KYRIE ELEISON

I like this band. A great performance in 70 years. If it's a Genesis clone in some parts is very spaced and psiquedelic in others. In 70 years the sound of some records are not so good but the musicians quality made the quality of music. The inspiration to made some original musics is a vision of the quality of this band. It's a obscure band very hard to find the first recordings but if you listen carefully you like this work. It's a band for entusiastic of 70 décade sound. The keyboards made a space atmosphere in some parts. Lirics are nothing special but some music parts are very good and this band have some nice musicians. If you like Genesis and 70 years sound please listen this work.

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I happened to like their second album. That album was a big step in the right direction from the debut album I am now reviewing here.

This is their debut album and a pretty unimpressive one too. The music is a mix of space rock, krautrock and symphonic prog. The latter one is not particular visible here. I think Krautrock is the most fitting description. The references to Eloy is pretty evident. So is some references to Pink Floyd and Yes too. But the weak songs and sound here is pretty much disguising these references. Not to mention the most horrid vocals I have heard for a long time. The main instruments is keyboards and guitars. Mostly keyboards. The music is a mix of pastorial and in particular; hard rock. There are some ELP nodding on this album too. Mostly at the end of it. But most of this album have some strong references to Eloy and the Krautrock scene. The quality is bad and I am not surprised this band, or their record label, gave up after the second album. There are many, many better bands and albums out there. This one just does not make it for me.

2 stars

Early Genesis really didn't rock out much, obvious exceptions being classics like "Musical Box" and "Watcher of the Skies". They were usually rather twee in their endearing way a la "Supper's Ready" and "Giant Hogweed". Particularly on "Nursery Cryme", the production and recording levels shrouded the disks in a certain mystique but also made them less accessible than expedient for the symphonic fests that they were. Alleged Austrian clone KYRIE ELEISON jacked up the intensity to the point of distortion (yes I know it was probably an issue of not getting the professional studio time) but they really could rock. Their tunes were also easier to follow than those of their master while still possessing overall complexity within the lengthy compositions.

Admittedly most of the benefits of this mid 70s recording are felt in the first 2 awesome tracks, with the full on assault of martial drums, organs, rough cut yet harmonic vocals, booming bass, synths, and circus feel in the "Reign" part of the title cut being the hands-down highlight. It's like something we could have imagined from Genesis but not a direct copy of anything they did do. But each part segues into the next like a disturbingly tight dream sequence. The poor production does not hinder enjoyment of these first rate excursions.

The remaining 2 tracks and the bonus cut all have moments, including some blistering lead guitar and mellotron on the latter, but the pieces seem more cobbled together, and they throw in a few direct Genesis quotes, like "Musical Box" and "Battle of Epping Forest". Even adequate production would not have made them more appealing.

While this averages out slightly below 3 stars, it's easy to round up based on the fact that two tracks are essential and the rest will be enjoyed by those who love to drink from the mountainous fount of Genesis influence.

After hearing this for the first time, I have to say that it could very well pass quite easily for being "The Lost Genesis Album". Style and composition is strikingly similar but there is also the odd hint of Yes/Pink Floyd/King Crimson in places. If anything its more related to the Nursery Cryme era and sounds like something from around 72'-73, not 1976. Unfortunately the appalling sound quality really lets it down, but I still enjoyed it none the less, and will listen to this again several times no doubt. Definitely one of the better Genesis clones from that era. A great wee gem for prog lovers.

Pretty strong Nursery Cryme/Genesis vibes from this Austrian band on this album. It would had been even stronger with a better sound. This album has a kind of a demo feel. I guess a re-master would had done wonders for this album.

When that is said, this is by no means a Genesis rip-off album, though the vocals and the instrumentation is very Gabriel & Banks. But there are also some traces of Keith Emerson and Triumvirat here too. In short; Krautrock. But Genesis is pretty dominant. In particular on the title track which I swear is a lost Genesis track. But my CD player says Kyrie Eleison... The rest of the tracks are pretty good too. The biggest problem here is the horrible sound quality who does away with most of the pleasurable aspects of this album. Besides of this, it is a good Genesis dominated symphonic prog album. The bonus track on the CD is pretty good too. Pity the sound.........

3 stars

Well the sound quality is a bit rough at times, especially considering by 1976 most studios were capable of much better. And the Genesis comparisons are certainly fair, although really – how many European symphonic rock bands in the mid-seventies didn’t get compared at one time or another to either Genesis or Yes or ELP? But otherwise this is a very solid period piece that could be placed between 1974 and 1977 by a half-deaf blind man after hearing as little as three of four bars. So if that’s the kind of music you’re into, you won’t likely be disappointed by Kyrie Eleison’s second album.

This is rock theater stuff, every bit as pretentious and naïve as anything that was released in the same period. The shortest track is the nearly nine-minute “Forgotten Words”, and all the rest are considerably longer. The use of mellotron and synths is as heavy as you could expect for the time, and the arrangements have the mark of classical leanings. My only real quibble is the drummer, who ranges from rather pedestrian rhythms to the haphazard.

The odd timbre of the backing vocals are the one thing I can’t recall hearing on any of their contemporaries’ albums, and I haven’t decided yet if that’s a good thing or not. All three backing musicians vacillate between almost chanting, falsetto howling and moans that make this sound a bit darker than it was probably intended to be.

One thing that strikes me is the heavy guitar and bass throughout, more like heavy rock than European symphonic (except for the keyboards), which is certainly okay with me. The ranging “The Fountain Beyond the Sunrise” is the best example of this, although the bonus CD track “Mounting the Eternal Spiral” also manages to lay it on pretty thick as well. In fact, this one sounds a bit like a Marillion demo track without Steve Rothery’s distinctive guitar work.

Really the whole thing sounds a bit like a demo, mostly due to the weak recording quality and simplistic production. But for those of us who grew up in the seventies this is only a minor distraction, and the hour long foray is quite an enjoyable indulgence. There’s nothing innovative in the recordings, and even with the cleaned up remastering this is still sonically substandard for a mid-seventies recording. But all that said I still like listening to this one, particularly in the evening. Three stars easily, and I may revisit that somewhere down the line if the CD keeps finding its way into my disc changer.

peace

I was told KYRIE ELEISON is a GENESIS clone. This word combination can make anyone else arrogant, but for me it’s like a call to arms :) Actually GENESIS is my favourite band, and I’ve been blown away by bands like THE WATCH, RAEL, CITIZEN CAIN, NEUSCHWANSTEIN, SIMON SAYS, ENGLAND etc, which assured me that I’m not the only one who likes GENESIS and wants to hear something related. So I spent some time and money in searching for KYRIE ELEISON, which is also the earliest GENESIS clone as far as I know. I wasn’t disappointed.

First of all, don’t look for high record quality here. Sometimes it sounds very much like demo, and I believe it’s pretty true. But material itself is marvelous – everything is on its own place, 5 long varied epics a-la “Nursery Cryme”/”Foxtrot” period; their singer is almost Gabriel, their guitarist is seconds from Hackett etc :) If you were looking for early GENESIS bootlegs, better find this one – it’s like a GENESIS lost album remained in demos only! I can’t recommend this album for everybody, but if you’re the same way maniacally obsessed with early GENESIS and see no evil in being their clone, you MUST find KYRIE ELEISON. They are worthy.

The first time I heard that album I thought why Kyrie just have two records... "The Fountain" it's a very well-composed piece of prog, even raw in some moments, but beautiful with some remains of Genesis with Peter. In fact Michael Schubert looks like Peter... anyway, this LP contains originally four long compositions, with remarkable lyrics and astonishing arrangments. Every song seems to be a hymn, specially "Lenny" and "Out of Dimension". Powerful and delicate for moments, it's a gift for the ears of real symph- prog fans who always remember the magic of the 70's.

This band is rooted in 1973 when 3 schoolfriends decided to make music in the vein of their heroes Yes, Genesis and ELP. They made some albums, joined VDGG, Colosseum, Amon Duul and Eela Craig (my favorite Austrian band) on festivals but eventually Kyrie Eleison ran out of money, the same old story as so many small progrock bands discovered when the record companies ignored them! The music on this 3-CD set (limited edition of 1000 copies) varies a lot in sound - and musical quality. On disc-1 the music is in the vein of Iron Butterfly, Deep Purple and early Jane (the keyboardplayer is obviously classical educated), the tension between the guitar and keyboards evokes early Wallenstein. The compositions and sound quality are amateurish but contain many strong moments featuring a church- organ intro, sparkling piano, compelling organ, some Floydian organ and a bluesy Dave Greenslade-like organ piece. Disc 2 is more symphonic (Mellotron, synthesizer soli and a solo classical piano piece) with strong echoes from early Earth & Fire (but in a more raw version) and Genesis. Comparing to Dutch bands, I trace also Finch during the fiery electric guitar parts. The five compositions deliver some beautiful symphonic rock but the vocals are mediocre. Disc-3 has the focus on the key-album "The fountain beyond the sunrise", I suggest to read the reviews on Prog Archives (and other progrock sites), these are ranging from boring and poor Genesis clone to wonderful Genesis inspired symphonic rock, it's up to you!

www.progwalhalla.com

4 3/4 Stars! This is an excellent album of Genesis inspired tunes. If you do not mind someone sounding like Foxtrot era Genesis you will certainly find a great deal to like about this album. This along with Neuschwanstein's "Battlement" are the two (2) closest albums to the vintage Genesis sound that you are ever likely to hear. If you love Genesis and wish they would have put out another album between Nursery Cryme and Foxtrot, look no further.