TIDES

Well, we're dealing with true nostalgia here. This band was really fighting for survival in the mid-nineties, so hard it was almost heart-breaking. I even visited a live gig in Amsterdam in those days. I thought they were really great but that was right after the release of the successor of this album Tides and we are dealing with this one now so read more about abovementioned in my review of Campaign.

I'm not fully informed about this band because I always thought Tides was the debut of PTS but in the discography it appears there was already an album in 1992. I must have missed it in the early nineties because I never saw it anywhere. Tides always gave me the impression that PTS were better songwriters than performers because some of the songs on this album are really good compositions but when I play the disc I just can't get enthusiastic. It will also have to do with the production because the sound is a bit thin.

The album starts off with three nice songs before the almost epical titletrack takes its turn. This is one of the better compositions of the album. PTS is also a band with an emotional singer, at least his voice sounds that way. It's very obvious on Valerie, Island and Waiting which are the other highlights of this album. The other songs are acceptable but not really groundbreaking.

So all in all a few plus points and some downsides as well for this nice album but no more than nice I would say. 3 stars for this.

PTS' ''Nightlines'' was a rather poor debut, yet not poor enough to prevent Dutch label SI Music to sign their compatriots.With drummer Le Coq out of the picture and the lyricist of the previous release Marco De Haan taking over the vocal and drumming duties, PTS entered the DB Sound Studio in The Hague and in 1994 they returned with their sophomore effort ''Tides''.

What appeared as only a blurry potential in ''Nightlines'' eventually becomes reality with ''Tides'', as PTS return with a much stronger, inspired and atmospheric album, keeping their strong JADIS stylings but adding also some great PALLAS, CLEPSYDRA and EGDON HEATH vibes into the mix.The result is an album of decent songwriting, great lead guitars, explosive solos and more evident keyboard/piano parts, always with a minor role, but delivered in an inspiring way.De Haan prooves to be a great singer within the genre and the compositions finally show some great passion, energy and healthy dynamics with some trully memorable stuff.The overall style remains pretty unoriginal but the new material written by the band contains good yet easy-going arrangements with heavy doses of grandieur and a fair number of breaks.

Straightfoward, atmospheric and passionate Neo Prog is the proposal of PTS in ''Tides'' and the mass of prog listeneres should give it a chance despite the lack of trully adventurous moments.Recommended.