TALISMAN

IXION are actually a project-band found at the dawn of the 00's by Dutch computer programmer/multi-instrumentalist Jankes Braam.After a good debut entitled ''Cryogenesis'' in 2004,IXION released a more ambitious effort in 2006 under the name of ''Talisman''.Built around the concept theme of a talisman we follow throughout the ages,the album is sounding like a Rock Opera filled with strong Neo Prog melodies,symphonic piano work,alternating melodic and aggresive guitars and a spacey synthresizer atmosphere.Vocals are split between male,female and a choir and the whole work sounds really obscure,atmospheric and attractive.Nice discovery for those who are searching for a crossover style of KNIGHT AREA,PINK FLOYD and AYREON!

Ixion is a dutch project more then a band built around great keybordist and bass player Jankees Braam from Sagamo and Knight Area fame. Ixion release 3 albums so far, this one named Talisman is the second one and the best from the three. Released in 2006 , this album is real solid one, is a concept album about mysterious object Talisman and how he travels through centuries. The story begun in A.D: 33 when Judas betrays Jesus because of this object and goes on and on , the inquisition period, until 2006 when is the present period and album was release. Great concept who realy drag me in, with caracters and very diverse music. Now the music is something of a combination of diffrent subgenres, is in parts neo , some even prog metal elements but without being metal, some symphonic parts, very much like Ayreon meets Magents meets Arena or IQ. On this album are many guest musicians, like Michael Hos on vocals from Ulysses (dutch prog metal, not to be confused with german neo prog), Gerben Klazinga on keybords from Knight Area, Gerton Leijdekker on guitar from S.O.T.E. and other few ones who I never heared before. A solid line up and solid music, the pieces flows from one to another very well, for example The Crimson Puppeteer is excelent opener showing from the star how great and inventive band it is Ixion followed by othe rlenghty pieces like Sea of Cortez with spanish guitar very well performed, maybe the best from here. The album overall sounds very eclectic and very epic, also there is some cello and other instruments that gives a moody atmosphere, this not the neo prog and album in general you listnen every day for sure, is lenghty very demanding, musicaly speaking, and very well written and performed, it took me some spins to fully appreciated to the max. I like it, so I will give 4 stars, the best from them for sure and one of the best albums I've listen lately from this genre.