NO NAME

The third album of this great band , released in 1998 named The other side is another worthy at best album. Even is on same coordonates as previous one in manner of composing , I prefer The secret garden but for sure this one is their second best for sure. The musicianship is again strong and aswell the song writting with lots of keybords and guitars, like must sound this style combined with melodical lines that in the end gives a very beautiful and solid album. The other side as previous one is diverse in compositnons, from instrumental pieces to more up tempo ones, with vocal parts being intresting most of the time, keybords, guitars, flute drums all the time being at full capacity here. The most intresting moments are in each piece but specialy the monster epic Tan Ibhan 35 min of really splendid arrangemenst and quite intresting momements on every 6 parts of the piece, excellent composed and performed. So, another worthy album from No Name, desearves 4 stars from me, fans of the genre must give this band a try because they worth it. The secred garden remains my fav album from them and I think is their best, this one is followed. Recommened for sure as previous one.

No Name from little country Luxembourg is a top notch neo prog band with two out of four albums released by the band being very strong. One of their most great releases from the catalogue and why not among the best neo prog albums ever is their second offer from 1995 named The secret garden issued by Angular records. This is one hell of a great and solid neo prog album, everything from here is from good to excellent, the arrangements and instrumental passages are very strong, crafted and full of intresting parts. Crafty pieces with lots of temo changes and full of melodic lines that for sure desearves attention. The band remind me or being in same category with Clepsydra, Marillion or even Pendragon but some pieces are even better then on these bands. Septagone, Orient express clocking around 13 min is a good example this band is capable of, great keybords arrangements interluded with intresting guitars parts always very unique and with plenty of melodical parts. Another highlight is A tale of Mr. Fogg with fantstic guitar parts, and Follow the sign with beautiful flute besides traditional instruments. All in all a very worthy album, one of the best I've heared from neo prog zone, much intresting and better composed then many well known albums from this zone. Very good is a the voice typical for this style but never sounding like a copy of Fish or other well known vocalist from neo prog. I will give 4 solid stars, very strong album with plenty of great moments that will pleases most of the neo prog listners.

Two year after ''Zodiac'', No Name would return with a new album entitled ''The Secret Garden''.The sophomore effort of the band finds them in a transition period with bassist Dan Pieknik being replaced by the new face of the project Gilles Loes.Still Pieknik contribute bass duities in most of the tracks with Loes performing only on ''Septagone'' and ''Broken heart''.Additionally the band had signed a contract with Angular Records.

The minor flaws of their debut are long gone in ''The secret garden'', where the band is established as the new hot name of the Neo Prog scene, offering very rich and bombastic musicianship.The opening and closing sections of the album are frenetic and masterful.The short eponymous intro along with ''Septagone'' mark some 8 minutes of grandiose, fully symphonic and dramatic Neo Prog with a flashy performance and intricate arrangements.The pair of closing tracks are on the opposite side, more mellow and atmospheric but featuring lovely tunes, excellent vocals and great keyboard work by Rukavina, another couple of fantastic music offerings.The rest of the album follows a familiar MARILLION/PENDRAGON/PALLAS vein.Nice keyboard solos, elaborate melodies, even some Classical references on piano but above all crystalline and dramatic vocals by Patrick Kiefer, one of the best performers of the style.All tracks are sung in English and the band sounds more British than the British bands, except ''De verstand'' and ''Eng oppen dir'', which contain lyrics in the band's native languange.Finally the production is top notch, clear with a great instrumental mix, which helps the composing talent of the band.

''Zodiac'' showed traces that this band could become something good.''The sectret garden'' fullfills these great expectations.Among the best 90's Neo Prog releases, keeping the old- fashioned fundamentals of the genre and offering plenty of superb musicianship.No less than highly recommended.

Original stuff from Luxemburg! "The Secret Garden" is an excellent progressive album focus on the style of the '80, , keyboards oriented, and with some innovative sound of the '90. The tracks are much varied in tempo and metric and, there are complex and long compositions like the heavy and energetic Orient Express and Tale of Mr Frog, the last one with a stunning symphonic piano in Genesis style; there are instrumental songs like "Autumn days", catchy melodies in "Follow the signs" and rhythmic tracks like "Merry-Go-Around". The vocal are good too, the singer remember me some new wave band of the eighties. Highly recommended for neo and symphonic fans.

I got turned onto a lot of great bands by Hibou in the early days here, and this is one of them. NO NAME are from Luxembourg and play an emotional style of Neo-Prog. Well emotional to me anyway.That has been one of the main reasons that i've been attracted to this genre.The sound quality is excellent and simply put this is a beautiful album. A step up in my opinion from their "The Secret Garden" album of 11 years earlier.

"The Curse" settles in before a minute with synths and drums leading the way.The guitar comes to the fore quickly then back to the synths as they trade it up for a while.Vocals before 2 minutes.This is great ! Lots of pulsating synths then the atmosphere rolls in at 7 minutes with reserved vocals. It kicks back in around 8 1/2 minutes and it's very uplifting. "Fountains Of Dreams" opens with piano and reserved vocals.The bass joins in prominantly then drums and a full sound before a minute.Moving stuff. A heavier rhythm section arrives after 4 minutes. Excellent track. "Thoughts Pay No Poll" opens with synths and drums then laid back vocals and guitar join in.The tempo picks up before 3 1/2 minutes when the vocals stop. Lots of synths here.Vocals are back a minute later.

"A Recollection Of Dreams" is the longest track at almost 17 minutes. I like the sound to start. Reserved vocals after a minute. It's more intense before 2 minutes. Uplifting is the word 5 minutes in followed by an instrumental section. Piano only before 9 1/2 minutes but then it kicks back in quickly. Another calm with piano 12 1/2 minutes in and the vocals return in this pastoral section.Tasteful guitar after 14 minutes. Synths roll in to start "Visions" but it kicks in quickly.Vocals 1 1/2 minutes in. A relaxed guitar solo arrives 5 minutes in and it goes on and on. Nice. Vocals are back after 7 1/2 minutes. "Promises" is piano, synth and vocal led. The vocals stop 3 minutes in as the guitar and drums take over in an emotional section to end it.

A solid 4 stars and a must for Neo-Prog fans.

Without knowing any of their studio albums (! even I'm surprised, you should be too), I acquired this album, today even not remembering how. I'm normally not so much into "best of" albums (because these songs are to be found on studio albums, so why bother with BO, right ?), but exceptions are known (to me), so here we are.

Approach to neo-prog. There is a lot of neo-prog these days. This genre seems slowly crawling its way up in my charts, as I review more and more neo (like in Matrix) bands. Also, I feel that common tradition here on PA is to rate compilations with lower ratings than studio albums, even these albums should literary compile, or consist of the best. Like a derivate. Nevermind (never mind). This deal is not so special. I feel like I'm repeating myself, but it really is average neo-prog. There are worse (Martigan's first for example, I still remember the horror I had when I was listening it), or Germany's Morphelia (I was listening today too, after few days of listening).

3(+) for, well, average neo prog I suppose.

No Name are among a select few progressive bands from Luxembourg, and they have been around for quite some time now - 20 years to be precise. Hence the name of their album.

20 Candles features mostly old and a few new tracks, assembled in the shape of an expanded best of package. Unless I'm much mistaken all the old songs have been re-recorded though, which does add some extra value to such a release.

Musically we're deep set in vintage Neo Progressive territories on this album, with strong similarities to acts like Galahad and Marillion. Lush and rich keyboards and synths dominating, with subdued guitar riffs underscoring on occasion. A driving bass is a common feature, while a few the tunes on the lighter side of the stylistic expression comes across as purebred pop. Well made and well performed, although the vocals are slightly on the weak side, but like many other artists exploring this subset of progressive music No Name have a hard time creating the truly stunning magical moments.

Fans of the genre should enjoy this one, especially those most fond of the classic Neo acts.

I heard "4" from NO NAME before checking this one, and I liked it, so I was kinda prepared what to expect. My expectation was just right - nothing too special, just good Neo-Prog in IQ and MARILLION vein. It's not like clone or something, it just follows the path of genre's dinosaurs. Some tracks are just filler, some are quite good (like 12-min long "Orient Express" and some other tracks from the middle of the record). I'm not quite sure if this is an album or a compilation (they say it contains some tracks that had already been released on other albums), but it can give you full impression of what is NO NAME. Genre's aficionados, take note!

Here is a fresh new approach to NO NAME's repertoire, plus a couple of previously unreleased tracks. It should appeal to fans of PENDRAGON, ARENA and above all FISH- era MARILLION. If you're not into neo-prog, perhaps you'd best skip the review, as this album embodies everything one expects from classic neo-prog: strong melodies, shamelessly infectious choruses, a highly emotional vocalist, cascades of synth arpeggios ala Clive Nolan, solid guitar chops ala John Mitchell, and a no-nonsense rhythm section that deftly complements the band's musical portrait.

It is hard to imagine a more mature NO NAME album: knowing their repertoire, I sense that every detail, every meter on this album has been perfected to a "T". Without losing their original soul, the old tunes have been carefully reworked and brought to the next level. I definitely hear more meat to the guitar play and more muscle to the rhythm section. The bass playing shows restraint and applies the punches where it counts. I also hear more adventurous keyboard flights that I am used to with NO NAME. The addition of a sax solo on "Broken Heart" totally transforms the track, and the eerie bagpipes on the anthemic "Battlefield" elicit a Celtic call-to-arms that is unique for this band (yes, the gents from Luxembourg have hired the services of a professional bagpipe player via their British embassy). And last but not least, the album boasts a production quality Alan Parsons himself would be proud of. Moreover, the quality of the tracks seems to increase as the album unfolds: tracks 6 to 12, for example, are pure ear candy. All in all, the main feeling that pervades the album is one of triumph, joy and elation so cynics: you've been warned :- ).

Why not a full 5 stars? Oh dear, this is where it truly breaks my heart : Patrick Kiefer's vocal delivery is so heartfelt, yet I wish he would modulate his voice a bit more; I find a sameness in his pitch that gets to me after a while ? please note that this is a highly subjective opinion which you may not share. The album still deserves no less than 4.5 stars in my books.

I strongly recommend "20 Candles" to those of you who already own NO NAME's other albums or who would like to get to know them. Far from a "Best of"compilation, this is a carefully planned project from a band celebrating 20 years of playing prog together in the best way they can think of : by offering their fans the crème de la crème of their repertoire in the form of 12 super-polished, scrumptious little musical nuggets. A very classy album from a very classy bunch of guys indeed.

No Name's fourth album is named likewise and I must admit I have no comparison to earlier albums. After several listening sessions 4 makes a fresh impression on me. This is indeed straightforward neo prog and with this release this band can be placed in the higher regions of the subgenre as far as I'm concerned. Not that it appeared a mindblowing experience but it's at least on some moments impressive.

Opening track The Curse is second longest of the album and is pretty vocally dominated. For an over 10 minute song it's remarkable there are so few instrumental passages to be found. I'm a real fan of those so I'm slightly disappointed about that but at least the vocalist is a real good one. The keyboards sound Marillion-like but the overall sound is just a bit alike. 3,75*.

Fountains of Dreams is again vocally dominated but this track is less compelling than previous. This one is half as long as previous and instrumental bits are even more absent here. To me the least song of the album. 3,25*.

Thoughts pay no Toll is almost a copy of previous but at least this one contains a nice key solo and therefore I will add a quarter of a star. 3,5*.

A Recollection of Dreams has the length of a true epic and it also has some features of it but it doesn't strike me as one of the best composed epics I ever heard. The build up is good though and it's the first track where enough room is given to the instrumental parts though even here the vocals win the battle. And they are very well executed too so in the end this track deserves a high rating. 4*.

With Visions I suddenly hear much resemblance with the vocalist of Knight Area (Mark Smit), maybe Patrick Kiefer is slightly better even but again this is a great vocal performance. Great guitar as well halfway the song making this nearly 10 minute song probably the best of the album. 4,5*.

Promises is another impressive song to close the album with and I wonder why not all songs on this release are like this. Good alternation between vocals and instruments. In this case they just did this with the three last songs. 4,25* for this.

This album has the same build up as Maze of Time's Lullaby album. Hardly impressive with first few songs but getting better and better later on. There's always the danger that if it's checked in the store or anywhere with first tracks that the potential buyer will leave it but other than that I like this way of building up an album. It leaves you with a satisfied feeling because the last songs are the ones that will be in the mind afterwards. Anyway, well done here No Name and it's a deserved four star effort in the end mainly because of the second best (behind Moon Safari) vocal performance I ever experienced in prog !