THE RING OF TRUTH

A decided improvement over FANTASIEN, the band's first CD release. The band have learned from their mistakes. The addition of Yasuyuki Kuwabara on keys opens the band's sound up a good deal, allowing for the lush symphonic feel they were obviously going for on FANTASIEN to pervade. Likewise, Yokoyama is now free to indulge in layers upon layers of orchestrated guitarwork, bringing Brian May to mind.

But the biggest improvement is singer Junko Nakagawa. No longer the squeaky-voiced little girl she was on FANTASIEN, her voice has grown rich operatic overtones. At last her voice is powerful enough to match the music. On captivating numbers like "The Haunted Voice" and "Witch Of Ice", her voice truly becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Marge Litch was the brainchild of guitarist Yo[&*!#]eru Yokoyama, who formed the band in Tokyo in 1986 as Mage Lich.After a few cassette productions female singer Junko Nakagawa joined the band in 1989 and the name was changed to Marge Litch.It was followed by the debut album of the band ''Fantasien'' in 1991 (re-recorded later as ''Fantasien 2'') and the next year the band signed to Made in Japan Records, releasing the sophomore effort ''The Ring of Truth'', recorded at Triade Studios in Tokyo with Tadatoshi Goto on bass, Tetsuro Nagakura on drums and Yasuyuki Kuwabara on keyboards.

Marge Litch blended the traditional lines of Heavy Metal and Hard Rock with the grandiosity of keyboard-driven Symphonic Rock and the final result recalls bands like GERARD, NOVELA or TERU'S SYMPHONIA, though a bit heavier.The arrangements are quite long with plenty of interesting ideas, where sharp guitar riffs stand next to smooth piano lines and orchestral passages.Kuwabara's keyboards really shine through and it is the main reason to buy the album, regarding the average prog listener.His Classical-oriented keyboard interludes, soft piano lines and organ-based explosions are really majestic, while Yokoyama's guitar follows the line of Hard Rock/Heavy Metal: edgy riffs, hard virtuosic solos and powerful lead rhythms.The combination, while not always conveincing, manages to create a good and bombastic mix for most of the album's length.The voice of Nakagawa does not differ much of this rule.While not being always satisfying, her chords seem to fit perfect with the band's style, especially the high-pitched moments, which surprisingly (for a Japanese singer) are not disturbing.

If you like the idea of blending Symphonic Rock with hard guitar riffs and a bombastic rhythm section, Marge Litch is your band.While ''The Ring of Truth'' suffers from a mediocre production, the musicianship is good enough to satisfy both fans of Progressive Rock and more traditional Hard Rock.Recommended.