HOLOGRAM

This debut by Clepsydra has never been my favourite album. The brilliant and outstanding band they appeared to be with their next three wasn't really coming through with this one. But I will give it a fair review because I owe it to this band that has been an important one in my life I can say after all these years.

Hologram is a typical neo album, more than the other three that went slightly in a symphonical style, let's say a band in between neo and symph. After a short overture New Day (part one) is proving my statement, neo example no.1, can't think of a better one. This song reminds me of Dutch band Differences, same guitar sound and apparantly same production quality because it sounds so much the same, but this is not really a compliment because production is at best mediocre. Funny enough another similarity with Differences is the obscure way they show themselves in the booklet with a very vague photograph where Differences even had covered eyes as if the neobands in the early nineties were too shy to show themselves. Interesting aspect. 4107 begins to sound a little bit like their latter impressive style but this one still sounds a bit shy. Fleeting Moments is a mediocre track followed by Fading Clouds of Time sounding much more impressive as a composition, well played with spirit. Poem for a rainy day is what the title suggests a sort of small poem (instrumental ballad). New Day (pt.2) is better than part one, another example that this band was already showing potential, how I love this band when they play songs like this, 100% my taste ! Sandflow is the second instrumental track but this one is a bit heavier than the first. For her Eyes is an average Clepsydra track, good but not excellent. Steve and Jane is a ballad with lyrics this time, a song somewhat like the shorter songs on their album Fears again not quite one of my big fav's but not really bad either. Third part of New Day is a sort of instrumental intermezzo before the title track and second highlight for me is a bit of the grand finale of the album because the closing instrumental is a very short one.

Conclusion: a good and promising album but not coming close to the other three for me and that's not just due to mediocre production quality. The compostions also had to mature after this debut to be able to call them a great and professional band. So if you start with this album to check the band out this information is essential. Taking all four is in that case a good advice. If you already have the other three then this is more for completionists. Still give it three stars.