VISION

Martigan is a German heavy neo-prog group in the vain of Arena, IQ and Pallas. This album, 'Vision', is their most well-known record and though not without its controversy, it is seen as a classic of the genre. Well, this is basically so deeply neo-prog that its probably impossible to get into for outsiders of the genre. The implied sophistication, the scif-fi atmospheres, the bombastic symphonic arrangements and vocal theatrics are all over the place here. Furthermore, the record runs for almost 80 minutes and has two tracks clocking over 20 minutes long. The heavy guitars by Bj'rn Bisch remind me of John Mitchell's style on Arena's 'Contagion' and his great solo's are among the best the genre has to offer. His leads on the opening track 'Boatmans Vision' are very exciting and cast that perfect neo-prog mystique. The songwriting reminds me a bit of Pallas. A great eye for what is really catchy and works, but also that slightly unfinished feel and lack of sense about how to keep things approachable - which as a fan of the genre I myself really like (after four spins anyway). When all is said and done Martigan has one major flaw; the German accent of vocalist Kai Markwordt is so bad you don't even recognize most English words. I simply don't understand why a band, a producer or a record company would even accept this, whereas such a problem can easily be fixed by taking lessons. The seemingly shameless attitude of Markwordt is however also his biggest attribute; his variety in using his voice in different ways and enthusiasm for the music is quite special. He is obviously inspired by early Fish. The album its first halve is perhaps the better halve (I would rate it five stars) and I would approach this album as a double record. The second halve doesn't have any weak moment as well, but it lacks the excellence and on point songwriting of a track like 'Boatmans Vision'. It does offer some variety in sound pallet with 'Red & Green' having a jungle vibe and 'The Contract' with its lighter and more contemplative atmosphere. 'Much More' is a nice up tempo rocker as well. Together they make up for this very worthwhile release that fans of neo-prog should listen to. I would love to be able to get a 2lp of Martigan's 'Vision', but I doubt there will ever be such a re-release.