SUBTERRANEA

The listening comes easy even though it s a very long album.It might be conceptual in some way,but it sounds like a long collection of songs to me,in the IQ style,with a lot of true feelings by Peter.The only "negative"point is that it seems that they consciously avoided to dig into complex stuff,even though the music seems to ask for it a few times during the album.

The music sounds crispy, fresh and dramatic with lots of adventurous twists. Yet the focus remains on the song structure. No problem whatsoever to get into the conceptual story immediately. Martin Orford produces his most progressive sounds to this date. Peter Nicholls' voice is just perfect for this dark album. Each instrument, including the sax, adds more flavour to it.

Perhaps IQ is a honest band, but, anyway, "Subterranea" seems to be a fraud . If you think that it is a kind of "Lamb Lies", as much people say, you are wrong. While Genesis tried to experiment, IQ is like a conservative clone. Or not even that. Composition is poor and repetitive, full of easy infantile tunes. Riffs tend to be characteristic of a classic and boring heavy-rock. And the bombastic episodes seem like like copies of the solemnity of Genesis. Genuine "retro-prog".

Well, to be honest, I´m not agree with the extended idea of considering this album as a masterpiece. On the basis that it had a great diffussion (DVD, video, Double CD, ), and is a huge container of musical ideas & concepts, finally they seem to me boring, repetitive, and seldom inspired, (except Narrow Margin) and doesn't reach the dexterity of another IQ albums (Wake, Ever, 7th house), which I´d recommend to everyone. I´m totally agree with the review from Mr. Eichborn below.

Some of the younger progheads I know have tried to have their " Tales of Topographic Lamb Lies Ocean the Broadway ", but to me this sounds like totally a prefabricated formula that owes much to their 70's inspiration but lacks the imagination of the greats. As a lot of people claim that this is a masterpiece , I say this is a pale copy of what they could do if they managed a personnality of their own. Everything seems to remind you of something else on here (As on most TFK albums too).

I always had the unfortunate feeling that most progheads elevating thios kind of album to the levels of masterpieces were fooling themselves and were trying to live out a fantasy that the this decade was living up to the 70's standards. Of course, how unfair to ask this of a group of musicians, but really, they were the ones making the records that were sounding just like what they were aiming at.

Maybe one of the better known albums of the neo progressive, and one of those opus that can demonstrate what a band is. IMO, IQ is better than Pendragon, Marillion and many neo prog groups, but it doesn't mean a superband. Genesis-Gabriel evidently influenced, "Subterranea" gives us more than hundred minutes of typical neo prog music, sometimes brilliant, sometimes reiterative, with the logical modern sound and the changing tunes, but -despite the work is pleasant to listen- two discs are too long if they turn around always in the same way. "Subterranea" first disc is my favorite, maybe I felt a little bit bored when second disc was playing. The fourth track, "Sleepless Incidental", is the best song. About second disc, the long suite "The Narrow Margin" is interesting too, but I must confess I was tired and waiting the end. IQ's music is melodic and enough powerful, even tough some tracks show us a little bit "commercial" feeling. "Subterranea" doesn't reach the brightness of "The Seventh House" but, nevertheless, this is a good stuff, and almost essential for those who love neo prog style.

WOW! What a GREAT album! Please, stop pretending that this album is a "Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" clone! Apart the fact that it lasts around 100 minutes and that it is a concept album too, "Subterranea" is a totally different album.

Near 20 tracks, most of them are not epic, except "Narrow Margin", which lasts around 20 minutes. The album must preferably be listened in its entirety: there are some variations on the same theme. All the tracks have something interesting. the tracks are not extremely complex, but the ambience & atmospheres created are really pleasant and addictive, and the tracks are really progressive, never monotonous. Martin Orford uses an omnipresent organ, but, unlike MARILLION - "Brave", it never sounds outdated. He often plays addictive fresh piano parts. His ultra modern keyboards can be very floating and atmospheric, often having the New Age style, like on "Tunnel Vision", "Sense of Sanity" and "The Other Side". Many tracks are really rythmic, almost prog hard rock, followed by fresh, dreamy & emotional ambient pauses. The electric guitar is very rythmic, having many melodic solos like on the "Ever" album. There are some excellent acoustic guitars too, which are absolutely relevant with the modern & fresh overall sound. The bass is excellent, and Jowitt sometimes plays a VERY pleasant fretless bass, like on "Speak My Name" and "Capricorn". Peter Nicholls sings well, and he does not "MEOW" his voice like on the "Ever" album. Paul Cook plays excellent slow drums parts, which is really appreciated, avoiding to sound too fast for the slow rythm: Nevertheless his parts are never dull and never simple. One must mention some great sentimental saxophone parts, like on "Capricorn", fitting VERY well with the modern IQ sound. The moving textures involved are REALLY accessible: this record is easy to listen! The tracks are not really depressing, much less than MARILLION - "Brave". All the instruments are well synchronized, and they work together, for the song, not trying to steal the show. As if all these perfect tracks were not enough, IQ managed to end it with a throbbing ultra epic masterpiece named "Narrow Margin"! This extremely well made track will remind you some parts of GENESIS (GABRIEL-era), especially "Watcher of the Skies". IQ is a band that has always progressed, and it seems they are now at their best! Finally, "Subterranea" has similitudes with the records "Ever" and "Seventh House"; however I find "Subterranea" more accessible! Definitely one of the best prog albums of the 90's.

EXTREMELY RECOMMENDED!

Double albums are notoriously difficult to pull off but IQ have a good go here.The concept and songs make a good deal of sense and they never reduce anything to mere ramblings.Great headphone 'stuff'!

Very much in the vein of GENESIS, "Subterrenea" explores the deep and dark aspects of metropolitan life. Like "The Lamb", "Subterrenea" uses a 2 record set to accomplish this concept-like story, however, this is where the similarities end. IQ bring their own unique sound to the forefront and push the boundaries of prog music yet again. The intro alone will sell you on the release as orchestration is mixed with electric instruments giving an epic feel to the whole recording. Each song is built on the storyline and is very well presented and packaged. This is very well recorded and sound seperation is quite good on the ol' stereo. This is IQ's most challenging project yet and needs to be heard in its entirety.

'Subterranea' is not only my all-time favourite IQ's effort, but also my favourite concept- disc from the 90s. From day one I was captivated by the somber, mysterious ambience portrayed all along this album... even months before I became aware of the dramatic narrative that unifies the lyrical contents of the sung tracks. The repertoire focuses most of its strngth on well defined melodic lines, helped by arrangements that are dealt with both finesse and contemporary sensibility: sure there's enough amount of rhythm and mood twists, but they are not as prominent as on previous albums by the band (like 'Tales' or 'Ever', for instance). The instrumentalists' common attitude is that of creating a sort of OST for the " virtual movie" that surfaces from the storyline. That explains the presence of ethereal layers on synth and guitar synth ('Provider', the coda of 'Sleepless Incidental', the final sections of 'Tunnel Vision' and 'Breathtaker', the marimba-like synth on 'Sense in Sanity') and effective instrumental interludes (the dreamy 'The Other Side', the bombastic 'State of Mine'): some critics have noted down that there are some allegedly annoying instrumental fillers in 'Subterranea', but I appreciate them (and don't call them "fillers") as what they are, transitional moments between a crucial "scene" and the following one. Nicholls' vocal performance reaches the same level of excellence and emotional commitment as in 'Ever', though not as overwhelming, since in 'Subterranea' he tells us a story (while in 'Ever' the subjects were more directly personal). Orford's and Holmes' performances are as precise and energetic as always, but definitely, in adding some clear touches of avant-garde tricks (somewhat inspired by the industrial wave), the guitar/keyboard ensamble feels particularly "modern". The rhythm section sounds a bit rockier, in comparison to the preceding effort, providing a well-oiled foundation for their partners. Mi fav tracks are 'Sleepless Incidental', 'Failsafe', 'Infernal Chorus', 'Somewhere in Time', and the closing 20 minute long epic 'The Narrow Margin'... and let's not forget the eerie ballad 'Speak My Name', which incarnates an oasis of emotional candor in the middle of the overall obscure nature of the repertoire. All things considered, this repertoire needs to be appreciated as an entire unit, since the presence of some recurring themes serves as the spinal tap that sustains its integral coherence. My conclusion: the exhibition of tight musicianship, emotional singing and refined writing in 'Subterranea' makes it IMHO a prog gem of our times.

My friend, Tom Malik, just lent me a DVD titled as "The Enigma of KASPAR HAUSER", a Germany movie production based on a true story. "Watch this movie as this is a real story that inspires IQ in SUBTERRANEA album", Tom said to me. I did watch the movie. That's why it's about time now to review this seminal work of IQ.

This album deserves for "detail" review as this concept album is a brilliant product that has ever been made by the band. I own this album since its day of release but I refrain myself to review it because it's so special album. Even, I think, this long review won't be enough to cover all.

Before I discuss in detail about this album, I need to clear some issues up front. I believe that if we talk about music creation nowadays, it's very hard to classify the "originality" of the music because I think all music are "derivatives". My point is simple, I don't want to reduce my rating to any album of this band due to their music is derivative or they are a GENESIS clone, or whatever. To me, IQ is one of the most inspirational bands that I have ever known to-date. Be it their music direction is similar with GENESIS or not, I don't really care. I think it's the band choice to be in the vein of GENESIS. Even, I admire this band in their ability to create TOUCHY melody in some musical segments of their songs. Almost in any song they have written, I find great melody (probably in only couple of minutes or even seconds) in particular segments of songs they write. The melody really touches your heart. In this melody creation they are not less creative compared to GENESIS.

However, I WILL NOT tolerate any band who intentionally or unintentionally creates a music segment that is "90%" similar with other band. I have noticed this happen in some prog bands that I will review in other part. For IQ, I never find them doing such thing.

"Subterranea" is an album that you MUST HAVE in your prog collection. It's definitely in the neo progressive arena where it has a strong melody with keyboard-based music composition in a relatively medium tempo. It's a concept album about a 17-year old boy that appeared in city N, 1828. He could not speak but one word. He was buried in the cellar since he was born. No one knows what was the reason and who set him free.

Don't (please don't!) ever try to compare this album with "The Lamb Lies Down .." because it's totally different. I tell you, honestly, all tracks of this album are excellent. While, "The lamb Lies .." has one track, at least, that I hate very much "The Waiting Room"!! Uuugh .. tell me who's gonna understand this musician's ego? Hey, don't worry .. I'm a great fan of GENESIS. Judging this album with "number of CDs" only is not wise at all. IMHO.

"Subterranea" album does not use a tag line melody that is repeatedly used throughout the album. Each song has its own melody but the transition between songs were created smoothly. There are some intentional break between songs as well. "Overture" is an instrumental piece that set the atmosphere for the whole album. If you wanna know what sort of TOUCHY melody I meant at above, you can find at minutes "1:36" of this track where Holmes' guitar fills make a melody. It's really touchy! It happens couple of seconds only but it helps put matters into perspective. Remember, this is a concept album.

"Provider" is something I call as an overview of the story. It has a great vocal by Nicholls with spacey keyboard sound in the background. "Are you inside, provider, or am I?". This short piece is then followed by a drumming part that opens "Subterranea" (third track). It's a medium tempo and melodic song. Nicholls sings nicely. The keyboard played by Orford is great, combined with simple guitar touch by Holmes. This track is much more enjoyable if you play it loud. "Powerhouse, sacred vows, trigger happy punk ..". The incorporation of saxophone has accentuated the track beautifully. (Actually, I don't like sax sound. But, for this track .. I love it!).

The transition to next track "Sleepless Incidental" happens smoothly with a thin acoustic guitar and keyboard sounds. Nicholls voice dominates the scene at the intro part until a dazzling drums, bass and organ sounds enter the music. Now the band creates another "touchy" great melody. This time happens right after Nicholls sings "I'm only taking time. And I'm not where I want to be now" (minute 3:37) where solo organ by Martin Orford takes lead with other instruments are quiet. This piece strengthens and accentuates the song wonderfully. Its nuance is church but its melody is something that I sometime relate to our country's ethnical song. Cool. I don't believe that mankind can create such a wonderful piece here. This time is longer because it endures altogether with lead guitar play until the song ends. Oh God .. this melody makes me cry, really!

"Failsafe" is another heavy melody track opened by a solo organ right after previous track was finished. The keyboard sound that Orford plays at background is nice throughout the song. "Speak My Name" is a nice ballad with only vocal and keyboard sound with acoustic guitar as interlude. This is another track with a great melody. Peter Nichols voice is powerful. He sings with his heart. "Every time you speak my name .. you speak my name.." . This mellow track is a relaxation before it enters to the uplifting and dynamic song "Tunnel Vision" (one of my favorite tracks). I usually play this track outloud to satisfy my listening pleasure. I like when Nichols sings at the intro "Don't want to lead a revolution. Let another go ahead ." Wow! I like the lyrics and the melody (of course). The musical piece is also excellent. I catch another touchy melody again played by guitar fill of Holmes. Really nice. I bet you will love this track! The lead guitar interlude is cool.

I don't plan to review each track of Disc 1. I just want to conclude the discussion of Disc 1 with my impression that disc 1 is concluded by the band brilliantly with two nice tracks that must be enjoyed as one: "The sense of In Sanity" (slow track dominated by vocal and vibraphone sound) and followed by "State of Mine" (higher tone track with all instruments play together dominated by keyboard sound). I feel so relaxed with the end track of Disc 1.

Disc 2 is opened with a nice piano and howling guitar in "Laid Low" (instrumental). It "reminds" me to GENESIS "After The Ordeal" but it is shorter. "Breathtaker"'s melody sounds similar with some part of Disc 1 music in its intro. But when the vocal part enters, it's totally different nice melody. I enjoy all tracks in Disc 2 with an exception on 5th track "Unsolid Ground" which sounds so poppy to me. But, never mind. This album is excellent overall. Disc 2 is concluded by an epic track "The Narrow Margin" with 20 minutes duration. This track should be enjoyed by listening to previous track "High waters" which has strong melody. Again, there is no "alike" with "The Lamb .." as in "The Lamb" there is no 20 minute track, my friend.

I have no argument for not giving FIVE STAR for this album as this album has a very strong songwriting, excellent sonic production of the CD, and great musicianship. All musicians do not attempt to demonstrate their skills dominantly, but as a whole album they are able to create an ultimate "emotional ecstasy" to their listeners (and especially to their loyal fans) through their touchy melodies.

What do you think? - Gatot Widayanto, Indonesia.

The concept of Concept albums can vary quiet a lot, the Lamb and Tommy being both quiet strange but some of the individual songs still tell a story in itself. In the Life version of Subterrenea Peter Nicholls published a storyline (like Peter Gabriel for the Lamb) which is quiet obscure to me, but even then I don't see the connection between the story and the lyrics.They are very abstract TMHO quiet shallow.This can be good for 1 or 2 songs but in the whole lyrics there is no decription of whatever might be going on in this story. For a record which is mainly sung I find the melodic material quiet poor. It is mostly athmopheric and I prefer the instrumental parts to the songs.I like a lot the keyboard work but the compositions to put it in value are missing. And why is the IQ symbol on every page in the booklett? Maybe this is the main Theme of Subterrenea : IQ introspection.

One might think from reading my reviews that I am an IQ zealot. One might be correct in that thought.

I have a great deal of respect for other so called neo - prog bands such as ARENA and SPOCK'S BEARD and a host of others. IQ however, seem to pretty much stay true to what I grew up calling PROGRESSIVE ROCK. If you don't know by now GENESIS is my top dog on this food chain and while IQ bear a striking resemblance to what Genesis used to be, they are a little more fresh at the craft than what Phil and the boys later became. The "concept album" only seemed enevitable being that the band has, 1: been labeled a Genesis clone and 2: everyone is does them.

I am somewhat confused by the flow of SUBTERRANEA. It seems more like a collection of great songs sandwiched in between some marginal material intended to stretch the album into a two disc set. It is my assertion that this could have been a single disc and might have possibly been their crowning achievement. Disc 1 has three standout songs on it. SLEEPLESS INCIDENTAL, FAILSAFE and INFERNAL CHORUS. Those three songs are indicative of what this band is capable of when they decide to play progressive rock in it's purest form.

Disc 2 obviously contains what, in terms of single songs , is their best composition to date. That being THE NARROW MARGIN. A 20 minute free - ride that takes you on a journey of auditory pleasure. Also contained is BREATHTAKER and UNSOLID GROUND. If you break those 6 tracks up and put them on a single album, you've got something truly special.

The only thing that kinks all this together and makes it work as a concept LP is the story involving a being created or raised in a lab all his life and his love for "Maya."

IQ does Genesis better than Genesis so while this album is an over all pleasure, it isn't truly essential unless you are an avid IQ collector.

Oh the challenge of the infamous double album. It could sink your career in a wink, but also when it's properly made with a sense of decency for the listener, woo-hoo and up we go. I'm not the one bashing on the hard working pionneers of the double-album legacy, au contraire, those are one of my favorite treats.

The White Album (Beatles), Tommy (Who), The Wall (Pink Floyd), Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness (Smashing Pumpkins), Kiss Me Kiss Me Kiss Me (The Cure)...all success.

IQ is a definte survivor of the very, very ingrate 90's. They managed to pull through the 80's quite fairly. Easier than the 90's? Well, the neo scene was on the rise and they emerged in the right years with the right approach. Although the music wasn't what it is now in the 80's. Internet, boys bands, cult of the beauty (male and female) and the big $$$ factor is now the lot of a band of youngsters since Nirvana. Gotta have a look by all means. Gotta sell soda pop, clothes and half a million records. So if you're past your golden marketing years (IQ is for sure), the jump in the Y2K could scare the hell out of you.

Well the 90's are way behind and IQ gave a try to put all their material in one album at that time. George Harisson said: "What do you do when you have all those songs floating around? Gotta put them on paper before they're gone." The need to tell a story is probably the main attract for IQ to assemble a colossal project as Subterranea. And the whole thing about the allusion about The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway is bullcorn, right?

A heavy meal for a newbie, I must admit it tooked me a while to digest all the songs, and getting my mind to anticipate the melodies. After a long digestion, I realized how solid this album is. Tends to get some filling in the end, but Disk 1 is a total, total killer. No kidding, some of the best stuff of the 90's.

Peter Nicholls' voice sounds like a cross of Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) and Brett Anderson (Suede). Super groovy basses by John Howitt. This guy's really subtle, but I wish I could play as fluidly as him! And what a surprise when I realized that Paul Cook was the drummer! Is he THE Paul Cook from the SEX PISTOLS??? Oh wow! Man would it be cool if it was the same guy, but it's not. Major disappointment, but hey.

Anyway, Nicholls voice and airy keyboards in front, expect lots of melodies to enjoy and lots of headaches to understand the twisted story. But some will not share the lack of complexity and the sluggish progression of the plot.On top it sounds so badly from the past. Couldn't they change their approach?!? This record takes it's time to start and don't have any surprises. Just good music done professionaly.

Close but no cigar.

Never neo prog, but a bit far of that could be called "essential progressive rock". The first disc is some sort of "mix" of billiant songs (not really conforming the expected progressive work), but is acceptable. The second disc, particularly "The Narrow Margin", is really good.

IQ is certainly one of the best groups of neoprogressive with Marillion (inescapable), Arena (sturdy band) or Pallas (too much underestimated). This album did not make me vibrated as was able with "The Wake" or " Tales from the lush attic ". I remained a little bit sceptical. After a "unwound" listening, nothing did not stay in my memory. He misses a real symphonic breath. An abstract album??? I doubt it. Or it will be necessary to mature as a good wine.

This IQ album is really great. There are lots of concept albums out there, but this is the best. Even IQ's idols "Dumpys Rusty nuts" have never come up with anything as good as this.............although that may be because theyare a retro punk metal band. The whole thing starts off with an overture of songs that are to come, then goes into the lonely "Provider" with Pete Nicholls sounding like a prog David Essex. the rest of disc one twists and turns in many ways, taking in influences from Genesis, The Beatles and The New Seekers. The second disc is great too. i especially love "The Marrow Nargin" which is a lot like "More Fool Me" by "Genesis" with touches of "yes" "Pink Floyd" and i think i can detect some "Chicory Tip" as well. all in all, if you like sprawling concept albums, you will like this magnificent IQ CD. If however you don't then i would give it a miss and buy "The Lamb lie down On Broadway" by "Genesis" instead. Lovers of prog rock will have an ecstasy at IQ

Cheers Chit

I dont think Neo Prog is the most original form of progressive music and the fact that it is so stripped down dosnt help either.This said IQ along with Marillion have made great music.This IQ disk is very emotional and tasty.I love the sax parts I wish there was more.The concept is very good also but comparing this with classic prog concept albums is reaching.

Like I mentioned in my previous review of Spock's Beard's Snow, most groups at one point try to create an innovative story and expand over two discs or in the old days two vinyls. While some concepts are easier to digest (for example Spock's Beard's Snow or The Who's Quadrophenia) others are terribly cryptic and the story is extremely hard to follow (Pain of Salvation's BE). This album lands more on the cryptic and dense part than the easy to digest, in my opinion. In fact, it was only recently (when I asked an IQ fan) what the story for this album was. Despite the incredibly dense story line, musically this album has some real shining moments, but like most concept albums is wrought with the problem of overuse of ideas. Nicholls is the dominating factor on this album with the vocals being more of a lead instrument than ever. But that doesn't mean that the rest of the group is just backing, the musicians in the group worked as hard as ever creating music to give a backdrop to the certain atmosphere of each piece, be it the ambient Provider, or the rocking and somewhat heavy epic of The Narrow Margin. I guess in the end it all comes down to opinion.

At this point I think it'd be best if I tell you the story from the source I've heard (forum member Richardh), "Secret Underground Lab. People are kept there from birth for observation/experimental purposes. Then they escape. Our protagonist lives on the top ..finds love along the way ...then all the escapees get captured and are all burnt to death trying to get away (The Narrow Margin) apart from our protagonist who decides he doesn't like the world above and volunteers to go back down..but he is the only one left. End.".

The album is about 100 minutes long and split essentially evenly onto two discs, with the first having the bulk of the album. Opening with the instrumental piece Overture (like most conceptual pieces do anyway) from the get go one can see a more concise and to the point IQ musically. The hardest thing to digest about this story is the vocals, which in my opinion require looking into heavily if you even want to find a trace of the storyline in them. Pieces like Subterranea and Failsafe could be stand alone pieces, though, they have that edge over the rest of the pieces, which seem like a more cohesive whole. You can also hear a budding experimentation in the group in The Sense in Sanity, which utilizes what I believe to be marimba for the entire piece (which plays a solid 7/4 motif). Musically. the guys haven't changed their sound drastically, they still bow down to the same cliche that they have been for their entire career, but they've always been able to make it work and it is no different here.

The second disc could have used a bit of self editing and the album would have made a fantastic single album, by the way. Laid Low is essentially an instrumental that could have been cut out because all it is is a repitition of the same theme from State of Mine (the song that ended the first disc). Still, though, there are a few tracks that are really quite good and I couldn't imagine the album without them. Somewhere in Time has a fantastic main melody and Nicholls' vocals are quite soothing at times. Mike Holmes is also fantastic on this track performing in his style that has become quickly identifiable these days (for me at least). The Narrow Margin is the final, and longest piece on the album running at exactly 20 minutes. And like most IQ epics it runs at a formula, but any trace of said formula can be only found in minute places. I actually couldn't imagine a more fitting ending to the album, as it runs the mill of emotions and ends essentially with what began the album (the Provider theme is repeated again with the same lyrics).

So I guess in the end it all comes down to if you can take long concept pieces where most of the time you'll be unaware of a concept unless you really look into it. Musically, I love this album as it is short and to the point, but they're not afraid to let loose and really get something going at the same time. If you're expecting an album like The Wake or Ever you'll come up a bit short, but for those who really want a rollercoaster ride of emotions, then this album may be the one for you. Me? I'm in the middle, as I find a lot of this album to be interesting, but a few fatal flaws mar it from being anywhere near a masterpiece (this is all my opinion, though). 3.5/5.

IQ's most famous album up to that point in their career, it marked a try at the old prog concept chestnut: a loner/oddball out in the world. Musically, it's a strong album with IQ's trademark gothic prog showing up in spots, ('Tunnel Vision', 'The Sense Of Sanity') with a few absolute stunners, ('Failsafe' with Holme's unmistakable and unforgetable guitar melody and the massive track 'The Narrow Margin'). Not that there isn't other fine tracks. The title track uses a rarely played sax in an IQ song, and the instrumentals 'State Of Mind' and 'Laid Low' will give you goosebumps. It's the few unremarkable songs that tip the balance away from classic status. 'Capricorn' is too much like Pendragon's boring Pink Floydish prog and 'Unsolid Ground' is too straight-forward rock. Tracks like 'Somewhere In Time' have classic Nichol's lyrics sung with his unique and excellent voice. It's when 'The Narrow Margin' hits that you sit up and take notice of the power and imagination of this band. Twenty minutes long, it's a tad too long but makes up with some tasty Hackett-like guitar in the 6 minute mark, then at the nine minute mark...BAM! classic IQ with Cook's drumwork shining. From here on out it's a tour-de-force for the band with every player in full command and playing superior melodies. I've played this album many times and what I come away with is the different sounds they try. They progressed like all good bands do. Although there's a few stumbles on both discs, it's a stunning album and is a must for all IQ fans. For those not familiar with the band, it could actually be a good starting point. Not a 5-star album, but boy they tried their darnest.

This was the album recommended as an introduction to IQ all those years ago...

I was not disappointed. Excellent in every degree. And it's a double album!!! Heaven - well nearly. If anyone needs an introduction to IQ then as was done to me I repeat to any other intereated party.

SUBTERRANEA encapsulates all that IQ are about, where they've come from and where they're going, a pivotal album, rich keyboards, with superb guitar and bass work and drumming, vocal lines that actually contain real meaning; and above all excellent melodies that give the album cohesion and direction. Too long at 102 minutes? Absolutely not. An album that you'll listen over and over again - each time finding something new.

Well done IQ deservedly awarded the full marking of 5 stars.

IQ - Subterranea

Very fine album in the same style as IQ's 1993 album "Ever" , but this time IQ managed to deliver a genuine 2 disc concept album!

IQ's "Subterannea" probably is one of my favourite concept albums of all time together with MARILLION's "Brave" and the very recent "Posthumous Silence" by the German neo-progressive rock band "SYLVAN". I do not only think those three bands all delivered a fine concept album, but I also think those three bands are the three finest bands in the neo-progressive genre.

I discovered IQ by their brilliant last album "Dark Matter" and worked my way back through their catalogue from there on, so "Subterannea" was my second introduction to IQ and what an introduction it was!

For me the big difference between those two album was that I liked "Dark Matter" already at first listen and I noticed that "Subterannea" took some more time to "settle in". But usually this is what I like best, because you find the album only getting better and better each time you listen to it. I must have spun both discs around ten times before I started to listen to some other music again.

Both disc of this concept album are great, but highlights from disc one would probably be the title track "Subterranea", "Sleepless Incidental" with a great harmonic organ kicking in during the middle section of the song and finally "The Sense in Sanity". Highlights of the second disc are "Capricorn" which contains a nice solo on saxophone, the delicate "Somewhere in Time" and the twenty minute epic "The Narrow Margin" on which the "middle section" really stands out.

Anyone familiar with "The Narrow Margin" will certainly enjoy the following lyrics and will probably hear the music playing on the background while reading them:

"Told me, go the way of your heart I'll be waiting for you But wherever you are, you're not inside me now"

WOW! Anyone unfamiliar with this album or even worse, with IQ, I would recommend to quickly add "Subterannea" or "Dark Matter" to your "prog- archives".

Yours sincerely,

Evenless

This is a great album, a near-masterpiece. I came close to giving it 5 stars, but a couple of things brought the score down. One is that, this band clearly owes a lot to classic Genesis. That actually isn't bad by itself, but the singer unfortunately isn't as interesting and dynamic as Gabriel. Don't get me wrong, I like the singing here generally, but sometimes it has that bland generic neo sound to it.

The second issue is the length. I'm not saying it's a bad idea to do a double album, but the music better be diverse and fresh-sounding throughout. This one tends to drag on a little and blend together. Keep in mind, I still consider this album to be great, and as long as you don't mind the generic neo-prog sound that permeates bands like IQ, Arena, and Marillion (I don't mind the sound, and tend to like it actually), I guarantee you'd enjoy this album. If you're new to IQ though, start with Dark Matter.

As far as recent symphonic/neo concept albums go, the only other one that jumps to mind is Spock's Beard's Snow. In my opinion, Subterranea is approximately 1 gajillion times better than Snow.

IQ is a fairly new band to me- and this was my first experience with them. After hearing the tune "The Narrow Margin" I HAD to perchase the album. At 20 minutes- the song flies by like a 10 minute song. It truely is an amzing track and worth the album alone in my opinion. That specific track pretty much does represent the rest of the CD- nice melodic ranges- great lyrics (and may I mention a bonus of not having any anti-American lyrics- wich is pretty much keeping me from buying "Dark Matter"- but that's a whole other story)- as I asid before- great Melodic range- lyrics are insightful- and the singing is decent. The atmosphere presented in the album is excellent- what great NEO prog should be. I don't give it 5 stars because a couple of the tracks do drag- ("Sometimes in Time" comes to mind) Overall- EXCELLENT album- I need more NEO after this one. 4 solid stars.

2.75 stars really.

I've been reviewing IQ's albums in reverse, and am probably going to sound like I am repeating myself with this reivew.........much like the music of IQ. Which is not to say that it is bad or that I don't like it to some extent. For the most part, I don't reveiw albums that I hate (though sometimes, when I see a glowing review of one, I will do it).

This album is their attempt at a prog double "concept" album. I can understand the Lamb Lies Down comparisons. Firstly, this concept is just as opaque and incomprehensible as the Lamb. After reading about it on a website somewhere, I guess it is not as strange as the Lamb's concept, but had I not read what it was somewhere I would never have been able to guess what it was (much like the Lamb.........though that one has a story in the liner notes that helps you understand the lyrics, but still doesn't help you understand the concept). Also, it could be argued that most neo-prog bands sounds are derived from the overall sound of Genesis on the Lamb. I would say that is a pretty fair argument. Beyond that, though, this really isn't that similar to the Lamb.

Like the next two IQ albums, I have difficulty knowing which song is playing or telling any of them apart. This is mostly due to the similar sound, style, and dynamics of each. IQ just doesn't have much in the way of memorable melodies for me. Still, it is all very well played, with some nice solos and instrumental sections. The singing is acceptable (Nichols gets better with each album it seems) and the lyrics are interesting in their opaque fasion. But I just can't give this a high rating. I pull it out once in a while to see if something will click, but overall it just washes over me and I can't pick out individual songs as being highlights or low points.

So if nothing else, IQ are consistent. For some reason, I like this band more than just about any other neo band (most of which I don't care for at all). So for that alone, I will bump this rating up from 2.75 to 3 for the archives. But really, I probably wouldn't recomend it to those interested in checking this band out. For that I'd say try the Seventh House or The Wake.

My only contact with this band was with the "Nonzamo" record and I was invited to not care for them anymore. Bad record. But now someone put in my hands this double CD and much to my surprise I have to recognize this guys really rock. To tell you the truth you are recognizing here and there some of the influences, like Genesis and Styx, yes that band, but this is a genuine output full of original music and Nicholls has a unique and pleasant voice. So I want you to know that this is an excellent CD that you must check It out. By the way Mike Holmes play the guitar in the exact same tone like Hackett used to do it, great.

This is a very difficult exercise : try and release a great double album.

If you look at the history of the giants, none to very few of them (IMO) were merely capable of producing masterpieces of that kind.

Take Pink Floyd with "The Wall" : lots of boring and useless numbers (especially on CD1), take Genesis and "The Lamb" : average tracks on side one : "Cuckoo Cocoon" and "The Grand Parade..."; very weak numbers on side three : "The Waiting Room", "The Supernatural Anaesthetist", "Silent Sorrow in Empty Boats", and "Ravine" on side four.

The Lamb still being my fave prog concept album of all times (but I rated only with four stars). I have listening to it hundred of times since its initial release, have seen it once performed by Genesis (you know, when they were five) and saw no less than four representations by "The Musical Box" which brought me back to the magics of the original show.

I believe that "The Who" were the only ones fully successful to create a double concept album with "Tommy".

So, what can we expect from "Subterranea" ?

In a way I fully agree with Gatot that this work should in factnot be compared with "The Lamb" but there are still some similarities that I will outline when then occur.

I have to say, that this work is pretty nice to listen to : very few weak numbers, but very little jewels as well. The album flows nicely and with no surprise till the title track which is one of my fave (and one of the few regularly on their live setlist from this album).

"Failsafe" might well be the first number having something to do with "The Lamb". Here and there some similarities in the keys with "Slippermen" but not too much, as well as some piano/vocals reminding the intro of "The Lamb" (the title track) but short as well. Nothing to do with "The Lamb" but towards the end (twice), the riff from "Watcher" is instantly recognizable as well. A good number after all which will also do a longer career in their live sets.

The emotional and sad tone of Peter (Nicholls) is wonderfully highlighted in "Speak My Name". A soft and gentle acoustic number full of melancholy (he's a melancholy man...). To compensate, we'll get some heavier attack with "Tunnel Vision". But this mood will be reverted to a short and welcome spacey section, full of lighness and inspiration. One of the first solo from Holmes as well (but there won't be many). Another highlight.

"Watcher Of The Skies" (what a great song !) is back again in the intro of "Infernal Chorus". This song has been re-used countless times by lots of bands but since it is one of my preferred track, I can not refrain from liking most of its derivates as well. The last trio of songs from disc one are a bit weaker, especially "King Of Fools". "State of Mind" being again a short but fully Genesis inspired number.

All in all, disc one is rather good but not grandiose.

Disc two holds some "transitional" tracks. "Laid Low" and "The Other Side" (but they are very short ones).

"Breathtaker" is a harder and less inspired song, as "Capricorn" but on the softer edge. With "Unsolid Ground" IQ is back in business but still does not reach the quality of disc one. The first track to do so is "Somewhere in Time", more complex than the five previous ones. Variations, good vocals and strong backing band. This is a pure traditional IQ song. Very pleasant, aerial at times while "High Waters" features a great second half and instrumental part (but it only last for a mere minute).

So, the hopes now rely on IQ's second epic song (after "The Last Human Gateway" on their debut album). "The Narrow Margin" will fortunately holds its promises. Emotional lyrics, brilliant vocal interpretation, very good guitar play. The whole band seems to be very much inspired. Due to its lenght (over twenty minutes) IQ will deliver some instrumental passages as well. I must say that in this ocean of lyrics, they are very welcome even if, at times, Genesis's fanthom is coming out (again "Watcher").

Disc two only works for two/three tracks.

Bearing in mind that both CD's only hold just over 100 minutes of music, IQ would have better been inspired to release a full lenght CD (you know like TFK, with 78 minutes of music). This choice was possible with the digital technology (not with the vinyl one). They would have released a better album, I think. I have read the story of "Subtarranea" and honestly it does not really stunned me. I am more confused than dazed actually.

Three stars.

A Great album, left me inspired and transfixed on the masterful skills of this great neo prog band. First CD I've heard from them and it's only inspired me to listen to more. A CD I listen to often and find the music powerful and well placed. The movements in this modern 90's sounding album is really good, I'd have to say that Overture is my favorite song with incredible musical genious. But all the other songs are great too. I recommend this album to anyone who's a prog rock fan of any sub-genre really. This enjoyable CD even has some very powerful lyrics to it about homeless people and the whatnot. Two thumbs up and a wonderful 4 star stamp on this CD. I'm glad I bought it, for just hearing the band was pretty good.

4 stars to a well progged, and well put CD that sound like a good set of rock. Enjoy my friends.

This album has blown me away, even after only 5+ listens. This is quite rare for concept albums, as I don't all ways find them too easy to digest. The instrumentation is incredible for the most part, much of it fairly ambient (remining me, in a good way, of Tales from Topographic Oceans, and perhaps some early PT (sky moves sideways)). In fact, much of my favourite bits are the instrumental sections, although the singers voice is growing on me. I won't review all the tracks, but only my highlights. Overture- An awesome instrumental, bringing in bits from throughout the album- great opener. Subterranea- The track that i picked up as an introduction, good choice. Failsafe- I love this song, especially a vocal part in the middle. King of Fools- The vocals in this song are great to listen to. Capricorn- The start of this song is admittiedly fairly average (for this album), but the sax part near the end is the bit that makes it outstanding for me. The Other Side- This is my favourite track on the album, a truly stunning instrumental, and so different from what has came before. The Narrow Margin- I am not sure what to make of the epic piece yet, but around the 10.5 min mark there is a great piano part that i adore. Overall, this album is one I am sure I will come back to again and again, due to the stunning instrumental parts throughout, and the singers individual style. 4.5-5 stars.

This double concept album continues in the same vein as "Ever" although to me it is more melodic. This is a surprisingly consistant work as far as double albums go with songs 8-10 on the first disc being the only weak section in my opinion.The concept got it's inspiration from a true story from Germany about a wild boy who was found wandering around who had apparently no previous contact with people.

According to Martin Orford as related on the now defunct Dutch IQ Home Page and quoted on the ProGGnosis web-site "The story of the album is about a man who has been confined for an experiment and has therefore been isolated from our society-he gets his food provided but has no contact with the outside world ("Provider"). At a certain point in time he is released by his capturer and emerges in our society where he experiences things...for the first time("Subterranea"). After some hard times among the homeless ("Sleeping Incedental") he is taken in by a religious cult but refuses to be converted by them ("Failsafe"). He meets a girl...who gives him a name. He has a deep friendship / romance with this person("Speak My Name") but in the end she is taken away from him ("Tunnel Vision"). Then he notices he is being followed by henchmen from the man who had held him prisoner for all those years. He captures one of them and forces him to reveal the name of the man responsible for his misery (Mockenrue) and then kills his follower ("Infernal Chorus")..."State Of Mind" is supposed to represent the protagonist on the run, and during the second disc he tries to find this Mockenrue and take revenge. Along the way he realises that life on the outside world is much harder than his earlier, controlled life ("Unsolid Ground"). At a certain point he takes on a disguise to be able to find out what's happening ("Capricorn") then he notices that he's not the only one with this experience, he sees other people who show the same marks / symbol he's been tagged with-seemingly there are more subjects for Mockenrue's experiment("Somewhere In Time"). The mark is the IQ logo which can be found in various places in the cd booklet. Mockenrue's victims decide to team up and take revenge ("High Waters").The group ends up in a large building to which Mockenrue sets fire ("The Narrow Margin"). In the end the protagonist manages to get out of there alive (the only one) and realises he is a menace to himself and society and decides to go back into his confinement."

My favourite song on the first disc is "Sleepless Incedental" that opens with strummed guitar that recalls PORCUPINE TREE as vocals come in.This is a moving song with some heaviness and a more aggressive sound after 2 minutes.The last 2 minutes are pure instrumental bliss. "Subterranea" is also a terrific song that is uptempo and catchy. The sax 5 minutes in sounds great. "Failsafe" is another highlight from disc one. On disc two my favourite song is "Somewhere In Time". I like the contrast of the ballad like intro with gentle vocals and a pastoral soundscape with the almost metal sound 3 1/2 minutes in. "Capricorn" opens with guitar melodies that sound like "Kayleigh" from MARILLION. Some good soaring guitar later followed by a sax solo.The song ends with the sound of the wind blowing that continues into the next song "The Other Side" that is so different from all the other songs. It's very atmospheric with synths, flute and gentle guitar. Not as good as IONA does it though. "The Narrow Margin" is a twenty minute song with plenty of tempo and mood shifts. It's a real ride !

Up to this point in time this is their best work. The production is perfect and I have to mention the excellent drumming as well. Ok they all shine on this ambitious endeavour.

I recently did my review of Dark Matter and tried to explain why I didn't like that album compared to Ever. I don't think I explained very well but now that I'm reviewing this superb double album by this British neo band I think it all falls on its place.

Because it's actually all about getting it and grasping it. And of course a certain album must get to you in a way. There has to be a connection between you and the artists composing and performing it. And then still it's a mysterious thing how exactly that works. I guess we will never know. It just happens (or in case of no connection, it doesn't). But then still it's strange that one and the same band can leave you totally cold with one release (Dark Matter) and that same band totally gets you in a spell with another release.

Right now I'm listening to this doubler one last time, I haven't heard it for over a year by now and maybe that's a little part of the secret, I knew I loved it in the past and then it's always interesting if after some time the miracle still is on. Well, I can tell you, it is !

What a fantastic concept album this is. Especially with disc one the 4th and 5th track (Sleepless Incidental and Failsafe) I cannot tell how good it is. It's simply fantastic, I have no doubt this is IQ's best and always will be. The two mentioned tracks are two of the best on the doubler (along with TunnelVision as well), I have to admit that but on the other disc we also have the great epic The Narrow Margin. But all the other tracks fall behind in quality with these.

And that's also the reason I can't call this a masterpiece but it's a lot better than two other good albums by IQ, Ever and Seventh House. It's their best and it gets 4 stars but actually it's even worth a bit more (4,2).

Here we have Subterranea, a very long work with some very good songs, and some not so good songs. For those of you interested in the Neo-Prog scene as it plays out in the 90's, with its super-charged emotional power, grand themes, and symphonic crescendos, this album is for you. However, if you like your Genesis to be tight and absent of filler (meaning, you prefer Selling England to The Lamb) then try Ever first and move on to this. This album starts strong, but it fizzles out after a while. It seems they were more obsessed with the idea of creating a double length feature than sticking only with the most inspired song output.

IQ's 'Subterranea' must really have been a revelation back in '97. Such a relief, a full sci-fi rock neo prog concept album without a weak moment, with many highlights, a strong 'epic' and a relatively good production. Furthermore it really makes sense as a concept album; I really get the feeling I'm going on a journey when I listen to it. Listening to it now, in 2020 (after the release of Resistance), the album has almost become a nostalgic piece of prog of before that big progressive wave that would hit in the new century.

On 'Subterranea' the song-writing (both the sung parts and the instrumental parts) is among the most cohesive and expressive of the genre. The songs are often dark, fearful and the sense of being lost in this sci-fi universe fits well with the modern synths of Martin Orford and glassy and melodic (though slightly thin recorded) electric guitars of Mike Holmes. The album also has its share of emotional ballad-type song, of which 'Capricorn' is particularly grasping. Peter Nicholls started his career with IQ imitating Peter Gabriel, but eventually found is own unique voice. Nicholls is perfectly suited to sing a bit like an actor; creating the story with his tone of voice and bringing the lyrics in a lively immersed way. The new listeners will have to pierce through a think layer of neo-prog abstractness (first the music sounds ' way out there') before they'll reach the type of depth this musical experience has to offer. Of course this album is highly indebted to Genesis' 'The Lamb Dies Down on Broadway', but I would argue that IQ did more than any other band to further that type of progrock that Genesis left behind in the late seventies.

This is an album I hold dear and I would be hard pressed to name a '90 prog release (in any sub-genre) that is significantly better.

In the year or so since I joined this site, I have found a few great bands, some mediocre ones and some truly awful ones. But none of the great bands I have discovered comes near IQ. I bought their entire catalogue; having heard many of the tracks on you tube, I wanted to see how this album works as a concept album. After 20 or so listens, I feel I can now come to a conclusion.

It works brilliantly. Nearly all the tracks are of a very high standard and the idea links them well. This band are superlative musicians, have a control of melody which beats almost all the great bands of the 70s (Camel and Genesis excepted) and the lyrics are intelligent and thoughtful. They bring back memories of the golden era wtihout being like any of the bands from that time, influenced by what went before but not mere imitations.

I have heard many who rant about neo-prog bands and how unoriginal they are (the first review I saw when I scrolled down I saw was an example and made my blood boil) but that is missing the point. At the end of the 70s most of the bands either called it a day or sold out, went commercial and abandoned prog. IQ, along with Marillion and Pendragon (to name a few bands) picked up the prog baton and ran with it, evolving and changing the direction of prog. The result is magnificent albums like this one.

The album needs to be listened to in its entirety. Most tracks are fairly straightforward except the epic and majestic The Narrow Margin, but Tunnel Vision and Sleepless Incidental are highlights. Martin Orford sprinkles his magical keyboards everywhere and Peter Nicholls produces the best vocal performance of his life. Mike Holmes is a grossly underrated guitarist, capable of beautiful solos and solid fills, whilst the rhythm section is a powerhouse, especially John Jowett's driving bass.

Comparisons will inevitably be made with The Lamb but they are pretty irrelevant - Subterranea is more consistent and (heresy!) I think better overall, simply because the story is more engaging (I never identified with Rael or the American cultural slant) and there are fewer bad tracks.

To conclude, this is an absolutely essential album and a rare masterpiece from the 90s.

A definite must-have for any neo-prog lover (or to anyone wishing to discover neo-prog).

I took quiet a time prior publishing my review on the IQ Subterranea album. As you can imagine, given my nickname, I have a special admiration for this masterpiece double-album.

Indeed, I consider that two albums are the synthesis and the summum of the neo-progressive movement that started in the mid '80s : Misplaced Childhood from Marillion (that contributed to define the genre and gave him significant visibility by including two "hits" in the mainstream radio with Kayleigh & Lavender) and Subterranea from IQ (that get composed and released in the late '90s).

First thing we notice is the size of the project, with this album IQ doesn't deliver 45' or even 70' but nearly two hours of music on this 2 CD release. Of course size is not everything and we see too often albums filled by some "garbage" between the good tracks. This is definitely not the case here and IQ succeed in providing us two hours of quality music to listen in one session.

Taken apart from each other, the tracks are good, but this is really a concept album where tracks are closely related to each other presenting a story. Each song has its own melody but the transition between songs are created smoothly.

When pressing the play button, you get introducted by the "Overture" track that start as a classical music concert opening with orchestra tuning their instruments. You then get to a strong intro very melodic while powerfull.

Another great moment is the tittle track "Subterranea", the powerfull "Failsafe" followed by the balad "Speak my name" and the rythmic "Tunnel vision". The "Sense of Insanity" is another ballad filled with feelings. I wont' get through all separate tracks given they are all excellent even if very different from each others.

Also to mention are the last track of the first CD and the second track of the second CD ("State of Mine" and "Laid Low") that really ensure the junction between the two part by presenting the same melodic base in two different ways. These instrimental tracks really work like the yin and the yang.

The only weaker part is the last track "the Narrow Margin" that doesn't fill its 20' in a consistent way. This stay a good track but could have been avoided and isn't as good as the other parts of the album.

As a whole this album sounds like a prog-rock musical of broadway : The Phantom of the Opera meets prog-rock ! With a good balance between songs where Peter Nicholls's voice gives a particular musical color and important full instrumental sections.

Before closing this review, two last remarks : - The Subterranean album is one of these albums that you keep in mind and that the more you listen, the more you appreciate. You need at least two or three listening sessions to really "feel" the music ... but this is worth the effort (and it is not really an effort given it is pure pleasure). - You will likely prefer the studio album to the live version of Subterranea given it more accurately delivers the musical message as the band build it ... The live is nice but less accurate (wich is often a problem of Nicholls live) but for sure they play and sing with their hearths (but this will be more sensitive when attending a concert than when listening to its record) ... Over 1 hour of "bis" at the end of a concert, I only saw this with IQ ... but this is another story !

So, get this album and make you own opinion. Mine is now well known : this is the best IQ album to date. If I could rate it six stars, I would.

Here's the 100th rating for this album. No less than four stars! I first heard this in 2000, around the time when I was very willing to find some new prog bands but was disillusioned time after time by the stuff that the library databases categorized as prog. Most of it was simply too close to heavy for my taste. IQ was musically something that immediately responded to my idea of how a Neo Prog band should sound like. Clarity of sounds (keyboards dominating but far from OVER-dominating), melodic rollercoaster rides, compositions that are suitably catchy without cheesiness, and most of all, music clearly identified as PROG, descending from Yes, Genesis, Camel, ELP... And remembering that my path into Prog went via MARILLION and backwards from them, it's easy to see why IQ caught my interest. In a sense IQ seemed to modernize the same classic Prog vocabulary as Fish-era Marillion had done; if GENESIS had steered into more ambitious (Neo) Prog in the 80's instead of pop dominance, they might have produced music reminiscent of IQ's.

Well, there was a negative side to my delight. It took a while before Peter Nicholls' somewhat nasal voice stopped annoying me. With PENDRAGON it was the same, but slightly different: I got more and more annoyed by Nick Barrett's singing STYLE, whereas Nicholls uses his own voice pretty well after all, and IQ wouldn't be IQ without his voice. It somehow suits to the overall sound.

There aren't any disastrous tracks here, though some I dislike a bit, only a small minority really. A bunch of instrumentals is the cherry on the top. From the prog's point of view the 20-minute closer Narrow Margin is a highlight without a doubt, but a good deal of the rest is just as fine, only with shorter running times. One of my personal favourites is the calm and mystic Sense In Sanity, followed seamlessly by a Banks-like instrumental burst State Of Mine. The total length of this 2-CD album is no more than 102 minutes, but I'm not going to say They Should Have Made It Into One Terrific Disc. In fact I would rather say so about the Tales Of The Topograpgic Oceans by YES, which does suffer from the so called dinosaur disease. Subterranea is a completely healthy baby, and one of the most recommendable albums of Neo Prog scene.

The group's most ambitious work to date is, unfortunately, also the one which see's IQ eschew their complex, Genesis-inspired neo-prog sound in favour of a more straight-forward 'rock' approach. 'Subterranea' features over 100 minutes of music spread over two discs, yet there are only a handful of stand-out tracks, such as the 'The Wake'-lit title track and the energetic 'Tunnel Vision'. The overall sound is light and airy, with the group's musical nucleus of keyboardist Martin Orford and guitarist Mike Holmes seemingly particularly un-inspired. Some have written that 'Subterranea' is the apex of IQ's career, but just because the album is long and features a complex story does not automatically mean it can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other great concept abums sch as Pink Floyd's 'The Wall' or Thick As A Brick' by Jethro Tull. 'Subterranea' pales in comparison to IQ's classic albums, the superb 1983 debut 'Tales From The Lush Attic' and it's seminal follow-up of two years later 'The Wake', and it's a real shame because it seems that the group have thrown everything including the kitchen sink into making this mammoth, double-disc release a reality. Overlong, dull and instrumentally rather bland, 'Subterranea' is a rare dip in form for this otherwise excellent and iconic neo-prog band. Every group has their weaker moments(just ask Genesis about 'And Then There Were Three' or query Yes about their awful '90125' comeback 'pop' album), and, sadly, IQ's has come when they seemed to be trying hardest. Pity. STEFAN TURNER, LONDON, 2010

The narrow margin

Subterranea is not a bad album as such. So why only two stars? Well, my rating needs to be seen in the wider context of IQ's discography. This album came out just after the excellent Ever, and just before the very good The Seventh House. Subterranea is, to my mind, a lesser album. And as such, even if I find it rather enjoyable, I just cannot give it the same rating that I gave to The Seventh House (and that album, in turn, though stronger, is not deserving of the same high rating as Ever and Dark Matter). The two primary reasons I like Subterranea less than most other IQ albums is that the songs are not as strong and memorable, and that it is too long for its own good. Maybe, if it was condensed into a single disc with only the best material, it could perhaps have reached the same level of quality as The Seventh House, but even so it could never have matched IQ's best albums.

The conceptual nature of the album is not sufficient to retain the listener's full attention from start to end. At some point, I feel that it is just more of the same and it becomes a bit monotonous. Still, there is good stuff to be found here. If you are an IQ fan, and you don't have this album, by all means get it. You will almost certainly like it (as I do). But if you are new to IQ, this is definitely the wrong place to start, in my opinion. Any other post-Ever IQ album gives a better introduction to the band.

Recommended for fans and collectors, but not among the best IQ albums

I initially dismissed IQ as a band I just did not care for. In fact, I dismissed neo-prog as a genre for quite some time as I was getting into progressive rock. But, I bought the album "Dark Matter" on a whim after hearing some good reviews and found it to be really excellent. It caused me to delve deeper into their back catalog. And, I thought a good place to go next was their double album concept album since I have historically loved concept albums. Unfortunately, I had a difficult time getting into the album, and therefore anticipate I'll have a hard time here reviewing it. But, I'll give it my best shot.

"Overture" is a fantastic opener that is strong musically, playing many of the themes that will be heard throughout the album. The overture successfully gets me excited for what is to come, and I think that is a large purpose for the overture. Next we have the short track "Provider" that is mainly a showcase for vocals. It is nice, but nothing particularly special to me. "Subterranea" is a great track that thumps along at a fun, rocking pace. "Sleepless Incidental" is a highlight of the first disc, starting with some great acoustic guitar and building to a really great guitar solo at the end of the song. "Failsafe" begins promisingly with some great keyboard work, but I soon lose interest through the song. It picks back up, though, towards the end. "Speak My Name" is a pleasant ballad with some great singing by Peter Nicholls and a pleasant keyboard soundscape. Things are brought to a faster pace with the next track "Tunnel Vision" which really is varied and fun. It is another highlight of the first disc. "Infernal Chorus" doesn't do much for me, it doesn't really add anything new that we haven't already heard at this point into the album. "The State of Sanity" has some cool vibraphone, but is ultimately boring to me. This section of the album loses me a bit, I must admit. Thinks pick up again though with "State of Mine" which has a great driving rhythm and a cool keyboard riff.

I do love how disc 2 starts with "Laid Low" that has the same melody that was just heard at the end of disc 1. It really provides a solid link between the two discs. "Breathtaker" is a really cool track. It has a really cool, rocking vibe with an interesting melody. This is one of my favorite songs on the whole record. "Capricorn" starts out sounding a lot like something off of Marillion's Misplaced Childhood. There is some interesting sax and a good guitar solo, but overall the song is a little boring to me. "The Other Side" is a pretty unique instrumental track that to me almost has a new age kind of sound to it. "Unsolid Ground" is a little bland to me. There isn't much for me to grab onto here, it is definitely one of the weaker tracks. "Somewhere In Time" starts off as another slow paced ballad and is once again pleasant, but nothing special to me. It does pick up in the second half, but nothing that makes me too excited. "High Waters" is a good track that does a good job leading into the epic "The Narrow Margin." "The Narrow Margin" starts slow, but once it gets going is a fantastic track. I feel that IQ really knows how to compose a great epic. There is some fabulous keyboard playing on display here. It is a good finale.

I think that Subterranea is largely a mixed bag. I just can't seem to get into it as a whole. When I first heard it, I was so disappointed that I didn't even get through the album. But, as I have tried the album more, I've discovered some of its merits. I think that part of my problem is that I can't get into the Neo-Prog sound. I like IQ's albums that followed this one, but that is because I think they stray more into Symphonic Prog. Also, I think that there is just too much material here for me to get through. I think the album could be improved by cutting some of the tracks and sections and keeping one disc's worth of really great material. That all being said, I still think this is a good album with some weak moments.

I find IQ's "Subterranea" exciting, but yet a little boring at the same time.

I just cant help comparing it to Genesis' "Lamb lies down on Brodway" It's cut in the same vein, double disc, one main caracter that we follow through the whole record.

It is flawed in the same vein too. The album is just TOO jampacked, with some great songs, and a bunch of fillers just to fill the disc's two sides. At least, that's the impression I get when I listen to it. It's really hard to motivate myself to listen to the record all the way through. I tend to loose interest on the way, like they cant keep up the momentum and excitement.

They could easily have cut it a single album, in fact I think it would have worked better if they did.

The first disc is the most interesting one. "Overture, Provider, Subterranea, Sleepless Incidental, Failsafe, and State of mine" are all great songs, and typical of IQ. I tend to NOT listen to the second disc, and for two reasons: Not as good songs as on the first disc, and I've lost interest by then. It's just TOO jampacked, and I need a rest. To close the album with a 20 minute "A Narrow Margin" doesn't help either, especially because It's way too long, way too late on the album, and not very good or interesting.

I find Nicholls voice very dramatic and emotional here, and sometimes a little disturbing, but that just adds to the drama in a good way. I'm sure that this albums music is working much better LIVE, with the drama & Nicholls costumes to illustrate the music visually. That would do it more justice. Unfortunatly I never got to see that tour.

Great playing and musicianship here, as allways.

Overall: A good disc, but nothing spectacular. But nevertheless an essential album in the IQ collection, and in Neo-Prog in general.

Contemporary prog at its finest

It took IQ some four years to release a follow up album to the fine "Ever" from 1993. The unchanged line up were not however sitting on their hands, "Subterranea" proving to be the band's first double (CD) concept album. Admirably, they came up with a suitably grandiose theme for the album, the story centring on a man who is the victim of a tortuous experiment. The man is initially subjected to prolonged captivity in isolation, then allowed out into the real world. The tale then takes us through his experiences as he tries to cope with an accelerated life of discovery. Needless to say, adverse and sinister forces are at work exacerbating the challenge.

If we wish to be cynical, we can spend time looking for precedents for such a tale. For me though the time is better spent accepting that such concepts are one of the facets which distinguishes prog. The only question to be answered is how good is the album?! Such a question is particularity valid when it comes to this sort of presentation, as the concept can sometimes overwhelm the project to the detriment of the music.

The album opens impressively with a symphonic "Overture" which blends orchestral sounds with pounding rhythms and anthemic tones. In the best traditions of such albums, the tracks are generally kept short (although the final track runs to some 20 minutes) being linked together to form a continuous piece.

The musical style of IQ lends itself well to this format, the highly melodic roots of each song being fully exploited as each piece is brought to fruition. While the album is undoubtedly best heard as a complete project, the majority of the individual tracks stand up well as isolated numbers in their own right. Tracks such as the title piece would have fitted in perfectly on any of the band's albums, the guest sax on this particular track offering an impressive additional dimension.

To single out tracks though is to pay a disservice both to the complete piece, and to those not mentioned. I could focus on the magnificence of "Capricorn" with its superb sax and guitar, or the majestic 9 minutes which is "Failsafe", or of course the epic finale. I say again though, while each track stands proud in its own right, this is an album to be heard as a complete entity.

The prog genre (in name at least) has been pulled this way and that in recent times. Many bands and fans of those bands have discovered that it is now trendy to be labelled as prog, and attempt to jump on the bandwagon. It is though to bands such as IQ that we have to look for the spirit of prog being carried forward towards and into the 21st century. This is an album of contemporary prog at its absolute finest.

Let's talk about IQ's Subterranea.

While most people seem cite 1985's The Wake, 1993's Ever, or even one of the band's more recent efforts as their favourite IQ album, and although those albums are both amazing, this 1997 concept album always struck the right chord with me.

Subterranea holds together so well because the band managed to hold together the dark, mysterious musical themes that fit the album's cover art quite accurately. From the opening of "Overture" pretty much straight through to the end of "The Narrow Margin" you get a sense of thematic consistency that makes the album feel like the parts all fit together into a larger picture.

Some people have criticized this as making the whole album sound too similar, but I disagree. The songs do sound as if they are movements within the same larger piece of work and work best as a larger work, but they are still distinct and memorable in their own right. I would rate material like the title track, "Sleepless Incidental", "Failsafe", "Breathtaker", "Unsolid Ground" and "Somewhere in Time" amongst IQ's most enjoyable work.

The closing track, "The Narrow Margin", is 20:00 minutes in length and may be the album's most contentious track. I don't think it's the album's strongest track, but it's still an enjoyable closer with some nice instrumental sections.

Overall: Subterranea is a great album and for a double album has very little filler. It can be considered among the band's best work and is highly recommended.

4.5 rating rounded up to 5.

Subterranea is a good, prog rock album. Atmospheric, nicely executed, with some excellent compositions and very strong moments. Its main weakness is that IQ tried to do too much and the second CD was almost unnecessary, becoming almost repetitive. The epic Narrow Margin, running for 20 minutes, never really strked a chord with me and the band looks melodically uninspired there, which is disappointing. But still, the first CD alone is 4-stars material and really worth having. And don't get me wrong, the 2nd CD has good moments too. It just gets a bit repetitive and goes mostly unnoticed, unlike the first. Still makes for great background music in some circumstances...

Overall, good work by IQ and I can only applaud their attempt at striving for accomplishing something exceptionnal. It just didnt get to be as prodigious as they might have wanted it.

Subterranea is an album which has grown on me over time. At first, I'd have given it a four star rating on the basis of the individual songs, but the more I listen to it the more I think the whole experience is greater than the sum of its parts. Whereas Ever refreshed and renewed the sound of The Wake, Subterranea brings the IQ sound all the way up to date; much like Marillion's run of masterpieces from Brave to This Strange Engine, the album finds the band expanding the boundaries of their sound.

Despite the double-disc concept album format and the inclusion of a 20 minute finale in the form of The Narrow Margin, there's something conspicuously absent from Subterranea, and that's the band attempting to sounding progger-than-prog as other bands might be inclined to attempt on a piece such as this. Where a proggy touch would be beneficial - as on epics like The Narrow Margin - they go for it, where an approach drawing from other contemporary music genres would work better, they plump for that instead. (One of my favourite examples of the latter is the gorgeous Capricorn, a mellow rock number with an achingly beautiful sax solo.)

All this good stuff is combined with a genuinely interesting and novel plot for a concept album, updating the legend of Kasper Hauser for the X-Files generation, and whilst each individual song might not be a prog masterpiece, they're never less than compelling listening, and taken together the emotional arc the album tracks proves irresistible. I don't listen to it as often as Ever or The Wake, but that's mainly because I need to set aside more time to listen to the thing all the way through than for those two; of late, I've come to believe it's just as good as them.

"Aenigma Sui Temporis"

Inspired by the mysterious and fascinating figure of Kaspar Hauser, "Subterranea" is undoubtedly a good quality album; in fact, the value of the songs, taken individually, are almost all excellent. However, among all the IQ albums after the comeback of Peter Nicholls, "Subterranea" is the most monotonous. Despite the atmosphere change often (some songs are aggressive, others are calm and soft), the sound is, more or less, always the same. Obviously this is not very positive, when you are facing with an album of over 100 minutes of music.

"Subterranea" is extremely burdened by an excessive length and also by musical themes that are repeated perhaps too frequently. However, as mentioned, the songs, taken individually, are almost all very good. The music? Classic IQ trademark, with style typical of the neo-prog genre sometimes flavored with a spoonful of hard rock, bombastic sounds and post-apocalyptic atmospheres plus, of course, references to 70s symphonic prog bands. The keyboards dominate the scene almost everywhere, but there are also excellent solos and riffs by Holmes on guitar. Without doubt Nicholls will have technical limits, but he is a singer of great interpretive skills, even if sometimes reminds me Fish a bit too much.

The first CD contains all that can make happy a true lover of progressive rock. It starts with the majestic Overture, with a lot of hard guitar riffs. The song contains themes that are repeated throughout the album.

The title track is also a good song, catchy and aggressive at the same time, and the delicate and intimate Speak My Name is one of the best songs of the album. The most beautiful songs are, however, Sleepless Incidental and Failsafe.

Sleepless Incidental starts with a delicate acoustic part, then a great instrumental crescendo leads to beautiful change of atmosphere and excellent keyboards and guitar solos in the end. Another winner, more or less at the same level, is Falisafe, especially the middle section of the song (with piano and Nicholls filtered voice) is truly impressive.

After some perhaps unnecessary repetitions of music themes already heard (for example in Tunnel Vision and Breathtaker there are several references to Overture, while King Of Fools reminds the central theme of Failsafe), some mediocre tracks (Capricorn and Unsolid Ground, both very similar to the style of Marillion's "Misplaced Childhood") and others much more successful (The Sense in Sanity, State Of Mine, Somewhere In Time), at last the long epic The Narrow Margin closes the album. This epic does not disappoint, but "Further Away" or "Harvest Of Souls" are better. The most obvious references are more or less always the same: Genesis, Marillion, Yes and Camel (in the middle part, sometimes seems to listen to "Lunar Sea"). Not always the band manages to keep the attention high for all 20 minutes of track time, but the last eight minutes are great and the finale with Nicholls's voice accompanied by acoustic guitar offers chills and thrills.

If it had been shorter, maybe with the best pieces put all together in a single CD, "Subterranea" could have been perhaps the best album of the band. Even so it's still a good album, with a rating between three and four stars, definitely recommended for those who love the band and the neo-prog genre. The rest of you may find this album too long, with some unnecessary songs and too much repetition of musical themes: for these reasons, I feel a little tired hearing the album after the first CD and so I think that "Subterranea" is essential only for IQ and neoprog fans. So, after all, I cannot give more than three stars and a rating of 6/10.

Best song: Sleepless Incidental

IQ's "Subterranea" is a double concept album that is the band at their most ambitious.

Following up the "Ever" masterpiece is no mean feat so everything is upsized to a whopping running time of 103 minutes. The album boasts some of IQ's longest songs such as the 20 minute 'The Narrow Margin' to close the album off in style, and also has very short tracks edging towards 2 minutes, such as 'Provider' 'State of Mine' and 'Laid Low'. It is an odd album for IQ who are tackling a massive project here with 2 CDs of non stop prog at the end of the 90s (1997) but it is certainly full of some amazing musicianship and compositions. Peter Nicholl's vocals are always crystalline and easy on the ears, and he is joined by legends of IQ, Martin Orford on keyboards, and flute, Mike Holmes on guitars, John Jowitt on bass, and Paul Cook on drums. This is the class act that brought us "Ever" and earlier "The Wake" (though Tim Essau was the bassist on this album). It is not surprising that the album came out with a great deal of enthusiasm by the prog community but I have noticed that in the eyes of many the album failed to deliver, falling just short of a masterpiece, and in fact many were disappointed.

Perhaps more is less in this case and this album suffers the overblown excessive disease of "Tales From Topographic Oceans"-itis. The symptoms of the disease are excessive cryptic conceptual material and songs that are forgettable and get lost in their own overblown structures. This is a real journey and one needs to really put aside a great deal of time to indulge in it and perhaps be in the right frame of mind. It is certainly not an album that will appeal to all but nevertheless is still replete with incredible moments of beauty and amazing musicianship. The concept is hard to grasp but concerns an Secret Underground Lab where scientific experiments are conducted, and the people try to escape to the surface, and get incinerated in the process. One lone man who lives above decides, after a failed relationship, that the world he lives in is far worse and ventures into the underground, but ultimately finds he is the only one there and so is trapped, alienated and alone.

The album is certainly more bombastic than previous material beginning with majesty and pomp with 'Overture'. The clean voice of Nicholl's is heard on 'Provider', followed by the first great moment, 'Subterranea', with futuristic synth rhythms and a heavier guitar phrase on a rollicking beat. The bassline is one of the best from IQ, and I love the upbeat feeling on this. The lyrics are fascinating; "Cadillac, heart attack, back of this beyond, push a king, TV queen, accommodating blonde, a traitors gaze while you wait." The slowed synth interlude brings it to an ambience, before it returns to the cynical lyrics and melodies, "can I hold on, can I belong to all the things you are, there's no sane in, chaos reigns in subterranea." The sax at the end is a sheer delight and this track is a definitive highlight. 'Sleepless Incidental' follows seamlessly with calming vocals, and some great guitar phrases. The keyboard solo at the end is Orford at his best and it is augmented by soaring lead guitars. 'Failsafe' is a 9 minute track with some nice musicianship and then it bogs down with a lacklustre ballad in 'Speak My Name', that lulls me off to dreamland.

'Tunnel Vision wakes me again with the great heavy guitar riff, and more forceful vocals. I like the melodies on this and angular time sigs, leading to glorious guitar soling, with squeals and sustained string bends. The bass pulsates nicely and it culminates in a refreshing synth motif. 'Infernal Chorus' seamlessly follows and builds a strong marching percussion and guitar over synth layers. The sig shifts to accommodate a chugging riff before Nicholl's vocals return; "avoiding confrontation in this infernal chorus, who watches he who watches, no one above suspicion." The song has a magical synth melody that reminds me of Ultravox for a moment. The song stops for a pause and then launches into some killer keyboards, simply stunning work from Orford. The lyrics are surprisingly dark at this point; "I am your murdering angel of death, silently you will provide what I need, give me a focus give me a name, back to your maker and turn to his side, unresurrected and unrecognised." A decent track with some shining musicianship. It ends with a chilling effect like chains dragging and an alien wail. The album is getting into darker territory and we are soon getting conceptually deeper with 'King Of Fools'. The pulsing synth is effective along with rhythmic vocals and ominous key pads. It blends with a heartbeat into 'The Sense In Sanity', tinged with an intro of Oriental chimes that maintain a polyphonic rhythm and synths wash over. Nicholl's melancholy tones are distinct; "Ignited by the realising eyes, unwrapped around the solitary sound, a failing voice, collapsing on the unfamiliar ground, an empty heart am I the only one." The minimalism of a voice and synth works well to break away from the busier soundscape. It merges into 'State Of Mine', with a distorted guitar riff that fades up and louder synth phrases. The instrumental ends the first CD on a pleasant uplifting note.

CD 2 begins with a brief piano introduction on 'Laid Low', with a spacey lead guitar, and then 'Breathtaker' that clocks just over 6 minutes, comes in with more aggressive vocals; "beyond imagination, born of blood and fire, in splendid isolation, I have lived corrupted and inspiring, no longer god's Appolo, no more Mercury, down among the unbelievers," and then an expletive follows and surprised me as it is unlike IQ. This is a raw approach and perhaps as heavy as the band gets at this stage in their career. A tirade of keyboards follows and some thunder accompanies Nicholls next verse. At the end of the song the rain pours down in a stormcloud and the acoustic intro of 'Capricorn' shines through. The lyrics are heard "The night holds a multitude of uncovered sins", and then a wonderful saxophone sound lights up the dark. The music reminds me of Marillion here, and as always the guitars soar to the stratosphere.

The icy winds and distant sax prepare us for the Oriental flavours of 'The Other Side', a brief musical transition of acoustic chimes and bamboo flute. It is a river of dreamy and beautiful ambience, and segues to 'Unsolid Ground'. This track has a steady guitar riff and relaxing vocals, and builds to a stronger beat. It sounds more commercial and straight forward, but I like the lead break and electronic sequenced synths. The album at this stage is bogging down a bit and I needed something more complex and impressive.

'Somewhere In Time' answers my wishes with acoustic vibrations in the intro. The vocals are heartfelt; "on and on want to feel somehow, somewhere in time, you'll see it all the way, what I do now, gives into impulse, reaches in between, gets back a notion, still remembers a dream." The flute work here is really nice and has an Irish feel, and then a sequenced synth fades up turning everything to a futuristic style. Lead guitars blaze through the fog of synths and the beat is transformed to more uptempo. A cool riff locks in for a moment and there is a delightful bassline from Jowitt. The guitar riffs are excellent on this track and come and go until the great synth solo at the end. This is followed by 'High Waters', another piano ballad and it leads inevitably to the massive epic of the album.

'The Narrow Margin' is a 20 minute monster that I was hoping would be as good as other epics I have heard over the years. It begins with an odd percussion and pretty piano runs, and then vocals are heard; "divided by loyalty, surrounded by emotion, nobody under here remembers any mercy at all, we stay down, deciding the borderline, did no one tell you, I couldn't have made you mine, because I feel your pain more than my own." I have no idea what the concept is about but is sounds spiritually linked, perhaps a journey into darkness of subterranean levels of consciousness, and then escaping by a narrow margin. It doesn't really matter, but the music still manages to transfix even at the end despite some lulls in between. At 5:30 a gorgeous lead guitar sound is heard and then a bass heavy beat begins. The song is about to divert into a new feel, and the next verse is even more melancholy; "try to sleep, I will come but I'm still waiting for you, and wherever you are, I'm still inside you now." Nicholls's sings of unrequited love and not being able to hide from his true feelings. He sings, "I could never go back", and a heavier riff crunches in, a more metal approach and it is enhanced with an amazing lead guitar solo. This is a wonderful moment on the epic, and I love the angular riffs, leading to a staccato rhythm accentuated by fast piano runs. The lyrics focus on darker themes; "voices circulating around the musty hall, and the kerosene is ignited, incandescent in the crossfire, do my eyes betray the longest night of all." An explosion is heard breaking the rhythm and an ethereal atmosphere takes over at 12 minutes, quite disturbing after all the upbeat music. A new fast and fragmented riff fades up and is followed by bright keyboard soloing. The band are off and running here and at their best. The lengthy instrumental section is powerful and enthusiastically executed. It runs out of steam at the end but nevertheless it is nice to hear such an ambitious lengthy track at the end of the 90s era.

It was quite an expedition, a lengthy voyage into the world of IQ, but at the end there is enough here to warrant high praise. It is not a masterpiece, due to some lulls in the excitement, but overall there are some wonderful shining moments on "Subtrerranea". It suffers from prog excess but if you give it time the melodies will impress and the musicianship is nothing short of excellent throughout. I prefer "Ever" and "Frequency" where the 1 CD is packed with non-stop brilliance, whereas this 2 CD album does not maintain a consistent quality with a few songs that may have been best left off. However, there is no denying that the band went for the concept album hammer and tongs, and the result is a wondrous journey into Neo prog territory.

(9/10)

Wow. Just wow. From the first song ("Overture") it is very clear that this will be an album of grand ambition. "Subterranea" is a gargantuan concept album, weighing in at over 100 minutes. There are many highlights in this album. I want to keep this review a reasonable length, so I will try to mostly talk in broader terms about that album in it's totality. After all, it is a concept album, and will stand or fall on this criterion above all others. I will say though, that amongst the many great songs, my personal top 5 (unordered) would be "Overture", "Subterranea", "Failsafe", "Capricorn" and "The Narrow Margin".

Some have compared this album to Genesis' also double concept album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". Well, okay, insofar as this is a progressive concept album over two discs, with repeated music themes running through the songs, telling one big story. This is really the whole of the similarity. Musically, they are two very different beasts. In fact, I would be so bold as to commit the possible heresy of saying that this is the superior album.

Okay, I probably just lost a bunch of readers right there, but I am willing to explain this (perhaps 'bold' is the nicest way of putting it) assertion. Firstly, I should say that I really like both. Obviously the musicianship and especially vocals in both the Genesis and IQ albums are the some of the strongest you will hear. Where I feel "Subterranea" nudges ahead is that it presents us with a more unified sound, a far more compelling story, effectively utilised modern sound and production values, and far more attention is paid to the structuring of the album.

Some examples of the thoughtful way the album is structured would be: we have a really exciting overture, presenting us with a taste of much of the greatness to come; the clever way the different versions of the same melody in "State Of Mine" and "Laid Low" move us between the two discs, shifting the mood; and using a 20 minute song to give the album a really epic ending. The album itself feels very self-contained. Musical themes that run throughout the album feed out from the overture, and as time goes on, feed into the final epic ("The Narrow Margin"). This goes for the lyrics as well, the first words are "Are you inside, Provider, or am I" and the last words are "Provider, are you inside or am I?" ? much like the nameless hero, we end up in a place strangely like the start.

Our hero is a nameless adaptation of the real life person Kaspar Hauser, who was also portrayed in the intelligent and enjoyable German film "The Enigma Of Kaspar Hauser". The protagonist is similarly the subject of some mysterious experiment (that leaves him cut off from all contact with the rest of the humanity since birth), and is suddenly released into the outside world. The story diverges in "Subterranea" when he interacts with the outside world, finding others like himself, and searching for the mysterious puppet master 'Mockenrue', leading to a dramatic confrontation in the climax of the album.

I'm not even getting into any of the details along the way. If you don't follow the plot straight away (or maybe before you listen to the album) I would suggest reading the wikipedia article for this album, as it actually has a very good summary of the story. It will be worth it, this is one of the most interesting stories a concept album has ever told. I don't think I've seen the story aspect done so well, and fused with such consistent songwriting apart from on "Operation: Mindcrime". It's dark, and thought-provoking. As it happens, it is even being made into a feature length film in the near future, which you should look out for as it seems it will be a fascinating piece. I'm proud to say I personally donated $55 to the kickstarter campaign to make it happen.

Musically, everyone is strong here, and we carry forward the traits that made previous IQ albums great (e.g. strong fusion of melody and rhythm) whilst adding some new things too. The unique vocals of Peter Nicholls drive the developing moods of the story forward in an emotive manner. Martin Orford, whilst retaining his individual skill is now even better at facilitating the sound of the rest of the band. This is John Jowitt's second album on bass, and he really makes his presence felt, with excellent use of fretless bass, especially on the title track, "Subterranea". IQ are also moving towards a heavier and darker sound, with passages of brooding atmospheres. The addition of saxophone is welcome, and it is blasting powerfully on "Capricorn", leading in to one of Mike Holmes most dramatic guitar solos. Never before had IQ achieved such a big sound. There are so many recurring musical themes, but they are woven together skilfully. The long songs are all gold, no exceptions, and the short ones hold the album together as a cohesive whole really effectively.

I'm not going to pretend that "Subterranea" is a simple album to get into. It will take time to digest, but it will be time well spent. Without doubt, a lot of IQ's strongest material is within this album. Whilst some songs stand alone better than others (for example, "Failsafe" is a fantastic song however you play it, whereas I really feel "The Narrow Margin" needs to be heard as part of the album, in particular), to get the full effect you must listen to "Subterranea" as one continuous piece. Given time for the music to sink in, it becomes apparent that this is what it sounds like when huge ambitions pay off.

What a great double album, artwork. I saw this band in Buenos Aires presenting Subterranea in 1998 and the perfomance was as good as one might expect. I don´t understand some people consider second disc lower than first. Second disc is little less intense, but close with a epic gem like Narrow Margin. No filler songs, the short songs have a vital rol in construction and unification of the piece. Best songs; Sleepless incidental, Failsafe, Tunnel Vision, Breathtaker, Somewhere in Time and The Narrow Margin. Lyrics and art reveal the fight between good and evil. Keyboards, guitar and bass stand out in perfect form, and voice of Nicholls gets instill lyrics strength. The drums of Paul Cook are accurate and complex.

From the end 94' and on, while IQ were hitting the road promoting the ''Ever'' album, they begun playing snippets and early forms of tracks from what was to become their most ambitious work.As the recordings of their new album were coming to reality, IQ even refused to play live, focusing on this grandiose effort.After a couple of cancelled release dates, finally ''Subterranea'', a 2-CD and over 100 minutes concept album, sees the light at the end of 1997 on Giant Electric Pea.

For many this album is the reincarnation of ''The lamb lies on Broadway'', both because it is a long theatrical and inventive fantasy story and because IQ were always a heavily GENESIS-influenced group.The story is built around a man, isolated from reality, part of a weird experiment, who is eventually let loose by the men they imprisoned him and begins a long trip for searching the reasons he was kept locked.His story passes many different stages, meeting plenty of characters, in a dramatic attempt to find the truth about his existence.

Practically IQ did not abandon the style of music they made them one of the most beloved Progressive Rock bands worldwide.This time though it is extremely highly recommended to follow the lyrics as part of the listening in order to penetrate as more as possible into this fantasy story.What really differs is maybe the slightly increased use of more mellow parts, some with acoustic guitars, and the diverse singing style of Nichols, part of the varied atmosphere of the album.But again it is impossible for IQ to miss their main target, which is to produce elaborate, well-polished and grandiose Progressive Rock with lots of bombastic grooves and symphonic references.But these would mean nothing if there weren't of the fantastic melodies IQ are used to bring on surface.Despite the lyrical importance of the album the group still manages to keep a great balance between vocal and instrumental moments.Some of the best music ever produced by IQ is also included in this work and the listener will face series of smooth piano arrangements and calm vocal performance blended with powerful compositions full of sharp and angular synthesizers, pounding bass lines, hard drumming and shining guitar lines.The most impressive fact though is that the group decided to close the album with the longest track of the album, the 20-min. ''The Narrow Margin'', already a classic composition of IQ, full of changing climates, haunting melodies, dark passages and more uptempo moments with excellent and tight musicianship from the start to the very end.

A Progressive Rock classic?Maybe yes, definitely a Neo Prog classic considering how hard it is to come up with both an impressive concept story and a very long album, that never tires the listener.No doubt, IQ succeded in both sections with this album.Highly recommended.

There are many elements we can highlight in every IQ album, an excellent production, very good neo progressive compositions, excellent bass sound, good keyboard landscapes, wonderful guitar arrangements and a very particular way of singing by Peter Nicholls. Subterranea is a fantastic double album, an album that opens with an overture which invites you to take a long trip to your unconscious level, to the depths of your mind, some where where you can release your fears and worries only by relaxing and enjoying an explosive album full of rock. One of the best pieces of art by this British band!

There is a reason sometimes when a wallow in sheer nostalgia is something more than wallowing in glory days of yore. There are certain times when you listen to a certain slab of music, and remember just how damned good it was. No, change that. Just how damned good it IS!

I had not listened to this wonderful concept album in a fair while until this evening, when, looking forward to the latest IQ opus I have pre-ordered, I thought, let's go back. Let's remind myself of just why I am taking a punt on music I have not even heard yet, and won't receive until at least two months after shelling out hard earned money.

This album, perhaps more than most, is why. I loved IQ from the very beginning, and followed them alongside the other exponents of the new wave of British prog. This one, released in 1997, demonstrated to me that IQ, perhaps better than any other "neo" act, were capable of staying true to their roots and influences, but also taking them forward with the lush, almost orchestral, modern digital era sound. For this is an album not rooted in 1974, but the late nineties.

It is a "deep" concept, for sure, and certainly one that many classic original prog bands would have been proud of. The story revolves around a man tortured and imprisoned in solitary confinement experimentation, who is released into the wider world with unpleasant consequences and, tortured internally, returns to his lone self and world.

Just how, then, such a tome can give rise to such a brilliantly uplifting track such as Speak My Name is a bit of a mystery, and, in reality, speaks genius. The title track, following a Who-esque Overture, sets the scene perfectly for what follows, a perfect blend of symphonic musical story telling and precise, clinical, but also heartwarming in places, and never anything less than captivating vocally and musically. It also contains a marvellous guest sax piece - note to naysayers.....Genesis never had this!

Peter Nicholls is absolutely at the top of his game, more so than on Ever in my opinion, his voice gorgeously fragile in its strength (yes, much like Gabriel in that manner), but the real star and driving force behind all that is so Progressive on this album is Martin Orford, whose soundscapes dominate and provide such a lush musical storyline in themselves. Just listen to his burst on State of Mine especially, which lead a gloriously heavy symphonic passage of music, which, itself, leads to a beautiful , expansive, duo on piano and electric guitar with Mike Holmes on Laid Low. When these segue into the dark and hard Breathtaker, you realise that this album is rather more than a carbon copy of days gone by, but something utterly unique and new.

The end epic, The Narrow Margin, clocking in at 20 minutes brings proceedings to a suitably grandiose end. In fact, it would not be until the ridiculously brilliant Harvest of Souls that the band would outdo themselves in how to bring expansive, epic, loud, and proud prog rock to life in such a warm way. This is a track of a band at the top of their game, a collective bringing complex fantasy to expansive life.

In a couple of months time, I, and other collaborators on this site who have followed IQ for over 30 years now, will, no doubt, wax lyrical about the maturity of the new album. There will be more than a few reading those reviews who were either babes in arms, or, God forbid, not even born, when Subterranea was released. You will, no doubt, wonder just what all the fuss is about in the 21st century.

This album is what the fuss is all about. This album is more than just a paeon to 1970's glory, it is the sound of a band who produced a work of such beauty and wondrous sounds in 1997 that made many of us just know that, seventeen years later, we would still be listening to classy progressive rock, because such gorgeous sounds and thoughts simply could never die. To summarise, you are still listening to prog because of albums such as this.

Five stars. Essential. Wondrous. Beautiful. Grandiose. Nicholls, Orford, Holmes, Jowitt, and Cook. IQ. No further explanation is necessary.

Another concept album from a Neo-Prog band. That's what one might think when they stumble across Subterranea for the first time. But hold on, for me this is a wee bit different.

I got Subterranea shortly after it was published, and I already had all older IQ albums at the time, so I thought I knew what I could expect. Well, most of those expectations came true, just not always in the expected way. I'm confusing you, ain't I? Ok. I expected Neo-Prog which Subterranea definitely is, and a sound similar to the album before, Ever. This is what I didn't get, because Subterranea is far rockier than the other album. Yes, the keyboard sound carpet (don't know if this is really an English term or just the word-by-word translation of an German expression) by Martin Orford is the same as on all IQ albums. Peter Nicholl sounds the same, too. But the guitars are more edgy, some rhythms could easily stand the comparison to heavier acts.

Then there is the story behind the album. I might be biased because I grew up not far away from the venue of one of most famous real stories of the kind, the Kaspar Hauser saga. Unlike others inspired by it, IQ chose to give Subterranea the same ending as the real story (maybe other life stories of this kind really ended the other way) and let the "hero" opt to return to the underworld he was familiar with.

Normally I don't highlight particular songs in concept albums as I have the impression that it is often quite difficult to understand them without the context. While this is true on Subterranea, there are two songs which are musically an even higher class. Lacking alternatives, I have to use my 6 star song cliche again. They are Failsafe and the title track which stands out even slighty more than the other. All other songs rate between 4.5 and 5 stars, which makes the overall rating of the album quite easy. 4.9 stars nicely round up to 5.

Four years after the last (good) record, IQ comes back in the same formation (and a guest sax player) with a double concept album. Daring a more ambitious format would also be of greater risk, but they prove to be up to the stakes: more than 1 hour & 1/2 of music, with its ups-and-downs surely, but globally highly entertaining.

Not a masterpiece for me at the present moment, maybe like Warthur mentions this one is a grower and as I give it more spins in the future it will even go up in my appreciation. Nonetheless a great achievement, 4 stars easily - btw one goes directly to Mike's vocals.

IQ had a rocky road at the latter part of the 80s with a couple sub-stellar releases but managed to find a firm footing in the progressive rock arenas once again with their 1993 comeback "Ever." Apparently deciding to never repeat the mistakes of such bellyflops as "Are You Sitting Comfortably?" ever again, the band now had a stable lineup with creative juices just bubbling over in mega-effervescence and spent four years polishing their craft before they unleashed the grandiose double album monstrosity SUBTERRANEA which took all the excesses of prog and ran away with them unapologetically. This behemoth of a musical extravaganza will require many trips to the buffet, periods of stepping back for proper digestion and then further revisitation for the full-on effect to properly gel within the listener's inner music box.

IQ stepped it up in every possible way on SUBTERRANEA. Firstly with the lyrical contents they deliver a highly complex story about a man (remaining mysterious and nameless) who was held captive for most of his life and deprived of the most ordinary of experiences that most of us take for granted on a daily basis. After being released he's deluged by the Captain America effect meaning that he has woken up to a world that has passed him by in every regard and his struggle to catch up leaves him destitute and grasping for his sanity. The story becomes a full-fledged musical soap opera as he falls in love with a girl named Maya, discovers others who have been experimented and detained against their will and joins forces to take revenge against the miscreants who carried out these atrocities. The plot fails and this same guy ends up back to the very isolation from which the story began thus creating a full circle approach to story telling all the while backed up by some of the most compelling progressive musical deliveries that the 90s had to offer.

Lucky for IQ that Peter Nicholls returned to the helm as vocalist and lyrical contributor in chief because he churns out some of the most compelling yet mysteriously vague story content of his career as done right in true prog fashion leaving the other members to focus exclusively on the musical accompaniment which is nothing short of brilliant as IQ dishes out some of the strongest melodies and song structures of their career with each cadence wresting a heart felt explosion of emotional reaction as keyboard lines tinkle their way into a gravitational pull that is utterly irresistible. The group interplay is beyond strong as even the longest of tracks such as the double-discker's closer "The Narrow Margin" keeps the listener enthralled for its entirety. Nicholls' vocal performance is absolutely top notch and each track successfully builds upon what came before and creates a true complete album experience like very few others of the newly resurrected prog universe of the 90s succeeded in accomplishing.

While it's no secret that IQ was always a Peter Gabriel era Genesis type of band, SUBTERRANEA can certainly bring the double album "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" to mind not only in its scope and delivery with accessible keyboard driven musical prosody accompanied by excellent lyrical elocution but offers a more obnubilated sense of meaning and only offers an impressionalist's perspective of a story that leaves more questions dangling about than it it answers however even if you couldn't give a flying bleep about the lyrics, the music on this one offers a diverse array of neo-prog perfection that adheres to all the genre expectations of beautifully laid out extended compositions that ratchet up the emotional responses in a systematic and melodic way. This isn't one for the casual listener and like many complex works requires some commitment to understand but with a little devotion can be easily extricated from its inscrutable initial impressions.

Subterranea was the confirmation that after the Peter Nicholls comeback IQ was in top form!

And here we can find thanks to a pristine production a band which has become even more ambitious than the in the excellent Ever, introducing elements like marimba and saxophone in some pieces and making their music darker and even more interesting.

The only problem I have with Subterranea is that being a double CD, some track are just filling and they are not impressive. That's a problem that almost every double disc album has, and this is not an exception. However, the music is excellent most of the time.

Conclusion: Subterranea does not reach Ever in terms of overall quality, but it was the confirmation that IQ has here to staty. Excellent work!

Best Tracks: Failsafe (Neo-Prog at its best!), Speak my Name (breathtaking), Tunnel Vision (strong, dark, solid), Breathtaker (a perfect song) and The Narrow Margin (splendid epic and a great ending for the album)

My rating: ****

This, for me, is IQ's masterpiece. Despite the classic The Wake, the revamping of the band that is Dark Matter, or the beautifully crafted new The Road of Bones, Subterranea is this double album with a straightforward concept with fantastic (here meaning "fantasy" and great as well) interplay between all the instruments (bonus for the saxophone) and the amazing lyricism of Peter Nicholls, whose ability to know when to be intense and when to retract still amazes me. This album shines in so many different ways for me that it is really hard to figure out where even to begin with.

I like thinking of Subterranea in terms of Marillion's masterpiece (at least during the Fish era) of Misplaced Childhood: for me, if the concept of Misplaced Childhood was less LSD-ish and had the double of its length, you would kinda get Subterranea. This is only to say how great Subterranea is, for no one would doubt the mastery of Misplaced Childhood.

When the album opens with this tuning orchestra ending with a blast in the first 15 seconds, you know something's coming. Mike Holmes' guitar sets the stage for what's coming, until Provider brings us the angelical (yeah, angelical) voice of Nicholls, which is a lot different than your usual vocals. Now, when the title track of Subterranea strikes, you start to realize you're in for something big. Then, when you get the sax, you're sure of it. You don't even see you've hit the end of the fourth song of Sleepless Incidental until it happens! The rest of the first disc is full of those great perks as well, and it follows until it hits The Sense in Sanity, this quasi-acoustic song that goes through seven minutes of heart-wrenching vocals. To top it of, State of Mine introduces the album's greatest theme in my opinion, with this 007 feeling. This theme is revisited right in the first seconds of the second disc, so you imagine how I feel about that. The second disc is way more atmospheric, more of a character-questioning album, and could easily be perceived as a drama-action OST. This is my favorite stretch of music of the whole piece for me: from State of Mine to High Waters. It's all paired so well, so you have the interludes to breathe and soak in what you heard, but not too long for it to feel overtimed. In the end, you get the 20-minute epic of The Narrow Margin, and I'll admit this fell short for me in the first 10 listens of the album or so. This is a song that grows on you over time, and once you realize the album themes it reintroduces, or how it wraps up the album's concept so well, your feelings towards it change. For me, it's an epic that just feels like a couple of songs mashed up together, in the sense that I don't get the epic feeling of it, but it's a good 3-4 songs joined together nonetheless.

Having talked about the album, I have to talk about the concept. This is based on Kaspar Hauser, this German kid who had claimed to have grown up in captivity back in 1828, deprived of any sensorial experiences, only being fed through a small opening on the door of the place. IQ turned it into a person that grows in the same conditions and is released (or escaped, it's not clear). That person faces a lot of experiences and sensations never felt before. A lot (like, a lot) of stuff happens, and I won't explain that here because it ruins the fun, and how the story ends is the perfect definition of "surprising, but not unexpected". It's really fun and neat to try to figure out the story for yourself, and I totally recommend.

Personally, all of that raised some questions about my personal life, and this was stuff I needed. So, I have a deep personal connection to this album. Very little music has had such an impact on me, and I can't not rate it 10/10. It is a really underrated masterpiece, whose logo of the experiment the main character is in I want to get tattooed. These aren't bold claims, they're just what the album is. Give it a spin, it will not disappoint you.

Subterranea is a weird album for me. IQ, from Ever onwards, produce consistently high quality progressive albums with great musicianship and playing... but that consistency also sort of makes a lot of them sound the same. So, Subterranea only gets a short review from me.

This is the classic prog double concept album, about a man who escapes into the world from isolation due to an experiment, has various experiences and returns to the experiment to get revenge on those who put him through it. There are lots of great tunes and moments, but none really stand out to me. It's a strong album, but not their best. So it goes with IQ, who only really have two BAD albums, without Nicholls, and the rest are all varying degrees of good- great-masterpiece.

Review Nº 623

"Subterranea" is the sixth studio album of IQ that was released in 1997. "Subterranea" is a conceptual album with nineteen tracks. As a double album, it's notoriously the difficulty to pull off but the concept and the songs never reduce the work to mere ramblings. The music on "Subterranea" was written by IQ and the lyrics were written by Nicholls.

The line up on "Subterranea" is Peter Nicholls (lead and backing vocals), Mike Holmes (guitars), Martin Orford (backing vocals, flute and keyboards), John Jowitt (backing vocals and bass) and Paul Cook (drums and percussion). "Subterranea" had also the participation of Tony Wright (saxophone) as a guest musician.

In the end of 1994 the band started playing some new compositions to the audiences in their live shows. In November 1996 the band announced that the release of their new album would be in September 1997 and that the band had decided to make a double conceptual album with theatrical stage show with a full length performance of the album. So, the band worked hard at the different parts of the whole concept, the music, the lyrics, the sleeve and the stage. In June 1997 the recording sessions for the new album began. On August the finishing touches were put on the mixing process to be finally released. The album features photographic artwork and pictures that illustrate the concept of the album.

The concept of "Subterranea" is focused about a man who's been the subject of an experiment. He's been held captive throughout his whole life not having contact with the outside world, till he's let loose in the outside world. He has to digest all these new things. He gets involved with a religious cult, but he refuses to be converted. One day, he meets a girl and fall in love with her. He has a romance with her but she is taken away from him. He became very anger. He realises that he's being watched and he's part of an experiment. He decided to know why. He realises that he's not the only victim of the experiment. The victims decide to band together and take revenge. In a confrontation, he meets the responsible for the experiment. In the end, he resigns himself to going back into the same isolation where he started.

"Subterranea" is supposed to be the major work of IQ. And all means have been used to achieve that. IQ offers us more than an hour and a half of music on a double CD. To embarking on the writing of a conceptual album is a necessary passage for any self-respecting prog band but it's a huge risk too. However, they completely won the challenge. With such duration, the music of "Subterranea" is incredibly rich with a great atmosphere. As we know, IQ is a band that knows how to transcribe emotions very well. The music is rooted in IQ's neo-prog past with rather simple songs, driven by Martin Orford's keyboards and Peter Nicholls' theatrical and emotion-packed vocals, dressed in the progressive rock grandeur and with very strong melodies. This intense use of keyboards immediately leads them to be labelled neo-progressive. Its use is pushed to the extreme with the many parts where it's doubled, the synthetic chords mixing with the piano. However, unlike many bands that sound pompous, IQ plays the card of finesse, creating an impressive work.

"Overture" and above all the subsequent "Provider" are great introductions despite the initial orchestral tuning. The usual IQ clichés are mature and very well dosed and the keyboard carpets sound new. In terms of composition, it's the smaller pieces that stand out. "King Of Fools" convinces with guitar synths, as does "The Other Side", the already mentioned "Provider" and also "Laid Low" or "High Waters". Here, the leitmotifs are usually brought out or presented, which are taken up in other pieces and chased through the instruments and voices. As a result, "Subterranea" gains a coherent structure that is appropriate for a concept work. Here and there, there are also a few adventures that IQ hadn't dared to do before, like cheeky disturbing gimmicks with major and minor in keyboard solos "Failsafe", over-the-top vibrato effects, "Subterranea" and "Breathtaker", and the pitch delay as a harmony instrument on "The Other Side". And then there's "The Narrow Margin", the only long track on the album. Here we have individual parts that are brought together into a harmonious whole by many leitmotif connections, especially against the background of the album.

Conclusion: "Subterranea" is an amazing album. This conceptual album is so strong that practically eclipsed all the previous studio albums of the group. It was also easily compared with "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway" of Genesis. I think there is something of it here, despite the concept be more cryptic and obscure and the music be rooted in the neo-prog style. This is generally an underrated work of them. Despite the clearly differences, it reminds me "Tales From Topographic Oceans" of Yes. Both are two very misunderstood albums by many prog fans. I never hesitated in giving the highest rating to that album and I have no problems in doing the same with this one too. For me, it's the best studio album of the band, so far, and one of the best albums ever. "Subterranea" is IQ's biggest musical accomplishment and will get under the skin of any prog fan. Definitely, I think this is certainly one of the best progressive albums of the 90's.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)