PAMPERED MENIAL

The debut album, quite original for that time, fuses hard rock small tracks from LED ZEPPELIN but mostly DEEP PURPLE (even if the riff dependence is not as great) with classical symphonic passages. One thing that jumps out of your mind when you start listening is David Surkamp's voice which, depending on the listener's taste, can be irritating or beautiful. But one thing is certain: it's unique: it transmits a lot of emotion, more than words can say.

In general, all tracks obey to this paradigm: good melodies with good guitar riffs intercalated with little but beautiful instrumental proger passages (fine flutes, complex piano arrangements all over, emotional violin, mellotron, guitars.). All tracks are at the same level, it's difficult to figure the highlights but the mellow ballad Julia, Late November where you can see clearly forthcoming bands inspiration like PREFAB SPROUT; Song Dance with its violin solo; Fast Gun for its nice violin and organ arrangement; and the complex Of Once and Future Kings with its crazy jazzy piano arrangements, soft violins and flutes, melody transitions, ending perfectly the album!

Not being as progressive at that as Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson and whatsoever, this album is very nice to listen and as I said, somewhat different, it has a different style from those other pioneer bands. If you like classical hard rock and don't get noised by the singer's voice, you should have this album in your collection!

My rate: 7/10