MOONCHILD 98

This is a compilation of 11 bands on the progressive label Moonchild. The bands are CRUCIBLE, NEW SUN, FIG LEAF, JEREMY, PRUETT & DAVIS GROUP, TRUTH IN ADVERTISEMENT, BLUE SHIFT, MAGUS, INDEED, SMOKIN' GRANNY, and DELUC. Here's a presentation of the tracks: 1. FIG LEAF "The Humble Poet" Album: "The Humble Poet" released 1997. FIG LEAF is a great band from Norway. This is actually the only album I haven't heard with FIG LEAF and this is one of the best tracks. FIG LEAF is one of the better groups today in Norway.Their influences are EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, GENESIS, Peter HAMMILL, Jimi HENDRIX, KING CRIMSON, MEGADETH, ROLLING STONES, SANTANA, The WHO, YES and FRANK ZAPPA, and I think you can hear a little bit of all those artists in FIG LEAF's music. 2. CRUCIBLE "Over The Falls" Album: "Tall Tales" released 1997. This is my favorite track on this compilation. I really like the organ and the guitar playing on this track. This track is really breathing 70's progressive rock. I really hope I get the chance to hear the whole album, as this track is a true progressive masterpiece. 3. DELUC "Identity" Album: "8th Wonder" released 1997. An instrumental track with a band from Australia from their debut CD. This is also one of the better tracks on this compilation. The music is close to Progressive Metal, and if the whole album is of the same standard it have to be really exciting. 4. PRUETT & DAVIS GROUP "Ascension" Album: "Time's Arrow" released 1997. Wow, this is great! The track is almost entirely acoustic. Rick Pruett and Mark Davis are both playing steel and nylon string acoustic guitars, and they are accompanied by Jerry Peek on four and six string bass guitars and a drummer named Chip Lunsford. The four first tracks on this compilation are all of very high standard. 5. SMOKIN' GRANNY "Crankcase" Album: "Smokin' Granny" released 1997. This is a great track with skilled players that are mixing funk, jazz and prog. They're somewhat reminiscent of BOUD DEUN and Fred FRITH. The most remarkable thing is the great sax that has got a leading role in the music. The guitar playing is really good too. 6. NEW SUN "Cyrus Gore" Album: "Affects" released 1998 This is a reasonable track but a little bit uninteresting. It's also very long with its 9:49 minutes. If they had kept the best ideas from the song, and cut it down in length it might have been more interesting. 7. INDEED "Poindexter's Army Of Hissing Android Alien Spiders" Album: "Freak Mountain" released: to be announced. This is a track from INDEED's forthcoming album. INDEED is a one-man band with multi instrumentalist Brian Hirsch handling all the playing. He's also one of the two founders of the Moonchild label. On this track he's continuing on his already established musical direction. As usual it's all-instrumental. 8. JEREMY "Earthquake" Album: "Salt the Planet" release date to be announced. JEREMY is, just like Brian Hirsch, a multi instrumentalist. He's playing guitars, keyboards, bass and drums. The music is instrumental electronic prog in the same vein as Brian Hirsch. 9. BLUE SHIFT "Rome" Album: "Not the Future I Ordered" released 1997. A good track with a singer that is somewhat reminiscent to Jon Anderson and Geddy Lee. An interesting prog band. 10. MAGUS "108 Steps To Babaji" Album: "Traveller" released 1997. This is an interesting track that is very calm and beautiful. Music to relax too. 11. TRUTH IN ADVERTISEMENT "Ponderances On Things Above" Album: "Balance" released 1996. This is a two-man band that is playing very beautiful music. Mark Reynolds is playing drums, keyboards, bass and singing, while Gina Salá is handling the singing. There are some great tracks on this CD, but also some fairly weak. This is a good introduction to some interesting bands you should check out. You just have to have some indulgence with the weaker tracks.