NOSTIMON HEMAR

La Tulipe Noire's preceding albums had been undistinguished pieces which had garnered them a reputation as a Marillion clone band - and not even a particularly interesting Marillion clone at that. So, imagine how surprised I was at the jump in quality evident on Nostimon Hemar; the combination of top-notch production values, tighter performances and composition, and ageless subject matter (Homer's Odyssey) works wonders on the band's sound. Whilst they do still show a powerful Marillion influence, this time around they are at least doing something interesting with that approach and are finally showing a distinct personality of their own. I do hope the band get around to producing more material after this, because I'm sure they'll do better now that they've finally come into their own.