SOMMERABEND

Carlo Karges was not destined to spend much time with Novalis and soon the band find itself working for the next album with a shortened line-up, where all keyboard duties were run by Lutz Rahn and all guitar parts by Detlef Job.New effort ''Sommerabend'' was recorded for the Brain label in February 1976 at the Musikstudio in Hamburg, again under the production guidance of Achim Reichel.

10-min. opener ''Aufbruch'' is a clear example of Teutonic Symphonic Rock, propably the best piece of the album and one of the best recorded by the band.It's all instrumental Progressive Rock with some nice psychedelic undertones and often a spacey atmosphere through the use of synthesizers, built around a neurotic groove with some deep bass work.Guitar solos are beautiful and the keyboard work of Rahn passes from light organ runs to intense synthesizers.The second 10-min. display of the opening LP side, ''Wunderschaetze'', reminds me a lot of STERN COMBO MEISSEN.It is a more downtempo piece with a nice laid-back guitar intro and expressive, multi-part vocals, carrying on in a more GENESIS-like vein with quirky Hammond organ and edgy electric guitars, before another acoustic intro give rise to a more pounding and fast ending tempo, highlighted by Rahn's angular synthesizers.The 18-min. sidelong title-track is a well-constructed suite, propably not on absolute par with ''Banished bridge'' from the first album of the group, but it definitely contains some very good moments.It's first parts comes in a very ELOY-like vein with stretched, cosmic synthesizers, acoustic overtones and hypnotic rhythms, interrupted only by Detlef Job's voice.Second part follows a typical Novalis vein with Classical showering during the spacey synth parts, poetic vocals and even some fiery sections with full-blown proggy exercises, based on powerful, dual keyboard pyrotechnics and the very dynamic rhythm section.

Another consistent album by Novalis.Propably the best for all starvers of long, Prog epics, showcasing the group on an upgraded sound between Symphonic and atmospheric Space Rock.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.