WELCOME TO THE THEATRE...

Well, starting reviewing these unreviewed albums I realised why they're unreviewed (mostly). I have almost nothing to say about this one - just look at the rating. It has good but cheesy melodical side and mediocre musicianship. Don't know how it can be prog - it sounds like 70s pop-rock bands like SWEET, SLADE and SMOKIE are trying to play something ARTish (in their opinion). I must confess, PANGAEA conquered me with their melodies and that's why I gave them 2 stars instead of deserved 1 star. Neo- Prog? Nope. Prog-Related? Maybe...but even TEN has much more Prog to offer.

Wow, I have more than 50 words about this one! A personal record I guess ;-) .To finish with, I wouldn't recommend this one to you, but you can try if you're not the Hard- Rock/Pomp-Pop-Rock hater.

The third album of North-American band PANGAEA "Wellcome to the Theather", shows a strong influence of ASIA first albuns and by consequence of masters of prog rock like YES, E L & Palmer and KING CRIMSON (mainly this two first ) . However, "Wellcome to the Theather" is one album where in spite the quality of musicians, the final result don't express this quality nor in term of creativity and so minus in sounds like a re-creation of the above mentioned bands. In fact I consider a weak album, with a few good moments. The biggest sin of the band is a very repetitive rhythm in almost all tracks and the arrangements based in a trivial chords sequence... leaving aside the sophisticated melodies which is characteristic of a good prog rock music. I detach some few moments: track 4 'Ride It Easy " due the solo duet between guitar and keyboards, track 6 "The Fall Of Rome" ( the main theme reminds me "Cutting it Fine" by ASIA) with a interruption of the repetitive rhythm by a bluesy guitar solo and last track "Nightmare" only because is very different of majority of tracks and recalls KING CRIMSON. My rate is only 2 stars !!!

The quartet were back in the studio with Robert Berry to work on this album in August 1997, releasing it a few years later. Back then I was regularly being sent promos by Angular Records to review and this was the first time I came across the band. There were very few of us regularly writing about prog at the time, and I have not seen any other reviews of this album from that period, but I certainly liked it when I came across it in 1999, saying "while it may be a tad bland for some prog fans, if you like music like 80's Yes in some parts while more AOR in others then this is worth investigating."

Now, there has been a lot more prog through my ears since I wrote those words and don't think the Yes reference is accurate, as there is much more neo going on, but the mix with AOR is certainly accurate. This was a direct follow-on from the debut with the same line-up and producer working together in the same studio to continue where they left off from the previous one, although some of the guitar is a little fierier. It is obvious they were trying to expand, with some very different percussive elements in "The White Shaman", which was written by drummer Andi Schenk. Looking back at my original review I see I rave about that song, but "The Fall of Rome" has a lot to thank GTR for, and I can't help but think that Robert must have had a hand in the arrangement for this one and it makes me smile just playing it. Yet another solid neo-prog album from back in the day, with the same line-up producer and studio, what would the next one bring?