DARK MATTER

Originality: this should be in every form of art, not only in music. These guys sure lack it, and love to borrow old and new ideas instead of creating their own ones. What's the problem with it if it's well done? - you may ask. I mean, i am an ELOY fan, and consider it one of the best bands ever, even if they took a lot of influence from URIAH HEEP and JETHRO TULL on their early hard-rock era, and then deciding to recycle the mystic FLOYDian flavour on their late 70's albums. The difference is that ELOY does it with charm, they never stole melodies for the sake of stealing and trying to be the "new" FLOYD (or the "new band" they are being influenced from). ELOY made it just to ADD that to their already stablished signature sound. ELOY has a signature sound, and if you don't realise that you're either deaf/dumb/blind - no ofence or pun intended, it is just a way of saying "listen carefully to them before judging their credit on composing music or simply ripping the floyds off". I will discuss more of this "ELOY signature sound" thing on a proper ELOY review. The point here is: i don't see any "own" sound on IQ, they are having their influences? They sure are, but they are overusing it and recycling old ideas in the wrong way, blatantly ripping off GENESIS in a pathetic and unaccetable way. Many people go and say "ANGLAGARD has a lot of KC influence". Yes, they have, but they also their characteristic sound, not like IQ's Dark Matter, a lame attempt of meeting Foxtrot (GENESIS) and Lightbulb Sun (PORCUPINE TREE). It's the same thing with the old "dinosaurs" like KC, GENESIS, YES: they have their influences from classical music, jazz, you name it. But they do and construct a signature sound of their own, while using in a wise way their influences. ANGLAGARD does it this way too, digging dinosaur KC's bones without losing their characteristic sound, the difference is that they are taking their basis on a modern band, not directly on the classic era, like KC did. IQ just rips off, and rips off, and then rips more off.

Starting with the vocals. The vocalist's name is PETER, but he is certainly not PETER GABRIEL although he tries with effort and lack of some shame to be like him. He manages to make a whiny version of GABE, and does not have the charm GENESIS' once leader had. To the songs now: all of them are pleasant to a certain extent, but once when they try to reprise Watcher of the Skies on the opening track just to close the album with an effective Supper's Ready wannabe i feel indecisive if i should hate/respect/enjoying this band, having mixed feelings about them. The tracks in the middle sometimes just go and remind me of PT, and this is very sad because it shows they are copying even modern bands in a shameless way. The reason i have a tortured heard with this band is that they manage to make songs with some neat moments, like the rocking section of the epic track, and pass a fine message. But i feel let down when i have the "i've heard it all before!" sensation, so the motive of my mixed feelings on this album. It is nothing special, nothing impressive and nothing horrible or even average. It is well executed but lacks what i seek more on music: creativity. So, even if it may deserve a bit more than two stars, i give it this rating because it definetely let me down for searching more through this Neo prog land, as i still had some hope that "they like to be GENESIS' copycats" rumours and babblings weren't true, but, unfortunately, they are.