|
: : Dark Matter : :
The group has finally gone and done it. They manufactured an
exquisite album with deep meaning and rich emotion. Rather than spreading their
ideas all over the board, they concentrate on five pieces of varying length. This
approach bodes well for them. While not entirely sure what battles went on in the
rehearsal room, each piece is formed with expert skill by extremely crafty hands. In
some ways, the material is light years beyond anything they’ve done before. Yet, the
album still has IQ’s insignia stitched across the material.
Their singer, Peter Nicholl, has a voice like no other. To some fans, this is a
draw. Like Roine Stolt, Neal Morse, and even Bob Dylan for that matter, there is
fascination with a voice that finds itself outside the norm. There will still be
purest who have an idea of how a singing voice should sound. To these individuals,
Nicholl’s voice would be fingers on a chalkboard. Regardless of how he has sung
before, his voice has matured and improved tremendously over time. He glimmers in
his vocal duties and sings with absolute zeal. Not only does his voice sound great
on the album, he manages to harness the rare oddities in his voice to his advantage.
He voice is a finely calibrated wind instrument. Rather than jumping to the high
notes, he reaches these levels like Michael Jordan gliding in for a slam dunk. The
modulations in his voice throw off your guard like trick passes. There are moments
he shoots, seemingly missing, and still manages to tip the note for a score.
Accompanying Nicholl’s superb showing are members from Jadis. That would be John
Jowitt, the bassist, and Martin Orford, the keyboardist. John’s bass is brash and
bold. Martin, on the other hand, is a modest fellow. He will tell you that the
keyboards are an easy instrument to play. All kidding aside, his contributions on
this album reach new milestones. The keyboard arrangements on this album are
monumental. While IQ is easily distinguishable from other groups due to Nicholl’s
vocals, the music on this album sounds very much like Jadis’ Fanatic in places
thanks to these two chaps.
Rounding out the personnel, Paul Cook contributes drums in an intricate and
introspective manner. He dribbles down court and keeps the defense on its heels. He
accompanies his teammates with a timely stride and trendy rhythm. Micheal Holmes
guitars are agile. His rebounds turn swiftly into fast breaks. These players hit all
the marks with impeccable precision. They have obviously done their drills in
practice.
The mix is fabulous. Everything is crystal clear. In addition to being great music,
the engineering behind this album is calculated and correct. This is an amazing
accomplishment for this quintet.
Out of the five pieces, two are epics. The album starts with one of them. It is a
breathtaking piece. It is classic IQ in sound. The final minutes are the tornado
that chased down Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (fitting since the cover art looks like
Oz himself). It has enough power to pick up a house, but has the grace to carry it
afar without causing a single stroke of damage. This is a great way to start the
album and it makes an incredible statement that the group has reinvented itself.
The next song, Red Dust Shadow, is even better than the opener. The vibe is a bit
like RPWL, so close it may be the result of a cloning experiment. Without even
looking at the lyrics, it is obvious this has to do with child abandonment of some
sort. With all that it achieves, it is hard to believe it is such a short piece.
Before getting a second to compose oneself, the next piece begins.
Starting with the ticking of clocks, You Never Will takes a few moments to build.
The quietness is an attention getter, because it forces a listener to take notice.
It assembles itself abruptly and toggles the senses with the change in tempo from
the last song. It pulsates in a way comparable to Po90 and finishes with great
symphonic charm.
The fourth song, Born Brilliant, is probably the simplest in the bunch. The album so
far has not lacked inertia. This provides a pleasing lull to the propulsion system.
Further along, a segue is arrived upon and John Jowitt pummels us senseless with
some fancy footwork on the bass. Interesting industrial sound effects are used
throughout the piece. The song is similar to Ayreon in many ways.
The longest and final track, Harvest of Souls is the big finale to an already
impressive display. The epic starts with a heartfelt ballad. Then fireworks come
from all directions. Each pause is merely gearing up for the next sequence. The
transitions are as transparent as glass. This is what so many bands try to
accomplish in their elaborate epics, but fail to do so in their attempts. Here the
listener takes a journey through all types of weather and terrain. While it borrows
from classics such as Yes, it prowls at times into the territory of Spock’s Beard
and even The Tangent. This is truly new and exciting ground for IQ.
The last stage of the epic makes its decent on autopilot. It catches a few snags in
the turbulence before homing in on the beacon. It is smooth sailing the rest of the
way. There are parts in these final moments that sound almost like Queen. When the
plane hits the runway, it brakes, and takes us to a complete stop. The flight is
over. We have crossed vast distances in a short time.
Despite being able to count the number of songs on one hand, Dark Matter is both
diverse and complete. Each part acts as a pillar to an unshakable infrastructure.
Fans will be shocked at the quality of this album. IQ is a group that has already
released a number of gems. They have previously made their mark on the
neo-progressive rock scene. This album just happens to be their crowning piece.
9 out of 10
stars.
Reviewer: Josh Turner
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Tales From The Lush Attic 1983
The Wake 1985
Living Proof 1986
Nine In A Pond 1985
Nomzamo 1987
Are You Sitting Comfortably 1989
Jail Pollette D'arnu 1991
Ever 1993
Forever Live (Box set) 1996
Forever Live 1996
Subterranean 1997
Seven Stories 1998
The Lost Attic 1999
Subterranean The Concert 2000
The Seventh House - 2000
Archive Collection - 2003
Dark Matter - 2004
: : Record Label : :
|
|
