MISTY MOON

The mid 1980s were dark days for progressive rock, but Japan bore the torch through the decade that taste forgot, and Outer Limits might be the best of the lot. Misty Moon, their debut, is one of the finest violin driven progressive albums of any era, in many ways more appealing than those of King Crimson a decade earlier. The work of Takashi Kawaguchi on his instrument, combined with the group's balanced blend of more traditional symphonic prog participants (including the unfairly maligned yet understated vocal sections) really raise the bar. This is an album that can be appreciated over multiple listens. A piece that passes me by one day awakens me the next time around, and vice versa. All of the tracks are very good, from the overture-like "Prelude" through to the aptly named and triumphant "Spanish Labyrinth". The whole experience of listening to this expertly compiled effort is like one of moving through a labyrinth, being at turns lost, inspired and found again. The melodies and arrangements are delightfully angular yet accessible. While not exactly pushing the outer limits of prog, this fine first album is an optimal place to start your mist-filled exploration of Japanese prog.