TWILIGHT

I really like this band. Both in this incarnation and as THE WATCH. I also like their GENESIS cover band concept. I was not aware of THE NIGHT WATCH at first. But I eventually sniffed out both this band and this album. I am glad I did go that extra mile for this album.

Let me first say that this could have been the lost GENESIS album. But THE NIGHT WATCH updates their sound in a major way. That's maybe why they are branded as neo-prog. In my view; this is a symphonic prog band. But that is solely my view and I am not pushing it. I guess THE NIGHT WATCH's similarities with MARILLION props up as why they are branded as neo-prog. In my view; the Fish era MARILLION copied GENESIS. THE NIGHT WATCH is copying GENESIS, but some of their songs, by default, therefore sounds like MARILLION. Is everything now clear as mud ? Good !

The album starts with My Ivory Soul and we are instantly in GENESIS land. A country this album never leaves. This song is very good. The vocals sounds like Peter Gabriel. Just a lot better and with a wider range. OK, the guitars sounds like MARILLION at places. The really outstanding track on this album, which is also included on the live album by THE WATCH, is The Fisherman. This is a song which would had enhanced The Lambs Lies Down On Broadway, although the lyrics is about something very different. Anyway; this song is excellent in it's pastorial settings. The rest of the songs are very good too.

Is this album a GENESIS rip-off ? No. I think it stands firmly on it's own feet. Yes, the sound and music is firmly in the GENESIS land. But the songs also has their own identity. This is why I like this band. They can tour as a GENESIS cover band. But they also stand firmly on their own feet with their own material. This album is a great album in it's own right, but sadly under valued due to this copycat image. This is a very good album.

4 stars