HOLD IN THE SUN

Well crafted prog rock from Scotland. This is a studio project and not a proper band. This according to the biography at PA. I am sure that's right. The music itself is pretty symphonic. But the first reference that comes into my mind is Frost*. Then The Tangent.

The music as I said is pretty symphonic, but with a large indie rock and neo-prog feeling. There is no references to the golden age of symphonic prog here (the 1970s). Neither do I find any references to the likes of Yes, Genesis et al. The sound is ultra modern and have a cold, digital feeling. There is a lot of sound effects here and mordern gizmos. It is obvious this is not a touring band. It is rather a studio project. The first five songs are OK before the album runs into a bit of a studio-gizmos mine field where the sounds is dominating and the melodies has taken a back seat. But the opening five songs are great with a lot of mood and tempo changes. Guitars and keyboards are well used here. Even some metal riffs can be detected. But the main mood is almost a Pink Floyd mood with subtle references to The Flower Kings too. But the songs are not as symphonic as Roine Stolt & Co.

The quality is good throughout. The first five tracks are good before the album nosedive into a studio gizmos minefield. I kinda like this album. But it is not a classic album by any means. Just a good album. I hope they continue to release more albums because they may come up with a masterpiece one day.

3.25 stars