ALONE

There's a lot of bands in the neo-prog style, but CLEPSYDRA is, IMHO, currently the best. Altough this band continues the path signed by IQ or PENDRAGON, they do it in a more bombastic and powerful way, keeping the sense of melody and beauty at the same time. Listener won't find tons of originality, but this album guarantees an excellent hour, specially to neo-prog fans.

Bearing in mind that I dismissed Ayreon's The Universal Migrator (2000) for being too bombastically polished, there are some similarities with Clepsydra that also make it somewhat undesirable. However, the positives greatly prevail over the inconsequential negatives. "Tuesday Night" is a remarkable mixture of guitar and drum work. an opening for the keyboards to add depth and combine with Aluisio Maggini to deliver what are Clepsydra's best and most unique qualities. Maggini's clipped accent and dramatic voice creates a very satisfying overlap with the rest of the band, there's a Meatloaf-ness about the audio drama that hits your ears. "Travel of dream" has an 80s charm to it with the piano work and "The Father" and "Tuesday Night" that have an international Iron Maiden ring to it. Yet slower, calmer and somewhat more composed when delivering the guitar melodies. There's even a hint of Genesis sound to it, perhaps neo and symphonic crossing borders for a fleeting moment. There are few negatives to point out about an album that produces such a good sound. "Alone" and "The Nest" are extraordinary, while "End of Tuesday" finishes in a heavier stint than how the album began. Although appropriate to be played on a Tuesday night, other nights shouldn't be ignored. The pleasing quality of Clepsydra's music allows you to play it almost every night and not tire from their meticulously explored style of music, which is an excellent example of neo progressive rock and definitely a beginner's choice for anyone.

I'm shocked that neither the band description nor any of the reviews note what is without question Clepsydra's biggest influence: Yes - especially 90125 and later. Indeed, Maggini's phrasing is spot-on Jon Anderson, and even his voice, while slightly lower in pitch (and with that cool Italian accent...), is very close. [N.B. What is strange about this is that the other major influence, as noted in the band description, is Marillion. And although almost every Marillion-influenced band is likely to have some Genesis in it, Clepsydra unwittingly "points out" the Yes influence in Marillion.] / Although it is true that this album is somewhat "bombastic" in nature, it is remarkably enjoyable. And although the album is not (as far as I know) a "concept" album, almost all the songs segue into each other. "Tuesday Night" sets the "tone" of the album, with heavy keyboards and bass, solid prog drumming, soaring guitars, and Maggini's excellent vocals. Indeed, although some of the songs are somewhat less "compelling," it is Maggini's vocals that hold the album together. "Travel of Dream" is a fabulous suite, full of great prog bits. "The Return" is another standout, and possibly my favorite track. "The Father" has a slightly Floydian quality (including an echo voice), moving into the most Genesis-like section on the album. "Alone" begins in mildly Genesis style, moving into a more Yes-like approach. [N.B. This is yet another album - maybe the fifth or sixth I've reviewed - on which the Genesis influence is from the W&W/ATTWT period. It continues to amaze me how influential those two albums were on Genesis-influenced neo-prog.] "The Nest" and "God or Beggar" are both good tracks. "End of Tuesday" closes the album as it began, with a heavy, "bombastic" quality that is nonetheless good. / I admit to being somewhat conservative in my rating: I would have liked to have given the album three-and-a-half stars. Is it derivative? Yup. But it is also an exceptionally well-crafted and thoroughly enjoyable album. In sum, this is really good stuff for neo-prog, and eminently listenable if you don't mind a little bombast with your prog.

Clepsydra is to my mind the best current neo-prog band. They deal with fantastic vocals, with a passion similar to Saga's Michael Sadler. Apart from vocals, the music is also good and influences range from Pink Floyd for the slow pace and the ethereal atmosphere to IQ and Marillion considering the keyboard work. The music is never boring and despite the fact there is no groundbreaking material on this CD, the songs are very well crafted and full of emotions. As a huge fan of Saga, IQ and Marillion, I am really pleased with the music proposed by these Swiss. To conclude, a great album and a must have for every neo-prog afficionados.

Majestic !! Full of power !! No need to say more... I'm very pleased I got to know this band. Highly recommended to all those who like bombastic, melodic and symphonic neo prog rock. Breathtaking !!

Clepsydra nice band overal,Alone is a concept album where the intrumental keep simple whit beatiful voice melodie on that.I think is the best album for me.the probleme is track after track much repetion,but nice album anyway. 7/10

Albums like "Alone" remind us of just how lucky we are to be progsters. This is a 'killer' album. With its pristine production, tight musicianship, its rich, full-bodied arrangements and musical passages that are simply to die for, it is symphonic to the core and as such, one of the finest examples of the genre. It's hard to compare CLEPSYDRA's music with other bands': the best I can say is that it sounds like a mixture of PENDRAGON (without the goofy vocals) and IQ at their most melodic. From start to finish, the melodies build up, soar and explode delightfully. Yes, it is bombastic, but I wouln't want it any other way: this type of music has every right to be. The musicians are not only endowed with an extraordinary sense of the melodious, they have a terrific sense of timing and can turn your senses about with a single (musical) pen stroke.

Describing each track individually would not do justice to them; you have to hear them for yourself. Let me simply say that ten out of the 13 tracks feature some musical phrases that will make you reel with pleasure and leave you asking for more. The only low point: although the vocalist does an excellent job, I find his accent a little annoying at times. If you can ignore this minor nuisance, you'll find "Alone" fascinating and will never tire of hearing it over and over again. A must for anyone into melodic prog.

I looked it up! A clepsydra was an ancient timepiece, like an hourglass but with water instead of sand. The band, on the other hand, is anything but archaic- I would put this right up there with the best of modern prog. Heavy guitars, good textural synth use, and a tight and talented rhythm section. Everyone seems to have a good sense of restraint when appropriate- this is a band who can make a simple passage work, where many bands would needlessly complicate things. There are some powerful crescendos (in "The Return", for instance) as well as some delicate quiet moments, showing the band's adept use of dynamics. The vocals are impassioned, with a good range of expression, along the lines of Geddy Lee at his best. At worst, Aluisio Maggini's phrasing can suggest Klaus Meine, but he manages to overcome that admirably. The lyrics are solid, not particularly insprired but never a detriment either. The transitions are smooth and natural, which is a big plus since they are exploring so much territory. The interplay between guitar and synth is much more natural than many bands (the end of "The Father" features a particularly lush duet). The musical highlight for me is during the guitar solos in "Alone pt.2", where every instrument adds something impressive to the mix without trying too hard to grab your attention. The end of the song features some tasty lead guitar work, one of the brief times Marco Cerulli allows himself to really shred (another is in the solo on "God or Beggar"). The quieter (is that acoustic or processed electric?) guitar is less impressive in tone but serves its purpose, especially in "God or Beggar" and "The Nest", one of the spots where the bass player can really be heard to shine as well. My favorite song closes the album; "End of Tuesday" is a great track with a little YES influence, mainly in the soaring vocals on the chorus. Overall, the production (especially the guitar tones and effects) seems a bit dated- this album wouldn't have sounded out of place ten or fifteen years ago, but they get plenty of quality mileage out of the sound. My three-star rating takes into account that the modern, heavy prog sound isn't usually my cup of tea, but I've rarely heard it done with more class than CLEPSYDRA. Fans of RUSH's 80s albums should feel at home here, but anyone with a taste for expressive, metal-flavored prog will find this a worthy experience.

Clepsydra became a life saver when Marillion began to make commercial music.This band is just remarkable album after album even with the departure of guitar player Lele hofmann, (now Shakary),they didn`t stop to blow me away! Aluisio Maggini as a voice that won`t please everybody but you get use to it.In Alone I do miss Phil`s keys that were more present in Grains of Sand and Fears,maybe the next one.Thanks guys please keep on going!!!

A masterpiece!

Great music, great voice, great cd! If you like Genesis, Pendragon, Arena, Collage and Marillion, this is the band you should listen to!

In fall they will tour, I will be the first one who will buy a tickett to see them.

This album makes my flesh creep. I bought all three versions of this album, although only the sleeves differ. But this band has to be supported, because I am looking out for a new cd. After four years of silence the fans have saved enough money to buy the next musical masterpiece. Recommended for everyone who likes captivating music. I have had many people listen to this album and all of them were enthusiast. Unfortunately the music don't get air play, so how can people know of Clepsydra?

This is an excellent neo progressive record: it shows that progressive music can be VERY enjoyable with very simple compositions. The rich & bombastic floating keyboards consist in very dense and colorful streams of varied & modern sustained notes. There are also lush & ear candy melodic keyboards that easily make you stargaze. The VERY melodic omnipresent electric guitar solos are very good, and it is all the time played in the high notes, a bit like the expressive neo prog bands use to play in their songs, such like Jadis, IQ and Violet District. When the electric guitar is rhythmic, it is not distorted too much, so that it just brings a slightly bold & pleasant rhythmic contribution. There are also many discrete distortion-free electric guitar notes a la Jadis, which is a strong point of the album. Compared to the neo-prog band Jadis, Clepsydra here have more elaborated and participating keyboards, and their guitar solos are less bombastic and less hard rock; the drums here are less complex, although they do a very good job. The bass is quite loud and bottom, and it is not very fast although it does not fall into a dull minimalism. The excellent male lead vocals are really unique: the singer has a VERY expressive voice, very highly pitched and insisting, with a strong foreign accent. Unlike neo-prog band Collage, the music here is not complex, but the memorable atmospheres and the simple & efficient melodies involved will bring you pleasant emotions. ALL the tracks are not more & not less than excellent: that's why, AMAZINGLY, I give 4.5 stars to EVERY track! This is an album to listen with your heart, not your mind: it should be an excellent album for sensitive women too!

Rating: 4.5 stars

For those of you who like neo progressive music, this album might fit your taste. The band has been known in prog community as a band who breathe with neo prog style. The composition of this album is pretty neat and the flow is done in nice transition. Everything flows naturally from start to end. "Tuesday Night" which comprises three parts has an opening part in symphonic style without vocals. The vocal part enters the music on Part 2 combined with long sustain guitar work. The music moves into quieter passage with xylophone play and nice vocal to enter Part 3. Part 3 gives a chance to guitar player to play guitar solo. It's very nice.

"Travel of Dream" also comprises three parts which starts with wonderful vocal and piano. The song moves into richer textures but in a mellow style. Part 2 gives a more ambient and atmospheric nuance that gradually brings the music into higher register notes. The ending part is very relaxing with long sustain keyboard work and guitar work.

"The Return" is much a ballad with good vocal quality. "The Father" is an ambient song with nice guitar (reminiscent of Marillion's Steve Rothery). It's an enjoyable track which I think would favor many people. The album title "Alone" provides another style of music with keyboard dominates the composition.

For me personally, this album is very rewarding. Any of you who like neo progressive music, this album suits your taste. Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

Very nice!!! For the last album the band come whit beatiful melodi and strong emotion. The concept for this album have a very good floww!!! The vocal part is as is best..For the best album of Clepsydra for sure...i recommanded.....

This is a truly excellent album. It has an emotive majesty only equalled by Marillion and IQ. The guitar in the album is marvellous, slow and melodic, while the voice is powerful and beautiful with a rather nice Italian sounding accent. Highlights of this album include Alone and The Nest. But this album all weaves into itself to create a coherent whole.

After listening to some Pendragon (The Masquerade Overture) and Pallas (Dreams of Men) i was becoming somewhat disillusioned with this genre, this album however maintains its grandeur and is close to a five star album, I reccomend this to anyone.

The first thing that comes to my mind when I heard this album is... What a pity.

Yes... It's a pity this band ist so unknown, even in the prog scopes. Because they deserve a gold place like one of the better neo prog bands, in my opinion. But sometimes the music is unfair, and wonderful bands like this have no chance to approach to bigger audiences... And they remain like a hidden treasure, only for the few who had the luck to discover this treasure... And I'm one of these lucky persons.

"Alone" is the fourth and last Clepsydra's album till now... And maybe their last ever, because this band appears to exist no more. Y hope this change, and one day we see another Clepsydra's record born... But it's difficult, I think.

And what can we find in "Alone"? Just great progressive music... A very well structured concept album, with a cristal clear production and really well played. Every instrument here has its role. The Pietro Duca's drums are not too complex, but elegant, powerful and very effective. The Nicola de Vita's bass is just great, with a lot of memorable melodies and contrast, and even solos, like in Tuesday Night. Marco Cerulli sounds really fine in guitars. The variety of his work is really remarkable. Both electric and acoustic guitars sounds great. The electric solos are heart touching, a little in the way of the Lele Hoffman's solos, the previous guitarist of the band. And the acoustics... Just hear The Return. Just marvellous, and a mellow pleasure.

And Phillip Hubert... His keyboards are so fine... The amount of ambients and feelings that this man provides the music of this album is really good. He sounds always in his place, but always there. And the sound of the solos, following the path of Mark Kelly, Martin Orford, Clive Nolan... Is that makes this album a real Neo Progressive work. Marvellous.

Finally, I will talk about Aluisio Maggini, the singer... What a great voice! Not too diverse, this man has not a high range, its obvious. And he pronunces english not very well, its true... Sometimes is really hard to understand what he says. But the passion and feeling this man gives to his lyrics in "Alone"... Is awesome. This man really feels what he sings... And sometimes, a good singer needs nothing more. His voice is very personal, and like every voice like that, there will be people who hates it... But I love the way this man sings.

And well... This people made a true neo prog masterpiece with "Alone". Taking the best of every band in the genre (maybe Marillion and IQ are the greater influences...), they made an own personality. This style develped more personal in every album... And "Alone" is the peak of their career, without a doubt.

And like I said, in my opinion this is a neo prog masterpiece... Maybe not really original, and a little predictable. But with an outstanding quality... And sometiemes, this is the most important factor. So if you like this genre, even when it's only a little, you muss hear it.

Because an album made with so much passion is hard to find...

I came to Clepsydra via comparisons to the Collage classic, Moonshine, and was happy to find enough similarities and differences to create a compelling piece of work. This is highly emotive neo progressive rock, without a trace of the self pity that can sometimes accompany some of the so called leaders of the genre, and in this way it warrants mention in the same breath as Moonshine. It also has enough contrasts to prevent the 20 minute burnout that sometimes seems part and parcel of neo prog work. Nontheless, over the course of the hour long opus, a certain degree of sameness does creep in, and the vocals do tend a bit too much to the fore, so these factors limit the overall rating. In contrast, Collage's work provided more potency particularly in the vocals, not that they are poor here by any means.

If you like listening to motivating music in the gym, "Alone" is a safe bet, being as it is largely optimistic and high energy, while allowing for breaks, and the production is glorious. The vocalist Aluisio Maggini is mostly pleasing in his naturally high register, his accent being endearing more than distracting, and he draws comparisons to Jon Anderson for sure, and even to Dennis de Young, but also to lesser known singers like Garfield French of 70s Canadian band Garfield, stunningly so in the intro to "Travel of Dream". A friend to whom I passed it to in the gym thought it all a bit Moody Blues-ish in fact, perhaps for its mystical feel more than for its vocal styles.

While the album is very vocal oriented, the guitars and keys do play a critical supporting role in enhancing the already melodious nature of Clepsydra's sound, and to this we owe thanks to Marco Cerulli and Philip Hubert . The lead guitars occasionally pick up on a repetitive motif in a manner to induce goosebumps, namely in a couple of the album's best tracks, the opening suite "Tuesday Night" and in "The Nest". But the band also does remarkably well in the semi acoustic ballad "Return", with Pietro Duca's drum rolls and the effusive keys backing one of the best vocal workouts of the album. Beautiful is a hackneyed but totally accurate way to describe the outcome. And the guitars do approach those of Collage's Mirek Gil in clarity and succinctness in "the Father". Interesting that "Alone" was the album title of Mr Gil's first solo work from 1997. Does the intro to "God or Beggar" sound like Frank Bornemann's Eloy or what?

In all, a great album that can seem a bit trite at first listen, or even second listen, but really speaks well for the power and sensitivity of this European neo prog group, even if Clepsydra now seems defunct or at least long dormant. I look forward to discovering some of their other works.

ANOTHER GEM

ALONE is the last studio recording of the band 'til date, that means 5 yeras in silence and that´s a pity because they were getting better with each release, and i´m not quite sure if this is their best, but at least it continues in the same excellent quality of producing music as with the prior 2 discs.

To be honest, i get totally confused deciding which is my favourite Clepsydra album, because when i hear MORE GRAINS OF SAND i think is their 'classic' and start to think that also the best, but with FEAR they achieved a tremendous work and i say that´s the one, but then i listen to ALONE and realize that they sound better than ever, but the cycle starts again when i go back into the discography.

Now, focusing on this record, what i hear is a more matured band with a more original sound, but still in their Neo Prog stream that clearly accepts its influences. Contrary of what i have read in other reviews, i feel this album less bombastic than their previous, but deeper, mellower and more spacey, yet explosive by moments and complex. Even singer Aluisio Maggini sounds matured but still powerful and emotional (the accent still there too).

Guitar is not as dominant as in other releases but Marco Cerulli did an excellent contribution to the music with great solos an lots of acoustics, making us forget a bit of former player Lele Hoffman. The synthesizers still are a fundament on the band´s structure but as i said before, more atmospheric.

The rhythmic section also sounds tighter and fuller than ever with the addition of a new bassist (he debuted on their oficial live bootleg) which sounds like if he was on the band for years.

So many pleasant moments that is hard for me to choose favourite songs but i just will give special mention to "Tuesday Night" (all 3 parts), "Alone" (the 2 of them) which is perhaps the most original they have made and MAYBE my fave, "God Of Beggar"with great guitar solo, synths all over and nice acoustical ending section, and "End Of Tuesday" with heavy guitar and very emotive vocals.

With no hesitation i can say that this is really a MUST for Neo Prog lovers and an excellent addition to anyone´s collection

Another 4.5 stars

Viva el Prog!

This is one of the most theatrical and melodic concept albums you'll ever come across. If you want to give it a try I'd suggest you listen to it in a more melancholic moment. And that's not because the entire album is totally melancholic, but because of the way you'll perceive it.

More than any other neo progressive works I heard, this albums transports pure emotions. I don't know exactly how this band does it, but part of it has be the unique playing of the guitar. Sometimes it feels like there's a second vocalist but then you realize it's actually the guitar. And that also seems to be why so many people like to compare this band to Marillion. If you ever heard Steven Rothery's solo in Marillion's song Easter you'll know what I'm talking about. You cannot elude yourself from effect of this guitar.

One of the other reviewers said that a good vocalist doesn't need to speak the language perfectly in order to express emotions and I really have to agree. He could sing Klingon and he would still get his point across.

Bass, Drums, and Keyboards may not be as dominant as the guitar, but they create melodic arrangements that sometimes even surpass those of the greatest in this genre. It's not just a bunch of extraordinary talented musicians that happen to play together. No, this is what I call a perfect fusion of instruments and voice.

Maybe the best thing about Alone is that you never get tired of listening to this CD. Every time you hear it you discover something new.

I already knew Clepsydra for quite a few years, had all their previous albums, absolutely loved them and so waited impatiently for their next album after Fears from 1997. So I had to wait for 5 years but when this album finally arrived and I played it full of expectation I was absolutely not disappointed. It appeared to be another classic by this underrated Swiss band. A bonus was that it was an album similar to my favourite second album of these masters of neo prog, More Grains of Sand. It was another concept album. I still can't decide which one is better but what they have in common is that you have to play the entire album each time you play it because it's almost as one song, that's how good the concept works. It's like a story being told, a musical journey that's very captivating. An hour of the highest joy one can experience in music. Very melodic and great compositions. Have to give it the full 5.

This fine Swiss neo-prog band was releasing their last album to date and put an end, unfortunately, to their very good studio work. Their web page mentions that there are still a lot of forgotten tapes in the drawer. So maybe that one day, some of them will raise from the depths.

And this is the best that could happen because this band plays a symphonic neo-prog which is rather good. I can't see any "Yes" influence here as one of my fellow reviewer, IMO the genuine "Marillion" and "Genesis" are much more evident.

The band has at least one great asset : Aluisio Maggini the lead vocalist is extremely emotive, and has a very melodic tone of voice. The sound of the band is mostly keyboards oriented, but here and there Marco Cerulli provides some catchy guitar breaks ("The Nest" or "God Or Beggar"). During these, the "Pendragon" shadow is passing by very closely.

The first part of "Travel Of Dream" is indicative of this characteristic and it is one of the best moment of the album. But the whole of this song is expressive. The second part is more vocals and keyboarding oriented; providing a great bombastic feeling. Powerful synth section as well.

None of these tracks are weak. Harmony and beauty all the way through. Maybe it lacks of true magical pieces but this album is a collection of good symphonic neo-prog songs. Attractive and diversified music ("The Return").

The most joyful track is the closing number. Positive music, I guess. Very much Marillion oriented.

A little behind their previous work IMHHO. A good album full of brilliant and catchy vocals but not really adventurous. Three stars.

Brilliant album by this swiss neo prog band. It is very similar to their previous Fears, which means a high quality status and an all around beautiful sound. Clepsydra is one of the best bands in that style ever to grace the 90´s: their music is absolutely emotional, very well crafted, melodic, bombastic, powerful and full of conviction. Nothing too groundbreaking or very avant guard, but highly enjoyable and truly one CD that I love to hear anytime. As usual the strongest influences are Pink Floyd, IQ, early Genesis and Fish-era Marillion, but actually they have their very own sound, thanks largely to their strong and charismatic lead singer Aluisio Maggini, who has a very distinctive voice. He is one of the great prog vocalists.

The group ´rpduces a very fine tapestry of sounds that makes their album sounds like a long song instead of just a collection of tunes (not bad for a concept album like this). Far from being boring, this fine work of art flows evenly all the way through making you feel this CD is shorter than it is actually. The keyboards parts are a bit subtle but really great in all its details and nuances while guitarrist Marco Cerulli´s solos and and licks are a joy to hear. The rhythm section is discreet but very efficient. In all a truly group efford with everyone contribuiting for the bigger picture without ego battles or unnecessary virtuosity. With a very good production and no fillers at all, this is maybe Clepsydra´s finest hour.

Conclusion: One of my favorite albums of all time. An excellent addition to any prog music collection and a must have for any neo prog fan. 4,5 stars.

Well you certainly can't go wrong with this album or their previous one "Fears". This is apparently the last album for these Swiss proggers but they went out on a high at least. Interesting that there are three different album covers available for this one. I happened to get the turkey (oh joy) while the others are a fish and an octopus. The focus of this record is certainly the emotive vocals of Aluisio which i've got to be honest wears on me by the time I get to the second last track. He's excellent though and he does sound like SAGA's Michael Sadler with an accent. This is great Neo-Prog though and quite emotional at times, and always well played and arranged. A lot of the tracks blend into one another.

"Tuesday Night" is divided into three sections. The sound builds to open and I like when the guitar comes in. Synths follow. Drums are solid before 1 1/2 minutes and it's still building. A change as it becomes laid back with guitar, synths and bass. It kicks in with vocals before settling again with emotional vocals. Great sound here. This sounds so good as the guitar solos. A calm late with reserved vocals and synths. "Travel Of Dream" is also divided into three parts. Piano and almost spoken vocals to start. A full sound after a minute as contrasts continue. Nice guitar and bass during a prolonged instrumental section. The final passage is a beautiful instrumental piece. It blends into "The return" as vocals join in this laid back sound. Vocals become passionate. Acoustic guitar only 3 1/2 minutes in before it kicks in a minute later with vocals. It settles with piano to end it.

"The Father" opens with atmosphere and spoken vocals. He starts to sing. Electric guitar before 2 minutes. The tempo picks up and we get lots of synths late. "Alone" is heavier and darker. Vocals and laid back guitar as it settles. The guitar sounds great late as it settles. "The Nest" features vocals and atmosphere. A nice guitar interlude comes in early. I like the second half of "God Or Begger" better. "End Of Tuesday" is led by guitar and vocals early. I like it. It's heavier after a minute. It settles but it's still passionate.

Maybe not quite as good as "Fears" but both are 4 star albums.

This album is a Masterpiece! This is sure one of the best album of the '90 and their best album IMHO. The style is very close to Marillion fish-era, but actually they have their very own sound, thanks largely to their strong, and theatrical lead singer. Every song is well structured and there are heavy parts and mellow passage in the same composition, with beatiful guitar solos and background keyboards. The songs are much emotional, and all the compositions are well structured with smooth change of time and boombastic keyboards, there is no instruments dominant here, and the music is much cohesive. Highly recomended 5 stars

Clepsydra's last album to date sees them chugging along in the melodic Marillion-inspired neo-prog style that served them very well on Fears, though this time around the vocals of Aluisio Maggini seem to be significantly more prominent, almost to the point where they completely upstage the rest of the performers in some parts of the album. It's a fun enough listen, though I think on the whole Fears is still far and away the band's best album - it had significantly stronger compositions, for one thing, and seemed to be a bit less reliant on neo- prog cliches than this particular piece. Still, most neo-prog fans will find it to be a fun listen, if not a particularly essential listen.