ALICE IN WONDERLAND

30 years following their 1978 debut, Neuschwanstein returns to disc with Alice In Wonderland (2008).

The opener, "White Rabbit", sprawls about, lightly swirling wide but low in your headphones, giving way to the beginning of the narration on "Gate to Wonderland". I wish my German was a bit better. With the rolling percussion and flute, this is most strikingly reminiscent of mid-70s CAMEL (i.e. early Camel). This level of melodic symphonic prog on this track ends with some nice synth and piano.

I suppose because this is so intrinsically tied together, it continues to remind me specifically of The Snow Goose. On a negative note, perhaps it's the version I'm listening to, but I feel the mixing/mastering is incredibly muddy and fuzzy. Sort of washed over. So, that's quite a shame, really. It doesn't get much better.

"Old Father's Song" has great intermingling guitar work and flute, striding nicely along the rhythm section. This feels like some tie between the Space Rock of Eloy and the composition of Camel. It's a tad static until around the 6:00 mark, where the synthesizer and organ ramps up. It's a shame, too, because I can't help but think that this sort of thing has all been done before. It's at least lively.

The narration returns on "Five O'clock Tea" atop neo-classical keys. It picks up again here following the narration, with some of the best rhythmic lilting on the album. Shame about the production(?) being shite, but definitely the best thing on the album. Especially for us English speakers, you certainly don't need it within the context of the album, fortunately.

One of the clearest produced tracks is "Palace of Wonderland" that has a really great gallop pretty early on in its 12-minute runtime. Before it gets too monotonous, it opens up with flute and into another great section. It actually breaks up into numerous sections throughout, keeping it interesting, keeping the listener on their toes. "The Court of the Animals" also has a decent bit to keep you interested.

Overall, good Prog, but feels all too familiar.

True Rate: 3.5/5.0

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