a progressive rock adventure
Reviews - Somewhere in the dark
Symfo City Homepage
Wim Verweij
From Switzerland comes the first official release from the band Deep Thought, named Somewhere in the dark. It features 9 classic symphonic rock songs, from which some were previously released on two demo CD's. Four songs clock over 10 minutes. As said, classic symphonic rock songs, because they all conform to the conventional style and pattern of progressive symphonic rock: strumming and fuzzed guitars, orchestral keyboards and mellotron, bass pedals (although I wonder on which song), tempo and mood changes and of course guitar and keyboard solo parts. This especially applies to the best songs of the album like Clock, Simple man and the culmination Ice, which also has some nice classic keyboard parts, up tempo synthesizer solo's and appealing lyrics. No real surprises, but a pleasant album to listen to, although not al songs have obvious melody lines. Flashes of bands like IQ, especially in the songs previously mentioned and in Waiting for darkness. Some songs have a more dark atmosphere or themes with much tension, for instance Changing the rules, Shadows of the past and closing track Mud on the hill, what reminds me of the German band Scythe. A pity that this song finishes with a rather corny fuzzed guitar solo. Driving has a swinging rhythm and bass line and commences as if it is being played on a car radio; not very original but it fits the title and lyrics of this song and is followed by a pleasant guitar solo. This song (and also Mud on the hill) is a bit in the vein of the work of the Dutch band Triangle.