THE VOYAGE - A TRIP TO ELSEWHERE

I have to admit that this ''Voyage'' is far much better than any of their ''Cheval'' stuff. Even if I'm not a huge fan of classic music, I have to say that the combination offered here works pretty well.

The long opening number is close to some sort of a ''tour de force''. Can you imagine classic being combined with the dark and oppressive Crimson music? Here you go! This is a highlight and a wonderful way to start.

I wouldn't be so laudatory about the next ''Telescope''. It takes ages to really start, but the listener is rewarded during the second part of the track. Emotional guitar is combined with dark, obscure passages. Again, Crimson is not far away.

Now, the first suite of this album: ''Picassiette''. Some French word to indicate a person who is imposing and inviting himself to get food. I have never liked such pieces being spread out through an album and I use to listen to the these pieces straight in a row. ''Walks'' is no other and the same applies to ''Sagrada Familia'' which is king of weak to say the least.

To come back to ''Picassiette'', I would sat that the classic influence is rather too much for my taste. I rather preferred the opening track which was more a combination of prog and classic than pure classic item. The same feeling prevails through the other ''walks'' of this suite.

I am more pleased while I listen to ''Das Junkerhaus'' and its more conventional approach. Great sax play in here.

In all this is a good album, but I couldn't find the long ''Wild as a Toad'' a thrilling moment in my musical life. It ends up on an imposing ''Magnificient Giant Battles'' which closes this work with brio.

Three stars.