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IQ - The Seventh House CD (album) cover

THE SEVENTH HOUSE

IQ

 

Neo-Prog

4.00 | 756 ratings

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The Ace Face
3 stars I.Q. continues their streak of quality if sometimes same-y albums with The Seventh House. The band has hit a stride of quality writing and playing, and this one is no exception.

The Wrong Side of Weird, great title, and suitable oddball opening synth riff, leading into a galloping section of driving rock that IQ does so well. The bass especially shines here, providing the urgent pulse that keeps pushing it forwards. Very reminiscent of Ever's opener The Darkest Hour. Love how the synths soar especially high over the other instruments anchoring. Segues into a slower and slightly minor key middle section with good piano work from Martin Orford, which builds to a dark and spooky section with some distorted guitar work from Mike Holmes before picking up the tempo again to reprise the opening.

Erosion: classic keyboard intro, but already IQ is recycling it's own ideas. Again, these are great ideas but their formula verges on becoming stale with this album. Good build to the song, dark and harder edge with a good guitar solo. Solid as ever.

Seventh House is another mini epic, with all the solid IQ elements.

Zero Hour is more mellow and laid back, with saxophone added because hey, why not. It works! Again, all solid stuff.

Shooting Angels is where this album starts to drag, not bringing any new ideas by recombining old ones into another song.

Guiding Light starts with a mournful piano melody, very good. The slow buildup and crescendo to the manic instrumental climax sets this one apart a bit from the rest, bringing some energy to the closer.

Overall, good but not essential. 3 stars.

The Ace Face | 3/5 |

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