Schaaf's vocals are rather prominent and don't quite feel up to scratch, Schaaf perhaps not sounding as confident as he could singing in English. This would be the last album to feature Schaaf, and he certainly makes his presence felt, though at points this is overbearing and to the detriment of the album.