BANISHED BRIDGE

This is the first album of this German band coming out of Hamburg They have nothing to do with experimental Krautrock; there is nothing weird about their music, on the contrary what they're doing is just writing and playing beautiful music. If you want to know what symphonic romantic rock with lavish arrangements is ---but never over the top-- try NOVALIS.

The engine behind NOVALIS sound is the magnificent organ of LUTZ RAHN who is not here to show off his skills; there are no 5mns solos going nowhere. No, he just tries to play the right note at the right place creating lush layers of pastoral athmospheres throughout their songs. Beauty is a word you can use to describe their music .They are trying hard to come up with something majestic , and often they do succeed!

If you like early GENESIS or albums like HAMBURGER CONCERTO from FOCUS, this is the band for you! BANISHED BRIDGE is their first and only English-sung . After that, they will revert to their native german...with big success. If this album is not yet on par with their next 2 recordings, it is already quite an achievement. It opens with the self titled suite , a 17mns moody athmospheric epic with alot of wonderful organ sounding, some gentle acoustic guitar , somewhat reminiscent of what JANE was doing in the meantime.There is also some early PINK FLOYD influences. And don't miss the female vocal at the end; an absolute gorgeous moment.

What was side 2 is a little bit more ''rock'' like LAUGHING and INSIDE FROM ME which sound very ''energetic '' compared to what precede them, but that's still good, albeit not a trademark about what NOVALIS music is. But that's still good music, pleasant to my ears.

The sound as i said is limited to keyboards helped by a very good rythm section; no EMERSON, no JURGEN FRITZ here, just a wonderful organ player creating wonderful, gorgeous music. For the next album, not one but 2 guitarists will join the band for a total masterpiece: the self titled NOVALIS.

4 STARS.

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