THE ROAD OF BONES

After releasing a string of strong albums that occasionally reach levels of brilliance, IQ finally hit their highest peak here. Original bassist Tim Esau returns after 25 years, but the big change here is another keyboardist, Neil Durant. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what changes here in IQ's overall approach, but there's definitely a heavier edge, more metal, and the songwriting is unique, distinct from song to song and unified in approach. This is their first true essential master piece, more than 30 years into their career.

From the Outside In: huge strong opener here, heavy riffing with all the instruments coalescing around the main riff to color the outside spaces with different melodies and textures, so instead of sounding like a metal song it sounds like a prog song. This new heavier style compliments Nicholls' voice very well, whose tone seems to change and sound angrier without losing its angelic quality. Neil Durant proves himself the new star of the band, using many textures and sounds through out to flesh out the band's sound to a full and robust style. A slow section with great keyboards is among their best, and the lyrics seem more strange and paranoid than ever before. Dark, but tempered. Beautiful. The closing section features keyboard and bass interplay that will come to characterize this new IQ era: creatively flourishing, shaking off the stagnancy that previously held them back. Each instrumental section sounds new rather than like an older song.

The Road of Bones: one of IQ's absolute best songs. Beautiful piano and keyboard set an incredibly spooky atmosphere, appropriate considering the title of the song. Next, Nicholls' voice enters with lyrics describing "my night's work", seemingly suggesting someone committed murder in the night time, and they grow to build out the creepy and dark atmosphere. When the band kicks in, the drums and bass find an incredibly funky groove that actually fits the atmosphere rather than distracting, and the song just BUILDs to the climax. Absolute perfection, and hauntingly beautiful and dark lyrics. Absolutely masterful full band work here.

Without Walls: A 20 minute epic, akin to Harvest of Souls, but better written and more tightly constructed. Beginning with a lovely piano theme from Durant, and a drum machine that actually fits. Very wistful and soft lyrics about losing your sense of order? Always hard to describe, but Nicholls is at his best here. Things take a minor key turn before breaking into some heavy riffing and mellotron work from Holmes and Durant. The bass yet again is almost funky, standing out in a way it hasn't before. Lyrics take a dark turn to match the music, and the organ melody helps build the pre chorus and drive the energy up. Keyboard work is especially strong, adding choir mellotron and a syncopated synth melody to keep the atmosphere changing and darkening. Then the band drops out and Durant carries the next section entirely by himself, with at least 5 different keyboard voices developing different melodies overlapping. The bass and bass drum pulse eventually help but it's really Durant here. Stunning work, seemingly boundless creativity. Acoustic guitar comes in for the next vocal section, while the keyboards and atmospheric guitars keep evolving the atmosphere surrounding Nicholls voice. Full band kicks back in for a soaring guitar and synth trade off solo from Holmes and Durant before they sync up melody wise. The key is different and the tone is more upbeat, but the same keyboard patterns find their way in, making this a truly cohesive piece with themes recurring in different contexts throughout. As the build becomes unbearable, the vocals drop out and the band kicks into high instrumental gear, with a tricky time signature, guitar and synth parts bouncing off one another as the drums and bass keep things driving. Nicholls comes in for one more climactic soaring yell before the crashing climax comes, full of dissonant mellotron choirs and booming bass synths, before the final section hits, a reprise of the opening piano section but, of course, as pompous and triumphant rock section complete with guitar solo. Just perfectly executed form with the 20 minute epic here, not a note wasted and incredibly tight writing and performing.

Ocean: lovely keyboard/xylophone voice? Melody opens up this shorter, mellow, but still lovely and excellent song. The piano takes over the melody as Nicholls gives one of his most heartfelt but still cryptic lyrical performances. Acoustic guitar, bass synths, bass guitar, some creative drumming, all these elements come together to make a lovely piece. Neil Durant uses his keyboards with such a light touch and perfectly complements the full band sound. Eventually he hits the organ as the song builds slightly, and the sound is just perfect. Great little piece Until the End: typical keyboard mood setting intro, dark and atmospheric, with the guitar melody adding before Nicholls comes in, with his voice being altered to fade in and out with dark tones. An eastern sounding set of instruments, strummed and drummed comes in to begin to push us forward. At the three minute mark exactly, the band kicks in, and Durant is again the star with a magnificent organ sound, but the bass shines also, create riffs and fills. The synthesizer swaps solos with guitar melodies as the band stretches out in some of its best instrumental work on the album. Vocals come back with the same melody set over the more urgent music. A trickier and more off kilter section follows, with the drums taking as prominent a role as the voice, and there is a seamless transition to the triumphant guitar melody that follows and will bring this song home to its conclusion with beautiful organ, singing, bass synths and guitar. The last few minutes take the band out and leave just piano and voice with a touch of classical guitar, beautiful and touching note to end the first disc on.

Now the second disc here is technically a bonus disc, but it's clear the band had hit such a creatively fertile period they just kept firing on all cylinders, and I consider this a double album.

Knucklehead: Unexpected beginning here with the bass getting funky again while the drums get a full workout of rhythms, patterns and beats while the keyboards for once are the backing instrument. Acoustic guitar brings in the vocal. The way the vocals start 'and I can't go outside', as if picking up midsentence, to me it suggests the happy ending of the last disc wasn't all great, things keep going beyond a happy ending, life continues. Very nice touch. Some very heavy riffing and keyboards follow. The guitars take on interesting tones here, keeping the creativity flowing. A fast paced heavy section follows with great syncopated beats from the guitar and drums while Nicholls' voice flies effortlessly across the top. We return to the acoustic beginning and funky bass with more driving instrumental to close it off. Nice track, lots of new ground broken every song on this album.

1312 Overture: opening with a portion of the 1812 overture (haha) before the band drops right in with a tricky riff in a tricky time signature, choir mellotrons soaring overhead. Great little song, instrumental with great playing from all.

Constellations: More creative playing in the intro here, a unique time signature with the drums taking the lead, seemingly a theme on the second disc, with dissonant choir mellotron before the melody comes in brighter, and Nicholls trades lovely melodies with Holmes on the guitar. Neil Durant's arrival and the return of Tim Esau on bass seems to have given everyone in the band a new spurt of creativity that doesn't even end with this album. This song goes through many classic prog moments, and though IQ's sound always becomes familiar over the course of an album, the songs themselves are distinct and unique rather than same-y sounding. Great synth solo followed by an equally great guitar solo in the middle section, followed by a beautiful piano and mellotron led vocal section. Following this is the triumphant ending section, but it oddly alternates to be slightly more off key in some of the verses, again maybe suggesting things aren't as great as they seem? Great guitar and organ playing, and the final 2 minutes really build up but then the song just fades out, an interesting anti climax with no real melodic resolution. Fall and Rise: A lower key song with some mystical keyboard melodies whose voice I cannot identify, with the bass and drums again having a more prominent role. Almost like this disc is the rhythm section getting to write songs and the others have to build on them. Bass especially is essentially the lead instrument here. Classical guitar comes in for a little, but the song is loose with a spacey feeling, with the absence of electric guitar creating a hole that actually is a plus for the song creatively, generating an entirely new feel. The song doesn't develop further than that, but gets by on creativity and mood. Great stuff.

Ten Million Demons: A bouncy synth melody sets the song up for a hard charging, darker and heavier rock song, fitting the title. Great melody, memorably creepy lyrics, more bass and drums leading with keys soaring, guitar almost absent but it works. Weakest song on the album, but still stands out from their material as a whole. Hardcore: After an hour and thirty minutes of top tier, highest quality prog by some of the finest musicians working, you'd think IQ wouldn't have any gas in the tank for another 10 minute mini epic, but the opening is as eerie and unique as ever, quickly giving way to heavy riffing with the guitar and bass setting the mood. The heavy riffing only gets harder and more intense, practically sounding like Dream theater with less overall notes (hah). This gives way to a more eerie slower section driven by multiple keyboard melodies and voices alone, Neil Durant again showing he is a perfect addition to the band. The drums and bass jump in to take this section to the end while Holmes plays a mournful guitar solo, with the bass in particular shining again with riffs and licks to spare. Another sort of anti climax, as the melodies never really intensify or climax, but continue their mournful and sad progression until the fade out.

I've written enough about this album. Get it. It's an absolute masterpiece.