THE LAST HORIZON

It takes a brave band to name themselves "Hoggwash". Quite honestly, I would have fully understood had they selected a name like "Giant Hogweed". But Hoggwash? A name like that invites comparisons that - quite frankly - are beneath this band. I'm must be missing some great joke or backstory here so feel free to enlighten me if you are "in the know".

Anyway, the sound is reminiscent of Camel and the proggier side of Alan Parson's Project. Antony Kalugin is quite adept at creating long and expressively flowing keyboard solos. The sound is lush and the keyboard patches warm and smooth even as they cut through the mix. Far from fading into the background, it is Kalugin's key solos that provide energy and thoughtful movement to this music. As such, I consider them the high point of "the Last Horizon".

Vocals are mellow and competent if a bit on the melodramatic side, which I understand is in keeping with the preference of many neo-prog fans. They aren't "over the top" with hyper-emotion by any stretch. They remind me of a mellow version of some 80's new wave band like Talk Talk perhaps - or a softer version of Saga's longtime singer Michael Sadler.

There is a certain 'sonic sameness' throughout much of this album. It is entirely enjoyable and listenable. Even so, a little widening of the timbral pallate along with the introduction of some more compositionally intense sequences could set the stage for these dreamy sequences to carry a greater emotional weight and impact.

Check out the generous samples at the band's webpage. If you like what you hear, rest assured there is plenty more of the same high quality music to be enjoyed on the album. 3 stars.