THE DISSOLUTION AGE

I love this album, it is grating and crashing, progressive rock that is truly striving to be that. It brings together Poisoned Electrick Head with Fields Of The Nephilim and Ultravox in an unholy union that works brilliantly well. It is intense, and needs to be played very loudly to be fully appreciated, and as it swirls in and out of the mind it takes with it more than a few brain cells. It isn't all hard and fast, there is a very reflective and emotional song in "The Duncan Browne Song". This is a fetching tribute to the musician/composer probably best known for his part in Metro, who died of cancer in 1993. This is not prog that sits in the neatly compartmentalised section of wannabes, but music that is trying to create something new and dark. The music is driven along by pounding drums and bass, while the guitars and keyboards do their best to stop the powerful vocals, but to no avail. This is an album that many progheads will shy away from for being too intense, but that is their loss as this is one that I will be playing a great deal. www.blackwidow.it

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02