QUASAR

Quasar is in fact a very good album, despite the clique-ish protestations of snobby proggers and kraut-rockers who probably never forgave Kaske for taking on new wave influences with all the eagerness of a nymphomaniac at a gangbang. Creative use of vocoder in an almost operatic fashion, as well as nice sequential and synthetic waves riding over heavy drums and some sparse but effective psychedelic guitar forays make this a far better album than it's often given credit for being. And fortunately, on Quasar Kaske tones down his hysterical Peter Hammill-influenced vocals Perhaps in some ways similar to FM's Black Noise, though without Nash the Slash's ripping violin and power-chorded mandolin, Quasar is much superior to the vastly overrated Dreamlab.

'Quasar' sounds more Kraftwerk than 'Mythos'. Strangely the song structures are the same from earlier years, only this time it's electronic.

The only instrumental constant from their past is that damn flute that they have used since day one. Thankfully it only appears on the first track. The vocals on this one reminds me, very disturbingly, of Morten Harket from A-ha.

Crikey, this sounds like a recipe for disaster!

Surprisingly, the whole album is actually much better than I thought it was going to be. At times bordering on Ultravox and Gary Numan territory, Mythos are one of the few 70's prog bands I've heard that have managed to integrate with the 80's. Particularly good is the third track: 'Flut-e-quenzer: the knight' - also the longest track which is full of synths and vocoders.

This is more New Wave or New Romantic sounding than prog - which pretty much suits me fine. An easy three stars which could have been a four if it weren't for the faults listed above.

Oh- and a great sleeve too with some bloke's fingers squeezing a crickets bum. What that hell that means is beyond me.