SKEEM

Skeem deliver what is on the whole a fun, diverting, but not particularly memorable neo-prog album in a fairly typical vein - a Marillion-imitating style which reminds me in parts of Clepsydra. The performances are reasonable and the compositions are alright, but there isn't quite enough bite to it to really engage me, and nor do the band manage to create a work which is really emotionally compelling. The album doesn't seem to have been made with any particular statement or aesthetic in mind beyond "let's prove to the world we can play a bit like Marillion". Sure, they can, but rote imitation isn't a skill to be proud of.