RED SAND

Fish, Steven Rothary, Mick Pointer, Mark Kelly even the compositions are being imitated by this band. It's really not funny anymore. And that coming from me, I can hardly believe that myself but it's all I can hear every time I listen to this album. Especially Simon Caron does his very best to make his guitar playing sound like Rothery, just listen to the opening song Empty Calendar.

Now at least I know and realize what other people go through when they detect cloning and punish an album for that with a low rating. Because in those cases it hardly matters anymore how good the songs are or how good the musicianship is, it's so annoying to listen to a too high grade of derivation. As is the case here with Music for Sharks. I can just squeeze out a 2 star rating for this because just about everything (especially production quality) seems to be ok except for ... Exactly and unfortunately it dominates the whole thing. Too bad.

I must admit that "Sad Song" is little bit cheap try, but pleasant. And also with good guitar mini solo in the middle of track. Indeed, "with the king of rock'n'roll" part of lyrics would suggest that it's r'n' inspired song. After couple of plays, these monotone, repeating lyrics can become irritating. I loved this track at first play, but then it grew and now I'm not so keen on. For comparing, "Time" by Pink Floyd was played for a period of half of a year, about 500 times and still was holding up. I know, it's not fair.

Logically, album with just 6 tracks will have one epic. This one is "Shark Man" which is, put in one word, great. I must say that sound of typing machine shocked me a little bit. Lyrics are intriguing and I didn't get them at the first listening. When talking about prog side, some of these tracks can be accused of being non prog at all. But this one will prove its quality.

This one deserves attention from anyone interested in good prog. Not the best, but good.

Let's not be precious about the past and keep cleverly identifying who may have been influenced by which band from yesteryear. We could all cite these...but who cares? Just take the music at face value, as it is, here and now, and judge it on its own merits. And by any yardstick, this CD is simply fantastic. Ignore it if you like, but, better still, stop washing the car and give yourself, and your neighbours, a treat by getting hold of it and giving it a listen - it puts even Mirror of Insanity in the shade, and that speaks volumes. (And you shouldn't be wasting water, anyway. So, your car's still dirty - so what?)

Not a 5 star medal-winner, since I must reserve such a score for the truly exceptional, but this is nevertheless verging on (neo-prog) perfection and scores at the very upper end of the 4 star category. Excellent.

I'm happy to find out they are terrific musicians on stage (bassist Mathieu Gosselin is brilliant), while vocalist Steff Dorval is a charismatic singer that fits perfectly in. The band could easily turmed out a kind of parody of Marillion, since they handle all the elements that would ruin any best intentions if they were on less capable hands (and voice). After watching this video I was finally convinced they do deserve more atention. My only complaint is that the show is quite short (only 5 songs, although they are all over 10 minutes epics). You end up wanting more. My special edition has also 3 bonus, acoustic tracks (recorded earlier, when they were still with their keyboards man Pierre Massicotte. They main tracks features a guest player, W. Simard). The Acoustic tunes are nice, but really don't add much.

On the technical side this is a very well done work: you can hear everything, the sound is very well balanced and the lights are great too. The venue seems to be a small one, but it does have some great acoustics as far as I could notice.

Conclusion: A very fine video. Just like Marillion was unfairly labeled by critics as an early Genesis clone, Red Sand does have its value as a band by their own merit. History repeats itself, as they say. If you're into neo prog don't miss this DVD. Highly recommended.

So two years after that CD they realease a new one. Music For Sharks is a kind of ´back to roots´? Well, sort of, but not really. Yes, the band is sounding a lot like early Marillion, and still they are different, adding new elements to their music (Pink Floyd and The Beatles are two obvious influences), making the new release a pleasant surprise. Caron is still delivering those great, Rothery/Gilmour like, guitar solos. The keyboards are a bit more subtle, but simply fantastic and dreamy. Vocalist Mathieu Lessand is back and does a fine job (in the true Fish fashion, but he does have his own way of delivering the message). Mathieu Gosselin is simply a wonderful, jazz influenced, bass player and Perry Angelillo also plays great drums.

This is a concept album about the music industry (something Fish might approve!). The CD is very well crafted, with no fillers anywhere. It´s hard to point out a highlight since the album flows very evenly from start to finish, but I believe the 16 minute epic Shark Man, with its many shifts and moods, will appeal to most progsters. Production is also top notch.

Conclusion: maybe Red Sand´s best album to date. They seem to have finally found a good mixture between a sound of their own and their terrific Marillion impersonation. I really hope they keep developing this way. Music For Sharks is a must have to any neo prog lover, but not only. 4,5 stars.

The musicians are very good and as this is neo prog you notice the keyboardist most of course. He has a style very similar to Mark Kelly from Marillion even though Stephane Desbiens is more in the forefront than Mark Kelly is on most Marillion material. The guitarist also reminds me of Steve Rothery from Marillion. His bends and generally melodic approach is very much in the same vein. The drums also sounds like Marillion.

The sound quality sounds like it´s made in the eighties. If you like thin eighties productions this will go down well. I like the production on Mirror Of Insanity, but don´t expect anything that sounds like it is made in 2004.

Overall Mirror of Insanity is a very good album, even though Red Sand wears their influences on their sleeves. Being a giant Fish era Marillion fan I just can´t help liking this anyway. There are many enjoyable moments on Mirror of Insanity, but it never reaches excellent in my ears though which is mostly due to the clone factor I reckon. I´ll stretch myself and give Mirror of Insanity 3 stars as it is a good album. Just don´t expect anything you haven´t heard before.

Music is good but nothing original here.

Vocals are very good, instrumental arrangements and interpretations good too,but i would expected more for an album with such a high average of review points.

Good for old Marillion and also Pink Floyd melancholic fans.

Not more than 3 stars for me.

I have been informed that Red Sand is a band in the vein of Marillion and my colleague prog heads recommended me this album. This might not be the best album by the band but when I spun it at the first time, I almost lost my patience with this album due to the tempo is so slow and it consumes my listening pleasure, really. Take the opening part "Submissive" which consumes more than three minutes with a very very very slow tempo of music with singing style. Yes, after that you will find catchy guitar solo in the vein of Marillion's "Chelsea Monday" but by the time my energy has drained out because of the slow tempo at beginning. It's probably the band's intention to create the right dark nuance for the song but it seems like being elongated very long. I am not saying that this is a bad track at all, it's just too long and actually not necessarily this long. The singing style is also dragging too long, which actually fits with the music, but it sounds quite annoying to my ears. The transition piece in approx minute 11:20 when the acoustic guitar fills enter does not sound smoothly, and again . it moves so slowly.

"Gentry" starts with a disconnected telephone call with annoying answering machine "The number you dial has been changed ." repeatedly and it does annoy my ears. The soundscape was not crafted properly, I think. The band should have hired Mr, Steven Wilson to do this part. "Very Strange" is also another slow moving song - well, at least at the opening part - using long sustain keyboard work followed with music in medium tempo. I have lost my patience here and I have stop the player .. sorry . I can not wait that long .. it's dragging too long, I think.

Overall, this is not a bad album at all but for sure you have to have "patience" to get the full joy of this album. I recommend this album for collectors of neo progressive music only or fans of the band. I don't think the music of this album is in a way similar with Marillion - they are definitely different! Most of passages in the composition do not flow naturally. (Imagine Marillion's "Heart of Lothian" which moves smoothly even though the style changes, or Marillion's masterpiece "Forgotten Sons" with many tempo and style changes). Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW