ALONE

Brilliant album by this swiss neo prog band. It is very similar to their previous Fears, which means a high quality status and an all around beautiful sound. Clepsydra is one of the best bands in that style ever to grace the 90´s: their music is absolutely emotional, very well crafted, melodic, bombastic, powerful and full of conviction. Nothing too groundbreaking or very avant guard, but highly enjoyable and truly one CD that I love to hear anytime. As usual the strongest influences are Pink Floyd, IQ, early Genesis and Fish-era Marillion, but actually they have their very own sound, thanks largely to their strong and charismatic lead singer Aluisio Maggini, who has a very distinctive voice. He is one of the great prog vocalists.

The group ´rpduces a very fine tapestry of sounds that makes their album sounds like a long song instead of just a collection of tunes (not bad for a concept album like this). Far from being boring, this fine work of art flows evenly all the way through making you feel this CD is shorter than it is actually. The keyboards parts are a bit subtle but really great in all its details and nuances while guitarrist Marco Cerulli´s solos and and licks are a joy to hear. The rhythm section is discreet but very efficient. In all a truly group efford with everyone contribuiting for the bigger picture without ego battles or unnecessary virtuosity. With a very good production and no fillers at all, this is maybe Clepsydra´s finest hour.

Conclusion: One of my favorite albums of all time. An excellent addition to any prog music collection and a must have for any neo prog fan. 4,5 stars.