CLIMBING MOUNT IMPROBABLE

When ''Reflections'' was released the Wernars brothers had already started working on their sixth album, which would be named ''Climbing mount improbable'', the work which meant to be the last featuring Ernest Wernars in the line-up.Marijke Wernars helps out on vocals for yet another Us release and the band kept using the Joris ten Eussens name for the drumming duties, although they still had to program the drums themselves.The album came out in April 2008 as a private production.

In the fullness of time the Dutch duo reached its bottom with this effort, from which the beautiful front cover and the ability of the composer Jon Wernars to produce decent, progressive suites are to be kept.Five compositions for a full hour of music, containing three tracks over 10 minutes long, still revisiting the classic GENESIS, YES and maybe early KING CRIMSON sound, but the recording quality problems start to bury the ideas of Us, which still remained interesting and intricate.The bad sound of drums, the fake sounds of the Mellotron and even some questionable bass lines start to become trully disturbing.Moreover throughout this labyrinth of thin sounds the lead vocals come as a hitting stone.Some albums need to be played by a normal group to sound good and ''Climbing mount improbable'' is one of these cases.Too bad, because noone can deny that there is some serious talent in here, the tracks are long, elaborate and pretty symphonic with changing moods and a wide instrumental variety, keeping the ongoing Dutch Prog scene alive and well.The best parts appear to be some great, GENESIS-styled electric melodies and solos, while the organ and synthesizer moves do sound more natural, despite some neurotic themes and solos.Structurally the pieces are still at a good level with multiple variations and a vast palette of symphonic and Neo Prog colors.But the synthetic and eventually weak instrumental selection has hurt the overall result next to a very false voice.

I would prefer this album to have come out in an instrumental version, while the instrumental armour should have been kept to reduced and more natural pieces.Neo/Symphonic Prog fans should still find something to like in here despite the obvious flaws, but overall this work seems like a black hole in the band's strong backcatalogue.