DARK MATTER

In reality this album gets 2 1/2 stars. Why? Because the first four tracks are amazing while the final track ("Harvest Of Souls" - which makes up half of the album) is a giant turd wrapped in mediocre prog rock.

I have been a fan of IQ for some time now, and ever since 'The Seventh House' was released, I elevated the band to one of my favorites. Not surprisingly, I have been eagerly awaiting this new album. I knew it was going to be darker than their previous work, and I was looking forward to seeing what they did. As mentioned above, the album gets off to a great start with the first four songs. "Sacred Sounds" is up to par with any of the songs from IQ's last three albums. The three shorter songs, "Red Dust Shadow," "You Never Will," and "Born Brilliant" are all very dark, but contain some of Pete Nicholls' best song writing in years. Regardless of their underlying intentions, these songs contain poigniant comentary on life and politics. The music is also incredible: I love the driving rhythm of "Born Brilliant." The sound of the song is a perfect fit for the scathing lyrics. However, after that point, everything goes downhill....

First of all, you (the reader) will have to excuse me for getting up on my soap box. I also have to warn you that I'm going to express some of my political views which will likely differ from those of the majority of people who gave this album four or five stars. I DO HOPE TO MAKE AN INTELLECTUAL CASE FOR MY OPINIONS RATHER THAN SPEW OUT A BUNCH OF CRAP LIKE THE INDIVIDUAL ABOVE WHO SLAMMED THIS ALBUM AND ALL IQ FANS. Please remember that I still consider myself a fan of this band and I look forward to hearing what they release in the future.

"Harvest Of Souls" is yet another song in a long line of similar songs that questions America's foriegn policy. As an american myself, I have absolutely no problems with people questioning my country's methods or tactics. The ability to openly question the government's motives is part of what makes this country great. My problem is this: did Pete Nicholls and company really need to spend 25 minutes insinuating that America and americans are the scourge of the Earth? I particularly object to the blatent assertion in "The Wrong Host" that americans in general believe that they are infalible and have God on their side. While I recognize that there are some people out there who hold this opinion, I am not one. In fact, I don't know of anyone in my life who actually holds those beliefs. I am afraid that Mr. Nicholls has, in writing these lyrics, decided to rely on gross stereotypes held by many non-americans. If you are going to use President Bush as your template for all americans, you are just as guilty of the intollerance and ignorance typically lumped on people in my country. The rest of the song is peppered with scathing references to western comercialism and the belief that everyone in the United States believes in some sort of world-wide manifest destiny ("In the valley of the dollar, we rejoice/For plastic is the currency of choice/And beauty born is strictly for the birds/Your cash is fine but credit is preferred"). Nicholls also implies that americans are a bunch of soulless followers intent on doing their master's bidding ("As you sign on the dotted line, as you do what you're told/All you sell is your soul"). Once again, these are all based on stereotypes perpetuated by a media that loves to pigeon-hole everyone. So where do independent thinking, critical people like myself fit in? Nowhere. Certainly not in any of Pete Nicholls' lyrics.

I find it remarkably ballsy that IQ would choose to make such a blatent anti-America statement on their first album to be distributed in the States in over fifteen years. Whether intentional or not, I find it quite ironic that the band makes a conscious effort to bite one of the hands that is all too willing to feed it. I bought this album purely on faith--faith that the band would deliver another incredible performance worthy of their previous efforts. As mentioned earlier, I am not giving up on IQ. However, I will not make the mistake of going out and buying their music in the future without listening to it first.