FIELD OF NAMES

I come to ALIAS EYE primarily via POOR GENETIC MATERIAL, with whom they share singer Phil Griffiths (and occasionally his dad Martin Griffiths) and drummer Ludwig Benedek. POOR GENETIC MATERIAL would not be who they are today if they had not, as en electronic duo, met up with ALIAS EYE around the turn of the century. From this encounter they incorporated Griffiths and melodic prog into their DNA. Worth a try right?

While similarities cannot be denied, largely in the vocal area but also in the attention to melodies, ALIAS EYE seems more concerned with connecting traditional song structures to more complex modern prog passages. They are less of a throwback if you will, and less given to true epic length pieces. They are also more hard rock oriented, an area in which PGM has barely dabbled. True, the heavier passages consist mostly of rhythm guitar riffs that lend muscularity to some decidedly tender melodies. In this respect they are more closely allied to SPOCK'S BEARD whom they cite as influences and with whom this album has been compared. For a more obscure reference, the Canadian project KAOS MOON is conjured.

None of this prepares one for the opening track, a full fledged gypsy/klezmer piece that includes an accordion lead just in case you missed the connection. The syncopated beat is established early and becomes a pattern through the album. "Premortal Dance" and "The Readiness is All" buddy up like two sides of the same coin lyrically, and are highlights musically, with powerful melodies, choruses and instrumental breaks, the first a cracking guitar lead and the second an outro on sax, neither of which could be easily predicted. Other favourites are "Hybrid", which describes the proceedings to a T, a blend of styles and references, and "Just Another Tragic Song".with its ominous build up and quasi orchestral break spearheaded by Vytas Lemke on keys.

None of the tracks are weak but the rest have too many ersatz qualities to captivate me with regularity, and their instrumental breaks quite outshine the vocal parts, notwithstanding Griffiths' imposing pipes. Still, this is a pretty likable album on its terms, and worth exploring if melodic modern prog with a twist or two falls within your depth of field.