SECRETS OF ASTROLOGY

In many ways, Secrets Of Astrology was the culmination of everything Lana Lane had done up to that point. They had done several excellent albums before, but here everything fell into place and surpassed even the past successes. They opted for a more heavy/hard edged approach on some songs here, often reminding me of the most progressive moments of Rainbow (Rising). Erik Norlander uses his broad palette of keyboards from Jon Lord-like Hammond organ, through Rick Wakeman/Keith Emerson-like synthesizer wizardry, to Vangelis-like electronica. The lead guitars are equally dazzling. And Lana herself shines like a female Ronnie James Dio.

The album opens with the majestic Astrology Suite (Astrology Prelude + the title track) which is simply a masterpiece of full-blown progressive Rock/Metal. This is clearly one of the band's very best pieces of music and an eternal live favourite. Some lovely yet powerful symphonic Rock ballads follow before a return to Metal on the fast-paced (naturally) Speed Of Sound. The folky/Neo-Classical Tarot is again very much in the Ritchie Blackmore-mood; somewhere in the middle between Dio-era Rainbow and Blackmore's Night (the kind of music that Blackmore's Night should be doing!) Asherah is another heavy number with some great Kansas-like violin/keyboards duelling. Guardian Angel is another great piece of Symphonic Rock. Like on most of the band's album, the album closer is an instrumental repeating some earlier themes from the album including the opening, bookending the album perfectly.

A masterpiece!

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