SKEEM

What a delightful little surprise (though I purchased this in large part due to the PA stream of "The Last Word" which left me "word"less), a shimmering set of attractive prog pieces (set in the "neo" camp), led by the Barbaro brothers Serge and Benny, aided and abetted by the Priam rhythm section (fellow French band known for a more heavy prog-fusion style). The vocals are absolutely first rate, in fact some of the best ever recorded from France, Serge owning a strong and vivid set of pipes that resonate a sense of purpose and passion. All the remaining tracks are first rate, with exceptional playing: densely fluid keyboards, expressive lead guitar leads and supremely tight bass and drums. The cover art is sublime, the production remarkable and the 8 tracks are never below 6 minutes or over 10, so it's an evenly paced package that is hard to slam or dislike. Seemingly all of my fellow PA reviewers agree: this is a fine, fine example of Neoprog done right. Looking forward to another future release. 5 planetes