MUTATIS MUTANDIS

This is a new Spanish prog rock band but I cannot trace anything Spanish. On their album "Mutatis Mutandis" (from 2000) IN NOMINE sounds in general as the Spanish version of IQ and they do it very good. The six compositions (between 2 and 16 minutes) have varied and lush climates delivering many strong and exciting soli on guitar (howling and sensitive) and keyboards (flashy and bombastic). The short track "Snowly" contains beautiful classical guitar and some harpsicord. But the absolute highlight is the epic composition "Le cadavre exquis" (almost 16 minutes): it starts with twanging electric guitar and pleasant vocals, some hard-edged guitar and then lots of changing climates featuring church organ sound and many compelling electric guitar and keyboard work, including interplay and soli in the best IQ tradition. In Nomine doesn't sound very original but if you love bands like the early IQ, PENDRAGON and CLEPSYDRA, this CD will delight you for sure!

This Spanish band has the Marillion/IQ sound down pat. Right off the bat, "Beetles Of Concrete" screams IQ with their guitars and keyboards reminding you of Mike Holmes and Martin Oldford. The lead singer may not sound like Peter Nichols, but I'm reminded of him. The lyrics are also of the IQ variety, obtuse and gothic. The track "No Deal" has vocal harmonies that remind me, of all bands, Starcastle! A bit of a basic Neo-song with nice guitar and that Starcastle harmony towards the end. Very strange, indeed. My only complaint about the album is the keyboards. On track "Spiritless Fellow" it reminds me too much of the cheesy '80's sound. In fact, the 80's sound runs through much of the album. The savior is the guitar. It has a nice Hackett/Holmes sound, especially on the most prog sounding song, "Le Cadavre Exquis", the longest track. At 16 minutes, it runs the gamut of sounds, from Genesis to IQ to Marillion to Yes/Starcastle. Time signatures abound, there's more color and the guitar is wonderful. Very good! There is a short song, "Snowly" that's a bit comical and a song called "Panem & Circenses" (Bread & Circuses) with the cheesy 80's synth at the start but then kicks in with that nice guitar. If you are a fan of Neo-prog and like nice guitar work, this album is for you. The keyboards are okay, but the guitar dominates. A good but not essential album. 3 stars!