SNOW QUEEN

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Times Up come from South Wales and were formed in 2006 by four rock veterans, namely Geoff Smith on vocals, Andy Gibbon on bass, Mike Hagland on guitar and Steve LeMan on drums.The debut album ''Storm coming in'' was released in 2008 and, according to the band, it was a Classic Rock album with some Prog influences.For their second work ''Snow queen'' they recruited three keyboardists, Ron Rogers, Richard Lawton and Dave Hughes with Sed Edwards providing also some bass lines.Recorded at Up The Lane Studio, the album was released in 2012, at a time when Geoff Smith had already parted ways with the group.

They have completely turned prog at this point, although the rhythmic and more Classic Rock-styled parts are never absent.Imagine the more pompous vibes of YES mixed with some Hard Rock-in' guitars and tons of flashy keyboards to come close to what this album is all about.The music is generally fast-paced and dense with a nice bunch of breaks, clean vocals, memorable vocal deliveries but also some intricate instrumental parts.The aim was apparently to come up with musicianship that doesn't lack demanding instrumental depth, but ends up to be striking and accesible and the guys eventually made a decent attempt.Powerful guitars and passionate vocals meet with neurotic keyboards, but the sound is also showered by some delicate flutes at times as well as some breaks into acoustic territories.Retro references are not absent either, light organ passages and even some Mellotron samplers are appearing every now and then to deliver a nostalgic mood.Rich, lyrical and dynamic arrangements, at the end the album sounds fresh and cheerful.Maybe the whole thing is a bit too pompous and flashy for its own good, but there is some serious talent in composition here, allowing the band to offer emphatic and quite long pieces with a balanced sound between guitar- and keyboard-led themes.

A band to keep an eye on.The long members' experience has been tranlsated into an easy-going listening, which still pays a tribute to the principles of Classic Prog.Recommended.