TALES FROM THE LUSH ATTIC

The debut from Neo-Prog giants IQ is somewhat of a lost treasure these days. Those fortunate enough to have it, though, are experiencing a masterpiece of progressive music. From the opening flutes of The Last Human Gateway to the closing of The Enemy Smacks, this album just doesn't lose its appeal and is a massive achievement. The group sounds almost exactly the same as they did in the 90's, but the group photo in the sleeve booklet will tell you that the band certainly didn't look the same as they did in the 90's (most notable is Mike Holmes hair). The guitar sounds are magnificently created and performed, the bass and drums are dynamic and keep rhythm perfectly during the trickier sections of the album. And finally, the keyboards are dynamic and wonderfully "lush", and Peter Nichols never sounded better.

The Last Human Gateway, which often is played in sections in the live format, is a epic that rarely gets mentioned these days, but it is masterfully played. From the opening flutes, to the 7/8 section that lasts from 3:30 to 5:00, even under tricky circumstances, the band pulls off a wonderfully majestic atmosphere. Through the Corridors reminds me of Liquid Tension Experiment's Paradigm Shift in that the guitar plays a similar line of ascending notes while keeping a drone note at machine gun pace. Awake and Nervous is a ballad of sorts and maintains a wonderfully majestic and often... dare I say it... nervous atmosphere. My Baby Treats Me Right 'Cos I'm a Hard Lovin' Man All Night Long is the opposite of what you'd expect. What you think will be a rollicking blues number is in fact a 1:45 grand piano solo from Martin Orford. The Enemy Smacks, another epic of about 15 minutes in length, goes through many different atmospheres and the vocals are outstanding.

Overall, if you like IQ, you need this album. It is essential to any Neo-Prog fan's collection and a masterpiece of progressive music. 5/5.