HAPPY FAMILY

Sorry HAPPY FAMILY but I've been impressed in depth and width of this album and made sure that they would be one of Japanese prides. But as honestly I say, in Japan very few people can find such a terrific Japanese progressive rock band...I'm so angry and hungry! :-)

An impression should come first off. The Great Man can move us with gentle flute solo and following heavy and thick sounds. Invited into a trip to Tosccorld by familial HAPPY FAMILY...we are ready. I cannot go to the next door without their refined sounds - not only the flute here but the rhythm section. A bit trailed drum and bass shots - these are some of the characteristics of this song I wanna say. This heavy rhythm section should be taken to the next step continuously, hear please. Suddenly your sound mind should be broken in pieces by speedy and improvised drumming and keyboard noises in Overdrive Locomotive . The title of this song is, I feel, well-expressed. The sounds can tell a steam locomotive with much smoke and steam go into overdrive and be close to an explosion. Effective electronic noises also smell terribly dangerous. They should seem never to do something difficult - on the contrary they can play, naturally and easily, such a complex tune. We should be all amazed. In the last part repetitive, psychedelic and spacey noises can make us full-stomach. Cannot help feeling their activity and aggression. I suggest this track strike our brain definitively. And impressive percussive kicks pulls a tab of a canned soda named Nord Company Vs. Lead Company - exploded gas should surge upon our bilateral ears and make terrible earache! Frozen outer sounds attack and take us to another dimension. Should our goal be the space (Nord) or the deep sea (Lead)? Really absorbing rhythm and air - into the tune itself we should go and be stretched. Can the height be lengthened hahhaha...? Next track Filial Piety At The Dawn has a funny synth sounds with heavy guitars. The musical style, most of Japanese basically are not good with, is their identity and very attractive to Japanese minority, of course including ME. :-) Various noises they can shoot like colourful arrows and all of them should hit us completely. The Sushi Bar is, as HAPPY FAMILY should be, one of Japanese prides but sadly in lots of nations it's not always good. Smelly fish, dry and hard rice, and high-handed atmosphere...a Japanese gentleman is upset and breaking, throwing all sushi in front of him! I always feel this song should say so. (No, wait, I wanna say that not all sushi bar out of Japan are disgusting. There are lots of great sushi bar all over the world.) Sorry back to the album discussion... also here are many, many dynamic sounds and noises. I'm sure such a heavy style (not only Kobaic one) should be their natural taste. Why is He Is Coming At Tokyo Station so unstable? Whether is unstable stuff, he or Tokyo? Indeed Tokyo is a large city and there are lots of monsters, but really is he a terrible monster? I feel as a Godzilla heavily steps on the ground of Tokyo, listening to the track. Following The Picture Book - X Rated has the same atmosphere - heavily striking rhythms and melodies. Even though everyone says the keyboardist or the guitarist should be terrific, I do say the drummer should be the most important! Takahiro Izutani's drumming is not only speedy and powerful but also strict and especially passionate. Furthermore, as I've mentioned above, he can play much naturally such a complex rhythm. Beyond expression! The Three Leaves Insect is absolutely the collection of all of HAPPY FAMILY, their wonderful ensemble. There are floating, streaming, waving, twisting, and attacking "TEMPUS FUGIT". I guess they can tell themselves all with the song. And the air flows slowly to the end... We can be very comfortable with such a polished play, can't we?

Again I say, why can't we find easily such a masterpiece?

P.S. This album was recommended to me by Mike Sharkey aka King By-Tor, in my PA newbie era. Thanks Mike!

Toscco is an extravagant display of ferocious complexity, oppressive power, and addictive motifs. It is complete with the brief splashes of beauty, worn in The Great Man, and scattered conservatively throughout the rest. These moments stand in stark contrast to the chief hyperactive and violently busy portion of the album. However, never does their coming seem abrupt or synthetically woven.

In a Zeuhl way, it often depends on rhythm, and in a Japa-Zeuhl way the extreme complexity and hyperactivity. But being entirely instrumental, it is often far from the genre of Zeuhl, and closer to modern avant-garde. In either catagory, it is a proud victory, borrowing influences from Magma, Gentle Giant, King Crimson, and perhaps even chamber-rock acts such as Univers Zero. A beautifully diverse array of textures, electronic and acoustic, increase the perfect of the vision. The blistering guitar/xylophone duet on top of a delicious drum/bass duel is a real highlight.

Often, the extreme complexity is just overwhelming. The compositions are so complicated that they just feel jagged. Picture something like John Cage's Sonatas & Interludes For Prepared Piano, but less dissonant, played by a full band, and that may describe songs like The Three Leaves Insect and He is Coming at Tokyo Station. Not always are the compositions so, though. When they are, they are normally countered with a simpler section to keep the balance.

Don't dismiss this album if you are no Magma fan. This is really a different Zeuhl than the fathers'. It is easiest recommended for fans of intense and intelligent heavy, noisy, maybe darker prog. It is a testament to potential of modern music, with slick sound production, phenomenal compositions, and a slightly metallic touch. Happy Family's Toscco is a masterpiece.

I'm of the opinion that if you liked "Tossco" you need to get their debut.They are like 1a and 1b,and i know a couple of progheads who prefer the first one over the second one.Get them both and be happy. "Rock & Young" has a frantic intro of pounding drums and bass.The bass work is killer! The background synths with the relentless drums create an interesting sound.Guitar arrives 2 minutes in and a couple of minutes later it sounds a little dissonant.The guitar is amazing! The song ends in the same chaotic way as it began. "Shige Et Osanna" is dominated by drums and bass as organ and guitar come and go.This is another great song with a couple of different themes taking their turn in the spotlight. "Partei" is mellow to start out,with keys and guitar.It starts to pick up though and we get a nice guitar melody as drums pound.It's even faster now as the song starts to change to more of a fusion sound.We're back to the original melody but with more bottom end,and we're only half way through the song! Some dissonant sounds 6 minutes in as the song continues to unfold. "Rolling The Law Court" has a Zappa- like intro before the guitar comes in and grinds out some raw melodies.We get some good bass and drum lines as the Zappa-like horns come in as the guitar solos over top.This is great! Very Zappa flavoured. "Kaiten(Ningen Gyorai)" is a heavy uptempo track with an amzing sound.More great bass,thunder from Japan! "Naked King" is over 19 minutes long and begins with symphonic keys.I like it. A pounding beat follows and the song picks up the pace after 4 minutes. The bass rumbles 8 minutes in as we get a pulsating rhythm.The beat ends as various sounds crash in and out.A darker mood follows.14 1/2 minutes in it's speeding up.The song brightens 17 minutes in to the end as the night is over. "Drums Whisper Spacey" is slowly played piano and what sounds like my dog making his squeeky squeek (a lot). 4.5 stars and essential Japanese heavy Zeuhl.

Happy Family is definitely one of the best Avant-Prog/Zeuhl bands that I know of the last decade. They're often considered as a Zeuhl band, but I rather think this is more in the Avant-Prog territory and they surely know how the give the listener a ride they'll never forget. The music is hyperactive, complex and manages to sound very original and is never boring. It reminds me of a cross of Koenjihyakkei's second album, minus the frantic vocals, mixed with Mr Bungle's "Disco Volante" only tighter and less varied, but still equally as good! I think their Zeuhl tag is because their comparisons with bands like Koenjihyakkei and Ruins, and I can definitely heard the tendencies and is an excellent alternative if you want to get into the genre but really can't. They sound really fresh and overall more experienced here than on they're more metal oriented debut (which is also excellent, but more chaotic) but the metal tendencies are still here, only more wisely used and adds a very diverse mood the their sound. The overall result is undeniably creative, refreshing and diverse but still very frantic, Zeuhl oriented and avant-gardistic.

The musicianship is brilliant and tight; the musicians here are masters of their instruments and it really shows on some of the tracks. I agree with fellow reviewer The Miracle (Ansen) that they play is such a way that they never display technical wankery even though the music is incredibly fast and complex. Drummer Keiichi Nagase especially is one of the best drummers I've heard recently and his playing here is just amazingly creative and he surely knows how to use his entire kit without repeating himself. Kenichi Morimoto, the keyboardist, composes most of the material and uses the keyboard not only as a lead instrument, but also effectively in the background and handles the quirkiest melodies with great fun and skill. The guitarist, Takahiro Izutani, shows some really creative playing here with heavy and complex riffing that slides inbetween the other instruments. His guitar solos are very noisy at times but he manages to make them fit into the music perfectly while the other musicians' plays their parts. Finally, bassist Tatsuya Myano completes the soundscape with his deep and complex bass lines, and like the other guys in this band stand out as a great musician. His bass fills the parts that other musicians cannot manage to at times effectively as well. Together as a band, all four works wonderfully together and plays with great control and effective styles.

So there you have it, one of the best Japanese Zeuhl/Avant albums created over the last decade. Rapid, complex, fast and well- made music supported with excellent musicianship and clean and fine production. Heavy at times, but also well-composed melodies without a single boring moment or anything like that. Highlights include "Overdrive Locomotive", "Nord-Company vs. Lead Company", "The Sushi Bar" and "The Picture Book - X-Rated", but the whole album really is fantastic as a whole. This quickly became one of my favorite albums with good reason. 5 stars. Highly recommended to Zeuhl and Avant-Prog fans who likes their music complex with a metal twist!

Avestin has introduced me to so many albums, and i always try to thank him in my reviews(thanks again Assaf).This one though is the best one he has recommended to me so far.This is also my favourite record from Japan right now.There is a darkness and heaviness to this album with drums leading the way.This is an all instrumental record. We get started with "The Great Man" and i love this song! The flute and organ create a gloomy atmosphere, and there is some heaviness to this song as well. "Overdrive Locomotive" has a fantastic intro like a heavy,metal train travelling with great force down the tracks.We get some chaotic sounds and drums before an enjoyable section 5 minutes in when the tempo speeds up. "Nord Company Vs. Lead Company" is led by the drums as synths are being fired off all over the place.Guitar comes in as the song changes.I really like the breif guitar here and later after 4 minutes. "Filial Piety At The Dawn" has a catchy melody as heavy guitar comes and goes.There is some weird keyboard sounds in this one as the drums continue to dominate. "The Sushi Bar(With Bad Face,Bad Manners,And Bad Times)" is a relaxed song with piano for the first 3 minutes.The guitar melodies then come in and they sound incredible as the song is no longer relaxed, changing to an uptempo and catchy beat.What sounds like xylophone and synths come in, and the guitar 8 1/2 minutes in is amazing. "He Is Coming At Tokyo Station" is different from the others with piano and drums dominating and some good guitar as well. "The Picture Book-X Rated" is uptempo with an incredible heavy duty soundscape 4 minutes in.The ending is both heavy and hypnotic. "The Three Leaves Insect" reminds me of NOEKK in the beginning, very dark and heavy.There is a blistering guitar solo 4 1/2 minutes in as drums pound away.Nice.There is some more dark and heavy music late, led by some great bass work. "The Great Man(Revisited)" is an acoustic version of the opening track. Some of my favourite music is dark and heavy,and with this release you can add creative and complex.This is truly a masterpiece!

"Toscco" has to be one of the most accomplished masterpieces of today's experimental prog. Coming from Japan, Happy Family delivers an amazing musical vision in which extravagance, agression and dementia combine in a simbiosis solidly founded on the confluence of radical Crimson and a raw version of zheul standards (Dr. Nerve, anyone?). You can also notice similarities with NeBeLNeST and Höyry-Kone, although, unlike the former, the keyboard parts are not as absorbing (not even in the spacier moments), and unlike both, Happy Family tends to put more emphasis on the jazzier side of experimental prog. Regarding this aforesaid factor, you can notice more similarities with Present, but again, Happy Family manages to create a robist world of their own within the confines of their own avant-garde style. "Toscco" gets started with a very languid piece, which is too far from melancholic, it is actually quite sordid in its mistery: the cadence portrayed in 'The Great Man' bears a freaky vibe that seems to precede a terrible danger that's on the brink. After this peculiar prelude, comes the manifestation of the general rule: pure expression of overwhelming madness delivered with neurotic intelligence and dynamic complexity. The sonic storm with which 'Overdrive Locomotive' is an explosion that marks the theme's inherent tension, a tension that makes its presence palpable even in the least explosive passages: this is what happens when RIO flirts with thrash metal and math-rock. The calculated saturating dirtiness of Myano's bass lines and Izutani's guitar leads create a magnificent triangle with Hagase's intrincate drumming, with Morimoto's keyboards laying harmonies, adonrments and brief solos, all of them cleverly weird. The band creates such a powerful that it seems as if their monster might as well turn against it and possess it. So here comes the next track, 'Nord Company vs. Lead Company', which bears less contrast, equal madness and more frenzy. Tha jazzy drive of this zheul example is properly ornamented by Izutani's semi-frippian solos. 'Filial Piety at the Dawn' brings some humor with its touches of surf rock and what seems to be ska, augmenting the 80s KC influenced overall ambience. 'The Sushi Bar', one of the epics, kicks off with a 3- minute piano bar section, slow, almost romantic albeit dissonant, until things turn dramatically into a Zappa's "Apostrophe"-meets- 90s KC. The multi-sounding keyboards (alternately emulating marimba, organ, spacey tricks and distorted clavinet) proves vital in order to bring some freshness among the overall oppressive feel. A reprise of the opening theme closes down this 11 3/4 minutes of bizarre progressive greatness. 'He is Coming at Tokyo Station' is an excercise in deconstructive orchestrations, wicked and funny at the same time - very akin to Dr. Nerve. Retaking shapes and ambiences from tracks 2 and 3, 'The Picture Book - X Rated' turns aout to be the ñeast difficult track in the album, catchy in a rare manner (although still relying heavily on weird stuff). The album's second epic is 'The Three Leaves Insect', occupying a 12+ span. Starting with an almost post-rock crepuscular atmosphere, things get more playful and explicit from minute 3 onwards. What happens from there is a sort of ecapitulation of the most exciting atmospheres that had already been anticipated in the prior tracks. The Zappa factor remains predominant among the sinister RIO-meets-zheul general trend. The albums is closed down by an acoustic reprise of the first track: it is very serene, an unexpected closure delivered on acoustic guitar and accordion. "Toscco" is quite impressive, a gem for stubborn lovers of avant-garde prog (as well as a nightmare for lovers of more conventional melodic art-rock), and of course, a living proof of zheul genre's ongoing vitality. Happy family are real masters of bizarre progresive rock.

3.5 stars really!!!

Having had a fairly long career before the release of their debut album, Happy Family were a well-oiled machine that left no space for one more single note to be introduced in the 200 MPH fusion of RIO, Metal and Zeuhl influences. This Japanese standard prog quartet (lead by main composer Morimoto) was of course anything but standard of course, as they extremely complex and instrumental music could almost be called Zeuhlmetal if it was not for some real different moments (notably Rolling The Law Court), which could qualify as Crimsonian Zero.

In spite of their misleading joyous name, Happy Family's music is not an easy one to get into, almost bringing the obtuse epithet to a "summum" (apex) value, if it was not for these new "brutal prog" ala Hella or Flying Luttenbacher groups, which make obtuse sound like agreeable and easily accessible. But getting back to HP, while the crunchy metallic riffy guitar is certainly a big f the full-frontal aggression of the group, the real motor of the group is the drummer's relentless hammering of his skins. Another source of aggressive sounds is the repetitive motifs that bring an almost minimalist quality in an otherwise incredibly full complex music, is the Present influence. Clearly tracks like Partei and Kaiten are full-blown Zeuhl, where metal guitars and Trigaux-inspired devilish rhythms are prime features;

Another highlight is the awesome frightful complexity of Law Court where the group nears Eastern European chaotic mayhem. The lengthy Naked King is a slow starter with a Mk2-Crimson crescendo in its intro, but soon enough it starts its incessant hammering of constantly changing tempos until returning to a Cimson-like Starless crescendo before ending in an unbearable infernal sustain the finally plunging to a stop. The least almost meaningless track is a piano piece even if drums are announced in the track title, and there are some almost unbearably irritating air whistling noises. Definitely a difficult to get into debut album, Happy Family is not really that essential compared to Tossco (their second album) because of its sometimes unbearable aggressiveness, but there are some "really-must-hear" passages on it that will make it indispensable if you are a follower of Zeuhl-metal ;-).

Happy Family had existed for quite a while before they actually release proper Cd releases: apparently three self-made cassettes were sold at their concerts. By the time that their eponymous debut album was released, HP was heavily into a weird Crimsonian Zeuhl music (as if Fripp was had cross-pollinated with UZ and Vander's bunch in a metal container), and while fairly different, Toscco is the logical continuation of their first utterances, but it is much more mastered in its own art.

If possible I'd like to override my young reviewing colleagues Miracle/Ansen and IPOF, as maybe they have not fully grasped all the facets of Zeuhl, but Toscco is definitely a full-blown Zeuhl album (and a dynamite one too), even if the metal tendencies of the previous album are again "interfering" (for lack of a better word) with the genre's more recognizable traits. If HP does not sound like Magma much, they certainly sound a lot more like Univers Zero, Present and carry a lot of darkness of Island (the Swiss group), while their hi-energy RIO side of their music is also another dominant facet of their sound.

Starting on the calm clarinet-driven intro of Great Man, the album is mostly based on the longer tracks such as Nord Company, Sushi Bar (with its excellent clunky piano intro before exploding into a wild rrriff series before returning to the clunky piano) and Three Leaves Insect, where the group is most at ease developing Present-like grooves (the piano is so reminiscent of Trigaux's lines >> even if he didn't play them in his group, he still wrote them), while the relentless drumming is cross of Bruford and Daniel Denis, but also Dave Kerman (again Present). The shorter pieces are not to be overlooked, though: Picture Book (with a King Crimson crescendo ala Starless), Locomotive (with its incessant Present groove constantly interrupted by the piano breaks) and Tokyo Station (with its almost macabre middle section) are the legs and arms of the album on which is stands on and offers you what 90's prog has done best: intense power prog music.

Happy Family might just rank as my fave group from Japan along with Stomu Yamashta and the Far East Family Band, even if those two are more into cosmic music. Possibly on of the best mid-90's album, Toscco is for me almost essential (actually it is fully essential, but unfortunately, it is a little lost in the last decade's production of myriad of such album, a good deal of them on their own label, the great Cuneiform) but slightly too derivative of Present: this is maybe its only "flaw" if it can be seen as one.

This album is one of those select few that simply want to make you say, "wow!" for the duration of the listening experience. Every note here is simply perfect, placed in the right place at the right time, inviting you to enjoy every second of it. Before I delve further into the content of the album, however, I'd like to digress for a moment to agree with The Miracle that this is much more RIO/avant prog than Zeuhl (though the line between the two subgenres is often blurred). This can be both good and bad. If you really like Magma, you need to know that Happy Family sounds nothing like them (in my mind, they sound much better). On the other hand, if you really dislike Magma, Happy Family is a band that can get you into other aspects of the Zeuhl style of prog (on the assumption that it actually is Zeuhl). And besides, even if you do like Magma, you wouldn't want this band to copy them, would you? I'm guessing you wouldn't, and I personally find Happy Family's unique approach to music much more satisfying than if they were to Magma what Starcastle is to Yes (for those who don't know, Starcastle is a Yes clone).

I wouldn't call myself a Zeuhl expert, as my experience with the genre extends only to six or so Magma albums and this album, but I can, without a moment's hesitation, proclaim this to the be the greatest Zeuhl album I've heard (yet again, assuming it actually is Zeuhl). Based solely on the sample track on this site, Dun could be some stiff competition with Eros, but for now, Toscco stands as my favorite Zeuhl album. It is highly inventive and unique, full of energy, and most importantly, it's music with a point to it, unafraid to challenge listeners and scare off the faint-hearted. It's highly complex, as you would expect, and yet it doesn't for a moment come across as pretentious. Instead, it sounds like an amazing band at the top of their game, gelling as a unit and producing some of the greatest music to ever grace my ears.

The basic backdrop of this album is metal, but push that out of your mind. Yes, it's fast paced, aggressive, and uses distorted guitars, but there is more to it than that, and it clearly is far removed from standard prog metal fare (Ayreon, Dream Theater, Opeth, Pain of Salvation, Riverside and their ilk). I used the word backdrop earlier in this paragraph, and that's really the extent of the metal on this album. It is a base style that Happy Family proceeds to twist and modify in all sorts of ways, making it distinctly their own. They throw in touches of Zeuhl and maybe even symphonic prog, and then they add a whole lot of themselves into the mix, resulting in a unique and ultimately wonderful album you won't want to miss.

The most immediate aspect of this album is the drummer. When listening to this album, I constantly have to ask myself if he ever takes a break, because I honestly can't catch him at it. He is simply relentless on the drums, pounding away without remorse, and with an ear out for the listener. He utilizes creative techniques and never allows himself to fall into a repetitive rhythm, but rather creates on of his own that perfectly goes with the music he supports. One only needs to listen to the first half a minute of Nord Company Vs. Lead Company to get an idea of just what he's going to throw at you for nearly fifty-five minutes. The rest of the band, of course, does not disappoint, not even by a longshot. The guitar is simply blistering throughout (a rather non-Zeuhl-ish characteristic), and you can witness Zeuhl-bass in all its glory on The Three Leaves Insect, but the best parts of the album come through their use of non-conventional instruments (I swear that's a xylophone in lead in large portions of The Sushi Bar, which just happens to be my favorite song on the album). I also find it incredibly hard to resist the keyboard work, especially on Overdrive Locomotive, where the keys are used to simulate car horns honking.

So, after all that praise, can I really call this album a PERFECT masterpiece? Almost, but not quite. From the opening strains of The Great Man to the closing strains of The Great Man (revisited), this album earns the title "The Great Album" many times over. My only problem is that it stretches out just a tad bit too long. After several careful listenings of this album, I can only come to the conclusion that it is right up there with the greatest albums in my collection. This is an album strikingly similar to a roller coaster. It's different and difficult to stomach, but once you ride it once, you'll just have to keep getting back in line to ride it again. Essential, whether or not you even know what Zeuhl is.

I have discovered Happy Family recently during my venture into Japanese Zeuhl. This album turned out to be very unique, and very unlike other records I got from that genre. Happy Family sound nothing like Japanese Zeuhl like Koenjihyakkei or Ruins, nor do they sound like traditional French Zeuhl such as Magma or Shub Niggurath. In fact, I think Zeuhl is not a good classification for this band, I think they are much better classified as RIO/Avant prog. The music on Toscco is symphonic instrumental RIO, sometimes fairly heavy. Unlike usual Japanese Zeuhl instrumentation, lead guitar is present here and plays a significant role, and traditional opera-like chants are absent. Compositions are avant gadre in a way that they are highly varied and quirky, but not too crazy, so it remains fairly accessible without being bland. There's some weird concept to this album told through pictures in the booklet, but I don't quite get it(not that it matters)

Musicianship is very strong and displayed in an intelligent symphonic way without excessive show off. The drummer's style is excellent, his diverse style, ever changing beats and drum rolls add to the variety of the compositions and give the music a very lively feel. Bass is very strong and is as creatively portrayed as the lead guitar, which is probably the main reason for them being classified under Zeuhl. Keyboards have a natural piano sound for the most part, except a few times where the sound is slightly electrified, which contrasts well with the overall modern sound. Guitar work is very solid, adding to the riffs and some relevant melodic solos, but fortunately never overdoing it.

The album opens with The Great Man, a short three-minute intro to the album, a soft flute tune over a gloomy background.

Overdrive Locomotive is where it really begins. The song kicks in with insane drumming and a heavy, almost metal riff. Then the song begins to diversify with several interludes with solos and occasional symphonic blasts of fast-paced riffs, constantly changing and never seizing to impress with sheer creativity and brilliant musicianship.

Nord Company Vs. Lead Company begins with a little drum section. This song is a little slower paced than the previous one. It starts off with a heavy riff and some electronic effects applied on top. Then it switches, first to a fast bass-drum oriented interlude, then to a slow creative guitar solo. The piece goes through many phases, never staying on the same note, which is one of the best qualities of their music: abundance of ideas resulting in diverse, stunningly creative compositions.

Filial Piety at the Dawn begins with weird keyboard effects over a funky guitar background and develops into a heavier riff-driven composition, interchanged by short breaks of spacey guitar and keyboard effects.

The Sushi Bar, the first of two epics; begins with a pretty piano intro, very chilled out mood with a slow paced guitar/bass background, before suddenly exploding into the heavier part. Rhythm section provides a funky background for keyboards and guitar to weave a quirky tune. Guitar solos on this track are emphasized more than previously. During the second half of the song, the band jams through a complex series of riffs and grooves with some electronic effects and solos. The piece closes with the same piano section it began with.

He Is Coming at Tokyo Station is a relatively short track, very keyboard-oriented. Creatively arranged funky piece with plenty of piano orchestration and impressive drum work.

The Picture Book - X Rated starts with a dark bass groove and some electronic samples. Then we get another unique solo of acoustic piano and electric guitar creatively blending with each other. The rest of the song consists of a very varied and complex jam, blistering with creativity. As on most tracks, the drumming seems random in context of the overall tune, yet it fits perfectly and every beat is in place. This reminds me of Billy Cobham and Jon Bonham's styles. Definitely a great drummer.

The Three Leaves Insect is the second epic. It begins with a pulsating theme, where explosions of guitar and bass are constantly interchanged by little keyboard and drum fills. The pace changes a few minutes in for an impressive slow bass section, then a fast keyboard intermission and a heavy metal-style wailing guitar solo. The piano and drum solos in the middle are very originally blended together, making for a very impressive solo section.

The Great Man (Revisited) closes the album with an acoustic version of the opener.

Overall, amazing album of very creative music. It flows perfectly and is coherently put together. All songs have periods, NO fade outs. All compositions are full of musical ideas, always sounding fresh and creative, making this one of my favorite instrumental albums. It is not too avant garde and should be accessible to any prog fan. There are influences from classic prog like King Crimson, Avant prog, and Zeuhl all creatively blended into this energetic, innovative, brilliantly performed album. Composition here is rather complex, so be sure to give it a few spins to lit it sink in, and be blown away! Recommended to all open minded prog fans.