IN HAZE OF TIME

Not only are Trespass one of those rare breeds within rock, a trio, but they are also a progressive outfit and come from that known hotbed of prog rock, Israel. As soon as you hear that it is a prog rock trio led by a keyboard player then it is inevitable that they are going to be compared with ELP, but according to the press release the main composer, Gil Stein, had not heard of ELP or The Nice or any other prog rock bands until he recorded the album. Now for me that is one step too far, as even though Israel may not be up to date in all things musical it is incomprehensible that he had not heard any prog music at all, especially given the name of the band.

While the keyboard sounds being utilised are quite different, it is with ELP that this band has the most musical similarities. There is driving drumming and good strong bass, with just a little guitar but by the most important instrument are the keyboards. There are long instrumental sections but when there are vocals they are well sung and in English. The result is a debut album that is extremely listenable for the prog fan, while not breaking any new ground. It is well structured and not too self-indulgent, and Gil is a fine keyboard player while bassist Roy Bar- Tour and especially drummer Gabriel Weissman prove that they are no musical slouches either. Bearing in mind that Gil has never heard ELP how does he explain the honky tonk piano on "The Mad House Blues"? That aside, it is a fun album that doesn't take to much work to enjoy.

Originally appeared in Feedback #70, Oct 02