NEW BORN DAY

Ruphus burst onto the scene with New Born Day, which presents a sound which much of the time resembles a heavier version of Yes, with the influence of pre-Larks' Tongues King Crimson and a bit of Van der Graaf Generator craziness mixed in and a vocalist - the mighty- lunged Gudny Aspaas - who can rock out with the Robert Plants or Roger Daltreys of this world with ease. The group wear their influences on their sleeves and whilst the album isn't an essential classic by any means, it's still a very credible homage to the early prog greats that's worth a listen for anyone curious about the early roots of the Scandanavian prog scene (which, arguably, would overtake the UK scene by the 1990s).