IQ

Review Nº 824

The band was formed in 1981 by two friends who were part of the recently extinct band The Lens, Mike Holmes and Martin Orford. They recruited Mark Ridout and Tim Esau and formed IQ. The band had already created several compositions, and as soon as they got together, they started recording their first demos. Their musical proposal initially consisted of mixing several musical styles into one, always with a progressive theme. In the beginning, the themes were basically instrumentals due to the absence of a vocalist. They ended up finding one, an old acquaintance vocalist, Peter Nicholls, a friend of Martin and Mike that was part of The Lens for a while. Just over a month after Peter joined, Mark left the group, being replaced by Paul Cook. With a stable line up the band played several shows around England and released their first cassette album "Seven Stories Into Eight". With constant gigging throughout UK they released their first real vinyl album "Tales From The Lush Attic" in 1983 and the second "The Wake", but only in 1985.

So, "The Wake" is the second studio album of IQ and that was released in 1985. The line up on the album is Peter Nicholls (vocals and tambourine), Mike Holmes (guitars), Martin Orford (backing vocals, synthesizer, organ, Mellotron and flute), Tim Esau (bass guitar) and Paul Cook (drums and percussion).

"The Wake" is a development compared with "Tales From The Lush Attic". The tracks have become more compact and the sound is more professional and produced. The compositions are long (five out of seven tracks exceed six minutes) and contains all the ingredients of the 70's prog. The recipe is simple but still works just as well for the pleasure of our ears. Slow or even hovering introductions, explosion of synths and guitar supported by a powerful bass drum rhythmic line, the presence of the Mellotron and the Nicholls' voice, may reinforce the feeling of déjà-vu, but keeps as essential.

"The Wake" has seven tracks. All tracks were written by IQ. With the first track "Outer Limits" you can immediately hear the typical signature sound of the band. This is rather a thin track. Here, we can hear the darkness, followed by some lighter parts and then we are back again to the darkness. So, we can say that this piece ends as it begins. The second track is the title track "The Wake". Despite the track, especially due to the sound of the keyboards reminds me of some of the classic songs of Genesis, we even can see that it's IQ that we're hearing due to the usual patterns used by them. Dark followed by light and back to the darkness. This is a very powerful track with some great instrumental work. The third track "The Magic Roundabout" is one of the lighter songs on the album. No darkness here. This is just a song to cool down with a more melancholic spirit. The keyboards and the guitar harmonize the melody perfectly well. Not as epic as the two previous tracks, but it can be also great with its dreamy mood. The fourth track "Corners" is sparsely orchestrated. Slowly, one instrument after the other kicks in. Personally, this is my least favourite song on the album. The main reason for that are the drums. They sound like a backing track from a keyboard. This isn't a bad track that can sound funny, but I really don't like of its electronic structure mixed with reggae. This isn't a great number, indeed. The fifth track "Widow's Peak" is the best piece on the album that rightly became a band's classic. The track starts with a guitar part that is supported by the keyboards which, suddenly, the part changes from minor to major, followed by a very happy part. Even the vocals are kick and great here. In general, this is one of my all time IQ's favourite tracks. The sixth track "The Thousand Days" is a decent poppy song of the 80's. It starts with a nice riff of Holmes and a great bass line of Esau that support very well the nice and consistent works of Orford and Cook. Despite it isn't properly a true prog track, it still is, really, an enjoyable and a guilty pleasure to listen to. The seventh track "Headlong" is the second highlight next to "Widow's Peak". Here you can hear what is so characteristic and fascinating about the voice of Peter Nicholls, an almost tearful, fragile and wistful timbre. The track begins with a sad mood about the shedding of the "old" life to a "new" one. In the end it changes from the initial sadness, hopeless one to a slightly lively, almost defiant one.

Conclusion: "The Wake" is, definitely, a classic prog album. Together with Marillion's first albums, it helped to define what neo-prog would be and generated dozens of sound-alike albums by as many bands in the U.K. and worldwide. If you've seen the list with all the albums that Steven Wilson has in his playlist you'll find this album in it along with their album "Tales From Lush Attic". "The Wake" is a much contrasted album where you can hear the real IQ's sound, a tasty mix of brilliance and darkness, sometimes cheerful, sometimes oppressive and sometimes frightening. However, the band doesn't deny their influences. But, what could be considered pure plagiarism in "Tales From The Lush Attic", is now becoming more of a cultural heritage, a kind of lineage. In a way, IQ is the spiritual son of Marillion and Genesis' grandson. "The Wake" is a great album. Everyone who likes the typical progressive rock sound should have this album.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

IQ's Descending Into The Depths Of Darkness?

A punk tries to survive in a subterranean world full of sewers and chemical contamination?

Subterranea it is IQ's masterpiece double record, and it has a pretty interesting backstory. The band traces its origins to 1976, back when they were called The Lens. It was a different band then, with a focus on instrumental music, but when The Lens broke up in 1981, IQ was formed and took a different path. Through the years, they faced lineup changes, but their love for progressive rock never disappeared.

Provider: "Are you inside, provider, or am I? Immersed in all the darkness and decay Denied the sleep to dream myself away Said I was bright, too sensitive to fly?"

The album is a concept piece that tells a strange and mysterious story about a man trapped in a controlled environment. The music captures the darkness and emotion of the story, shifting between heavy, intense moments and softer, more introspective ones. Even though it's nearly two hours long, the album manages to keep you engaged with its energy and recurring musical themes.

Subterranea: "'I never was aliveI died with Knives and nails and nightingales This is all the anger I can hold?'"

The idea for Subterranea began around 1994. The band slowly built the concept, testing out songs live and tweaking them. By 1997, IQ was ready to bring the full concept to life with a big stage show to match the album's complex story. They spent time refining the songs, and after much work, they ended up with 19 tracks, all carefully arranged with significant contrasts in tone. The great sound in "Subterranea" mix their more comercial of "Nomzamo" with their complexity on "Ever" adding a solid 90's sound, all blending in one record

Speak My Name: "There are times when I remember But in my heart I'm not the same And I feel myself connected Every time you speak my name You speak my name?"

Musically, the album is a mix of styles. You get IQ's trademark complex song structures in tracks like "Failsafe" and "The Narrow Margin," while songs like "Speak My Name" and "High Waters" are more emotional. The album uses recurring musical themes to tie everything together, making it feel like a single, unified journey. Peter Nichols: maybe done his best writing contribution here and their best vocal performance, Mike Holmes: Sounds heavy and fresh and up to date their sound in 90's, Jon Howitt: The new guy on his second record he add structures in the zones were Tim Eseau fails in the past. adding strong to the rhythm line, Martin Orford made a lasting keyboard work taking sounds from analog keyboards mixed with modern sounds and Paul Cook made their best drum performance ever he was on his best moment at that time.

The Sense Of Sanity: "Nothing here is guaranteed, nothing's understood Now that I am far beyond beginning to belong"

Even with its complexity, the album hits you on a visceral level. It's not just about telling a story?it's about making you feel it. There's so much variety in the music, from the saxophone in "Capricorn" to the softer, folk-like melodies in "Provider." Each song builds on the last, deepening the story of a man lost in a mysterious, oppressive world.

Capricorn: "The heart beating in Capricorn, I take on a guise They won't define me anytime in the English rain Will I feel an automatic release from all this pain??"

The artwork, created by Tony Lythgoe, also adds to the atmosphere. The booklet is filled with strange, unsettling images that match the album's themes of identity and isolation. It's the kind of album where every element, from the music to the visuals, works together to create something bigger than the sum of its parts.

Unsolid Ground "For every move I tried to make when I was stranded At least I'm standing on unsolid ground?"

IQ didn't stop at just making an album; they took *Subterranea* to the stage, turning it into a theatrical performance complete with elaborate set pieces. The band's dedication to turning the album into a full-blown experience shows just how much they believed in it.

Somewhere In Time: "And all the time identified, it's hard to take it in at all There must be many more besides Those to watch us while we're sleeping?"

In the end, Subterranea doesn't spell everything out for you. The story is open to interpretation, and that mystery is part of its appeal. It's an album you can keep coming back to, each time finding something new in both the music and the story. It's a high point for IQ, showcasing their growth as a band and their ability to create a work that's not just music, but a full artistic experience.

Norrow Margin (Final Section) "Now I want to be alone like a stronger man Then I can understand As I try to remember where I know you from Provider, are you inside or am I??"

Review Nº 820

By the early of the 80's, the prog rock was practically dead, showing signs of exhaustion. The big bands were in crisis, some coming to an end, others changing their style. In 1981, two friends who were part of the recently extinct band The Lens decided to move forward in music, and leave for another project, Mike Holmes and Martin Orford. They recruited Mark Ridout and Tim Esau and formed IQ. Over time, a certain Genesis influence took over the band. In the beginning, the themes were basically instrumentals. The vocals, when there were, were in charge of Martin. But everyone thought the band needed a singer with a stronger voice. They ended up finding in an old acquaintance the singer they were looking for, Peter Nicholls a friend of Martin and Mike that was part of Lens for a while. Just over a month after Peter joined, Mark left the group, being replaced by Paul Cook. With a stable line up, the band made their first work "Seven Stories Into Eight". In 1983, they released their real debut album "Tales From The Lush Attic", which was well received.

So, "Tales From The Lush Attic" is the debut studio album of IQ and that was released in 1983. The line up on the album is Peter Nicholls (vocals), Mike Holmes (acoustic, electric and twelve-string guitars), Martin Orford (keyboards, synthesizer and Mellotron), Tim Esau (bass guitar) and Paul Cook (drums and percussion).

For those who love Marillion in Fish's era, this is a must have album in your collection. If you haven't heard IQ, then know that, though IQ is unique in many ways, the impression is that "Tales From The Lush Attic" has a sprinkling of Genesis' "Selling England By The Pound" with a modern edge like Marillion produced at the time. The big difference between the two was that Marillion often didn't demonstrate their technical skills in the first place. The songs, the lyrics, and the overall compositions came first. But the IQ's approach has always been a bit more to the other side. Holmes is technically a brilliant guitarist and his solos and fills are unique and very aggressive. Orford contributed with major keyboard solos and runs while also attending to Mellotrons and "lush" key orchestrations. Esau's bass pulses with energy in counter point with drummer Cook playing with speed and energy more in the style of Keith Moon. Leading is Nicholls who wrote all the lyrics and has, like in Marillion's Fish, a whimsical vocal style of Peter Gabriel in Genesis.

"Tales From The Lush Attic" has five tracks. All tracks were written by IQ. The first track "The Last Human Gateway" is over 20 minutes and was the entire side one of the original vinyl release. In the best tradition of Marillion, this title proposes three main sections, with multiple themes linked to each other. It's a great suite of varying moods with an absolutely haunting melody, with neat arrangements and where the balance between the different instruments and the vocal parts accentuates the pleasure distilled by the catchy melodies. For me, it's one of the defining songs of the genre and by itself it worth the price of this set alone. The second track "Through The Corridors" is a small and fast speed rocker with guitar and keyboards constantly exchanging runs on fast forward. This is a pleasant little tune. The third track "Awake And Nervous" carries on with the pace with Orford demonstrating once again why he is still one of the best keyboardists in prog nowadays. The track features the usual IQ trademark with the rhythm section playing a time signature that defies your expectations while the main melody carries on clever and catching. This is another great track. The fourth track "My Baby Treats Me Right 'Cos I'm A Hard Lovin' Man All Night Long" is very short, a beautiful fast paced classical piano piece that pulls you away from the previous tracks. It serves as a refreshing respite. The fifth track "The Enemy Smacks" remains one of the band's major standards today. It brings you back to something in the area of Genesis. But, despite the track often evokes Genesis, these are only reminiscences and not plagiarism. It's a combination of a very aggressive hard rock with symphonic progressive which happens to contains some of their most complex moments on the album. This is another fan favourite that still finds its way into the IQ live set even in our days.

Conclusion: IQ is often overlooked but is a band that historically deserves co-credit along with better known Marillion for stubbornly keeping the progressive rock door opened during the early 80's. Both bands would release their debut albums in 1983. However, unlike the more commercially successful of "Script For A Jester's Tear" of Marillion, IQ's own offering "Tales From The Lush Attic". Maybe not as good as Marillion's work, IQ presents another great proposal, an earthier and grittier side to progressive rock. "Tales From The Lush Attic" is an album that offers a balanced portion of hurried guitar and enveloping keyboards. Specks of prog era Genesis glisten with every note sung by lead singer Peter Nicholls, who sounds like Gabriel. Even the structure of some of the songs resembles bits of "The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway". But, there's a real air on this album that gathers our attention, especially on the synth and Mellotron ridden passages. So, "Tales From the Lush Attic" is a great debut album of one of the best and most consistent prog bands.

Prog is my Ferrari. Jem Godfrey (Frost*)

Going into this one, I'd say I am at level 1. I've heard some tracks but never the whole thing straight through. I don't know IQ very well, but I like what I have heard. Looks like another LONG album at over 1:43:00 It is apparently a Rock Opera on the following concept according to Wikipedia: Subterranea is about a man who's been the subject of an experiment. He's been held captive, almost like sensory deprivation, throughout his whole life and he doesn't have any contact with the outside world (Provider).

Disc 1

Track 1 - Overture

We fade in with an orchestra tuning up a la Sg. Pepper, but then we get power chords with a melodic figure and the rhythm section laying down a moderate tempo beat. We go through a few melodic themes over that beat. The underlying rhythm changes starting around 2:50. This is a pretty good opening instrumental. Things chill out at the end leading to?

Track 2 - Provider

?Which is a brief track with lead vocals over a keyboard drone. After that, we start?

Track 3 - Subterranea

, ?which begins with an 80s ZZ Top style "Na na na na'' keyboard which is joined by the rhythm section. Guitars join in over time, along with sustained string style keyboards. Nice steady groove until around 2:30 when the groove stops in favor of descending keyboard patterns. The vocal returns with just a hint of the rhythm on a guitar in the background. Then we return to the previous groove. We have some saxophone fills near the end between the vocals which becomes a full fledged sax solo. That solo leads us to

Track 4 - Sleepless Incidental

Acoustic guitar takes over the previous track's rhythm here. Things change up at around 1:50. The band plays accented rhythms with organ chords between, then they move into a faster odd-metered riff. ( I believe this is the first time we've left 4-4 time.) At about 3:40 a slow organ solo takes over. Eventually, snare drum rolls bring the band back in with a synth solo with a Wakeman influence. The synth gives way to a guitar solo, all the while with lots of drum fills behind. The rhythm drops out again near the end of the track with minor key synth chords. Favorite track, so far.

Track 5 - Failsafe

We begin with guitar and then the drums and bass join in to create a half-time feel. We have a few timing shifts, then back to the opening riff. The vocals take over with a synth creating a 6-8 accompaniment. The rhythm section returns on the second verse. The timing shifts to a quicker 4-4.Nice melodic guitar solo at around 4:15. Excellent piano part that reminds me a bit of VH's "Right Now" then it changes to a "1 and 2 and?" type of rhythm. The backing changes to a more free time, then marching style snare drum brings in a more complex guitar riff. Then a half-time section. Excellent vocals on the "I don't belong here" section. The song ends with guitar and drums doing a rhythmic pattern together with sustained keyboards behind it. Good track!

Track 6 - Speak My Name

Soft ballad-like keyboards joined by vocals start this one off. Introspective lyrics. Bass (fretless) joins after the first verse & chorus. Piano joins on the second verse. Then we have an acoustic guitar solo. Simple and melodic, but effective.

Track 7 - Tunnel Vision

The beginning of this one reminds me of Power-era Kansas. In fact, this album as a whole has a bit of an 80s AOR vibe, even when proggy. It's a mid-tempo rocker. Nice change around 2:10 the rhythm drops out with sustained keys and the rest of the band accenting between lines. A melodic guitar solo follows, with a little razzle-dazzle here and there. Things change at around 5:20 and we have a dreamy synth feature section to close out the song and lead us to?

Track 8 - Infernal Chorus

The dreamy synth gives way to marching snare drum styles that lead the band in, before they shift to 6-8 meter. The vocals join in and sing a verse or 2 before a brief change at around 1:45, then a return to the 6-8 time. A synth solo follows. Then we go back to a quicker 4-4 time. Good track.

Track 9 - King of Fools

A slow ominous fade in starts this one and the lead vocal joins in. The volume drops again after the first verse, and some distant chimes are in the mix. Very short track at around 2 minutes.

Track 10 - The Sense In Sanity

Vibraphone starts this one off in 7-8, I believe. A sustained synth-strings sound accompanies, then the lead vocal begins. I like the arrangement, so far. The vibraphone drops out at around 2:40, leaving synth and vocals. They return around 3:10. The same pattern repeats. I was expecting the rest of the band to eventually kick in, but it was not to happen. (I was expecting something like "Changes" from Yes). The vibraphone modulates up and leads us to?

Track 11 - State of Mine

Guitar takes over the rhythm and the rest of the band joins in. If tracks 10 and 11 are considered one song, it did what I was hoping for. It's a brief 7-8 instrumental. I'd like it to be longer, as it's probably the proggiest thing on the album so far. And thus ends Disc 1.

Disc 2

Track 1 - Laid Low

We begin disc 2 with a piano intro, joined by sustained lead guitar lines with heavy reverb. The guitar becomes more melodic, giving a nice countermelody to the piano part. This goes straight into?

Track 2- Breathtaker

Where the full band kicks in at a mid-tempo rock beat. Lead vocals join in over the syncopated rhythm that the band provides. (F-Bomb warning ;) ) At about 1:10 the rhythm becomes smoother and the lead guitar takes over, and the vocal rejoins for a bridge. Following that, the syncopated rhythm returns with vocals first, then an ascending synth line. Then the cycle comes back around to the smoother part. At about 3:00 we have a synth solo. After that the vocals return with sparse accompaniment. Next, at around 4:10, the band kicks in in a big way with a whole new feel?very arena rock. At around 5:25, things drop back down to a quieter dynamic to lead us into?

Track 3 - Capricorn

Which has an intro that immediately reminds me of Kayleigh by fellow neo-proggers Marillion. This continues for the verse, Then the band kicks in stronger with a sax solo. Before returning to the Kayleigh feel for the next verse. Again, the overall feel is more 80s arena rock than prog to me. That said, It's not bad. An excellent melodic guitar solo begins at around 3:00. I know I keep comparing this track to Marillion, but the solo is very Steve Rothery-like. The sax returns for a fade-out with wind sound effects.

Track 4 - The Other Side.

Wind leads us into clean guitar notes and harmonics with delay, nice sound. Keyboards join in and make a nice brief, peaceful instrumental track.

Track 5 - Unsolid Ground

Wind sound effects again make the transition to the next track. First they give way to some brief organ chords, then a muted guitar creates the rhythm for the verse with a minimal drum rim-shot pattern. The guitar opens up on the second verse while the rhythm section keeps the beat between verses. The next verse returns like the first one. Then a snare hit takes us to a new chorus section. A guitar solo follows, which is nicely executed. The muted guitar theme returns again following that. The intensity builds to the chorus' return. A keyboard sound fades out at the ending.

Track 6 - Somewhere in Time

Layered keyboards and guitar lead us into this slow-tempo ballad feeling track, and the vocals join in on top. On the second verse, another layer of sustained string-synth joins in the background. A brief interlude with a flute sound gives way to a sequenced keyboard part. The tempo increases and the song gets more rockin'. Following a verse/chorus there is a heavier guitar part with a double-bass-drum beat as a turnaround to the next verse. At around 4:25 we get the band accenting downbeats while the synth fills in between, and vocals join over the top. Then we get a half-time turnaround to another round like that. At around 6:10 we get a clean guitar strumming in a slightly Pinball Wizard manner, with a heavier riff alternating between segments. The heavy riff lays a bed for a brief closing synth solo.

Track 7 - High Waters

This one returns to the piano ballad feel that the previous track began with. Then at around one minute in we get ominous power chords with a piano line in-between. Following that the band makes a slow rhythm track for the melodic guitar solo. Coming out of the guitar solo the band seems to be building up to?

Track 8 - The Narrow Margin

Which is the closing epic at precisely 20:00 long. However instead of that build up going strait into this track there is a brief pause between tracks and this one begins softly with a rhythm pattern which seems to be done with possibly a drum machine. Then bass and piano join over the top of that. The vocals join for the first verses. A soft guitar part joins on the second verse which ends with a power chord, then a clean arpeggiated guitar pattern. Syncopated chord accents come next, leading into a faster tempo section. There is a more open/less rhythmic interlude before the quick tempo returns with a verse then a guitar solo. She syncopated chords return with vocals after she solo. Then the music fades into an ethereal synth-led section, with guitar joining on top. The rhythm section starts building underneath, followed by a new vocal melody. Lead guitar fills the space between verses. At around 7:30 we get big, long held high notes as a bit of a climax of this part of the song. A guitar countermelody joins the vocals following that. Big change at just after 9:00! A more dramatic fast tempo riff takes over with a scale based run bringing us to a steady rhythm for the piano to play a nice 16-th note pattern over, later joined by vocals. This is easily the most prog track on the album, not because of the length, but because of the frequently shifting rhythms and melodies. A sudden explosion and air raid keyboards happen at around 12:20 for a sustained sound- effect section. Then a truly proggy mixed meter riff takes over with a keyboard solo on top. Then it goes straight up 7-8 as the keyboards continue for an extended feature. I'm getting Genesis vibes here. A rhythm change and slower tempo with melodic guitar on top bring us out of that section with dramatic vocals following. We are reaching the climax of the song as things are slowly-building. Then we get a strummed acoustic guitar for a more peaceful closing section. Sustained keyboards lead to an ominous sound effect to conclude the song and therefore the album. This was by far the best track on the album, IMO.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONS:

Most of the album was good but not great to me, until the final track. As mentioned, the majority of the album feels more like solid 80s AOR/Arena Rock instead of prog. The album was more prog in scope than in execution until the ending. That said, it doesn't mean I didn't like it. There was nothing that I disliked on the album, it just didn't blow me away until the final track. I'll give it 3.75 out of 5 (it was leaning towards a 3.5 until the final track).

"Ever" from 1993, the fifth studio album by the English prog band IQ, marks the return of singer Peter Nicholls to the fold. This made many people very happy at the time, and the addition of John Jowitt as the band's new bassist also brought much joy. It should be noted, however, that this lineup had already contributed to the second "SI Magazine Compilation Disc" earlier that year. N.T.O.C. Resistance is a decent track, but it can't compare to the brilliant material on "Ever".

The more than ten-minute opening track, The Darkest Hour, starts with a somersault before unfolding in true IQ style, dynamic and atmospheric with wonderfully transparent guitar work. Everything in this complex piece of neo-prog begs for the comparison to gymnastics to be extended further. The Darkest Hour comes across like a perfectly executed floor routine. It is elegant and graceful, athletic and controlled, with Nicholls' warm, biting vocals as the standard-bearer. Try not to understand his lyrics. Does he even have it all figured out himself? The harmonies with Martin Orford, woven through the vocal block like a silk thread, are very beautiful and familiar. It's immediately apparent that IQ has struck gold with Jowitt, especially in combination with Paul Cook's passionate drumming. The creativity the band shows in this track (and, without a doubt, throughout the album) is sky-high. The section with the bombastic guitar and bass riffs is particularly strong. The song has a surprising ending. Just when you expect a grand spectacle, IQ keeps it small with Orford on piano and a sensitive Nicholls.

This perfectly matches the mood of the following track, Fading Senses, at least for the first part. Here, too, we hear an enchanting mix of tasteful music and subdued beauty. The instrumental second part underscores the brilliant guitarist Mike Holmes' fondness for Steve Hackett.

"Ever" consists of only six tracks, and in my opinion, it touches the heavens a few times. Those who know IQ know that the band is capable of this, and with that confidence, you can approach this album blindly. Such a heavenly moment is found in the epic Further Away, and you know it. From the moment the drums break loose, there's no stopping it. Martin Orford delivers an absolutely fantastic synth solo. When the mood calms down afterward, it's Mike Holmes' turn to raise his fingers to the sky.

It gets even more interesting. In my opinion, Leap Of Faith is not only the highlight of the album, but I dare say it belongs to the best neo-prog songs ever. Sure, the guitar solo is insanely good, but that's not all. The framing the band gives to this solo is equally brilliant. The beautiful ballad Came Down flows from this guitar solo, and midway through the album, there's also room for the uptempo Out Of Nowhere. This makes "Ever" an album that superbly combines variety and depth.

At the time of writing this review, "Ever" has been on the shelves for thirty years. It seems that the marriage between Nicholls and the band will last for many years to come, and that is something to be very grateful for.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

Next to Marillion, IQ is for many the most important exponent when it comes to the rise of neo-prog in the 1980s. Their albums "Tales From The Lush Attic" (1983) and the one discussed here, "The Wake" (1985), have since become true classics.

For me, that status was already established after just a single listen to "The Wake." What an impact. It was my first introduction to the band's music. Seeing the evocative green album cover already indicated to me that the record was going to be something special. Shortly after, when I also purchased their debut "Tales From The Lush Attic," I was as happy as a child.

Over the years, I have greatly indulged in the grand, bombastic sound that IQ produces, a sound where the bass pedals and the chords of the Mellotron form a true foundational layer.

There's always a lot going on within the band's sound, and the dynamic nuances are never absent. With IQ, you hear the guitar echoing, the bass guitar weaving its way through everything, and the keyboards sounding intense. All of this is delivered with the necessary virtuosity, which is well expressed in various solos, synchronized runs, and many tempo and mood changes. The decisive drumming and the intense vocals complete the picture.

On "The Wake," this translates into seven tracks, at least on the original LP version. All CD releases that followed include bonus tracks, including the epic Dans Le Parc Du Chateau Noir. But first things first.

"The Wake" kicks off with the swirling Outer Limits, which, after a stoic bass synthesizer theme, is excitingly complemented by various other keyboard work before the band kicks in. IQ pulls you in with full conviction, the irregular time signatures sound smooth, and the transitions are surprising. The sudden touch of baroque is typical of Martin Orford, and don't you dare say it was forced. The track ends with the riff from the intro, almost immediately giving way to the bombastic title track. The drums sound heavy, and the vocals are passionate. You can almost imagine the adrenaline gushing out of the speakers. The Magic Roundabout is another particularly successful piece of progressive brilliance. It's a grand album track with beautiful fretless bass guitar playing, loads of Mellotron in the choruses, and a sublime guitar solo to finish. The following track, Corners, is a song that always raises some questions. The sizzling track, with Mike Holmes' use of the Choral sitar guitar and tablas, has a bit of a world music vibe, which is a bold move. With the epic Widow's Peak, IQ absolutely cements their immortality. The moment of the extreme Mellotron eruption is, in my opinion, the album's focal point. IQ presents themselves so majestically here that they can only surpass it themselves. With the catchy The Thousand Days, the band then heads in a more accessible direction. They do so quite well, although their heart clearly lies in progressive rock to the nth degree. In that category, the closing track Headlong fits perfectly. As far as the regular album is concerned.

The aforementioned bonus track, the older Dans Le Parc Du Chateau Noir, demonstrates how much compositional growth IQ has made with "The Wake." Especially the last few bars, which I think are needlessly complex. However, the track is full of IQ delights, like that wonderful guitar solo towards the end.

Originally posted on www.progenrock.com

At the end of the 2000's, IQ once again took refuge in the structures of progressive rock and, keeping the seventies Genesis as a fundamental but not exclusive reference, released their tenth album, "Frequency" (2009). The band led by the consolidated voice of Peter Nicholls masterfully rearranges the sound bases of the genre in modernised melodies that flow without urgency or time parameters that limit their development, counting for the occasion on the solvent Mark Westworth on keyboards and Andy Edwards on percussion, replacements for Martin Orford and Paul Cook respectively, who left the band after the predecessor "Dark Matter".

IQ takes a very brief radio and Morse code fragment of the announcement of the controversial dropping of the nuclear bomb on Hiroshima to prelude the dense and dark "Frequency", a piece that kicks off an album that persistently makes use of gentle harmonic and neatly marked notes, like Westworth's heartfelt piano complemented by the atmospheric guitar delay of Mike Holmes in the ballad "Life Support", or the beautiful acoustic melody of "One Fatal Mistake", or the guitar arpeggios of Holmes, both in the half-time of the intense "Ryker Skies" dominated by Westworth's mellotrons and synthesizers and John Jowitt's powerful bass, and in the super-progressive "The Province", a piece that also interchanges the calm ambiences with the thrilling instrumental displays that the solid rhythmic base of Jowitt's bass and Edwars' percussion propose, surely the best track of the album, and the step prior to the emotive "Closer", the jubilant closing of "Frequency".

IQ sails placidly once again in the progressive oceans with "Frequency", not sounding repetitive but rather like crew members focused on continuing to explore a familiar but also naturally challenging route.

4 stars

"Dark Matter" (2004), IQ's ninth album, shows the band's brilliant form in their follow-up to the excellent "The Seventh House", in a work with a lot of gloom and darkness and in which they use as fuel many of the resources used by progressive legends.

Already from the synthesizers and Hammonds of Martin Orford and the sound base built by the bass of John Jowitt and the percussion of Paul Cook in the fatalistic "Sacred Sound", the seventies spirit is present and also manifests itself comfortably between the acoustic accords of Mike Holmes and the watery keyboards of Orford in the half-time of the melancholic "Red Dust Shadow" and the Gilmourian guitar playing that leads into its evolution, or in Jowitt's dense bass and Orford's eerie mellotron that the ticking clock announces in the hopeless and relentless "You Never Will", or in the similarities to the insidious keyboards of Pinkfloydian "Welcome to the Machine" in the intimidating and spacey "Born Brilliant".

But the definitive character of the album is marked by the enormous suite "Harvest of Souls". More than 24 minutes in which, guided by Peter Nicholls's assured vocals, IQ deploy all their instrumental arguments in sections that flow between the acoustic gentleness of the confessional "i. First of the Last", the political sarcasm of the super progressive "ii. The Wrong Host", the stormy, sloppy harmony of "iii. Nocturne", Orford's beautiful piano in the menacing "iv. Frame and Form", the generous Genesian keyboards in the stark materialism of "v. Mortal Procession", and Holmes' epic guitar playing dissolving with the band's melodic complicity in "vi. Ghosts of Days". One of the best pieces in IQ's discography.

"Dark Matter" is, in the particular style and more modernised forms of the Englishmen, a great homage to progressive rock.

4/4.5 stars

After the excellent "Ever" and "Subterranea", IQ consolidate their particular style to compose pieces of deep luminosity and intensity, which take without denying or disguising the progressive seventies influences (the Genesis of the Gabriel era above all), but more and more focused on going their own way with the security that maturity and the passing of the years grants, as shown in "The Seventh House" (2000), the band's eighth album.

A work that links extensive progressive lucubrations, such as the opening "The Wrong Side of Weird", where Martin Orford's diaphanous keyboards give rise to a sonorous progression that gains strength and ends with a brief nod to Genesis' "Broadway Melody of 1974", or the aching "The Seventh House" and Mike Holmes' crystalline acoustic arpeggios preceding a shifting melodic density with Peter Nicholls' voice in perfect communion with Orford's keyboards (surely the best track on the album), with more abbreviated developments such as the doughy "Erosion" and John Jowitt's rocky bass accompanying Nicholls' lacerating singing, or the hopeful "Zero Hour" with Orford's steamy suspenseful keyboards and Holmes' magnificent final guitar solo.

And despite the insubstantial melody of "Shooting Angels" that neither its promising beginning nor the saxophone of guest Tony Wright manage to rescue at all, the desolate "Guiding Light", another track of extended duration, concludes the album superbly with delicate piano notes and sensitive acoustic chords lulled by Nicholls' peaceful voice until the instrumental explosion guided by the awakened percussion of Paul Cook and the jubilant and epic closing. Neo Prog in its purest essence.

"The Seventh House" is an admirable piece of work from IQ (one more, by the way...), as admirable as the fact of remaining untouched by external pressures and keeping the progressive roots safe at the beginning of the new millennium.

4 stars

Back on the progressive path with "Ever", and just like their Genesis referents with "The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway", IQ fulfilled the dream of the double concept album with "Subterranea", the band's sixth. The enigmatic story of the teenager Kaspar Hauser, who appeared in the German city of Nuremberg back in 1828 without having had direct contact with other people, a famous character of scientific study related to human behaviour in situations aseptic to social relations and murdered in unclear circumstances in 1833 at the age of 21, is the source of inspiration for this massive and somber work of more than 100 minutes.

Divided into two parts of generous mileage, "Subterranea" presents IQ's fictionalised version of Kaspar's various experiences in the world that opened up before his eyes, using a generally intimate and complicit narration by Peter Nicholls and wrapped in intriguing and intricate walls of sound that both the guitars of Mike Holmes, the wide range of synthesizers and their infinite effects of Martin Orford, the rugged and imposing bass of John Jowitt and the more active participation than usual of Paul Cook on percussion, build.

Carefully crafted pieces flow harmonically without pause or haste, like the thick, hypnotic half-time instrumental "Overture", or the Genesian "Sleepless Incidental" and "Failsafe", or the beautiful and moving "Speak My Name" with Nicholls lulled by Orford's luminous keyboards and a delicate acoustic plucking by Holmes (one of the band's best ballads), or the aching melancholy of "The Sense In Sanity" overlaid by Orford's atmospheric synths, and the bridge that the instrumentals "State Of Mine" and "Laid Low" build to cross over from the first to the second part of the album, where the suffocating "Capricorn" and the emotive sax of guest Tony Wright, the electronic experimentation of "The Other Side" and the heartbreaking "High Water" with Holmes' melancholic guitar stand out, but above all the substantial 20 minutes of the epic "The Narrow Margin" that runs between classic elements of the genre, nods in its middle section to the jazziest Camel and shades of futuristic insanity, and whose denouement unleashes an excellent guitar solo before closing the piece and the album with gentle acoustic notes, a gem.

"Subterranea" not only cemented IQ's progressive comeback, but positioned them as one of their greatest exponents of the nineties onwards.

Very good.

4 stars