QUIDAM

One of the many neo-prog bands that sprang up in Poland in the 1990s, QUIDAM which started out as a simple blues rock band named Deep River when founded in 1991 in the city of Inowrocław and then transmogrified into a bonafide musical force by the time this self-titled debut was released in 1996. The core members of Maciej Meller (guitar), Radek Scholl (bass) and Rafał Jermakow (drums) got the whole show on the road but soon after would be joined by keyboardist Zbyszek Florek which would slowly but surely move QUIDAM closer into the world of IQ, Marillion and Arena rather than the more accessible rock sounds that dominated the 1970s.

It was the arrival of lead singer Emilia Derkowska in 1995 that really turned the band in a more melodic direction and with the addition of flautist Ewa Smarzyńska the stage was set for serious symphonic prog workouts. The band was a hot ticket on the live scene and won many awards at festivals in Poland which led to this eponymously titled debut which features nine tracks at a lengthy playing time of 65 minutes. The grand finale "Płonę" serves as the behemoth prog icing on the cake. Immediately after the release of the first QUIDAM album the band launched a successful tour which was especially popular in the Netherlands and earned the band more accolades in the world of neo-prog.

Reviews were also quite favorable for the band's mastery of complex symphonic elements that shrouded the beautiful female led vocal melodies and intricate changes in moods, dynamics and even tempos which led to very original sound that was clearly within the world of neo-prog but crafted a distinct Polish flavor. While most European neo-prog bands delivered their lyrics in English, QUIDAM defiantly crafted their songs in their native Polish which offered a unique stylistic approach given that linguistic rhythms shape musical accompaniments. The influences of both Pink Floyd and Camel are ubiquitous and are actually more in the forefront than other neo-prog bands as the guitar parts deliver a space rock approach and the synthesized atmospheres lead to the Camel playbook.

Despite the obvious influences though, QUIDAM's members were excellent songwriters and catchy pop hooks embedded in epic prog sophistication accompanied by Emilia Derkowska's enchanting vocals in the Polish language proved to be the winning formula. The opening track "Sanktuarium" with its heavy guitar riffs has proven to be the band's most recognized and beloved tracks of its entire career with its instantly addictive hooks and the sensual flute parts that grace the mid-section. The album remains strong for the first half of the album but then with the beginning of "Nocme Widziadla" the album falters with moments of cheesiness and on "Niespełnienie" in particular the Floydian influences are a bit too much.

The following "Wakocze" also sounds like a throwaway ballad however the combo effect of the all instrumental short track "Bijące Serca" and the closing prog behemoth "Płonę" recapture the momentum of save the entire second half from complete ruin. This was definitely a great beginning for one of Poland's most revered neo-prog bands but in the 90s artists were obsessed with filling every minute of available CD time which often led to a less than perfect album. QUIDAM's debut is the perfect example and could've used some serious editing in the middle section however even the lesser tracks are ok. It's just an uneven album in terms of quality. The early phenomenal tracks overshadow the tracks in between. A very promising debut that would lead to a few more albums before the band broke up in 2002 before reforming in 2004.