EMPTY LIE, EMPTY DREAM

GERARD (the name is derived from a shop in Tokyo that sold clothes) was the first Japanese prog rock band I ever heard and they are still my favourites. Their first two albums ( from '84 and '85, both in '88 released on CD) belong to the best prog rock ever made in Japan: exciting and alternating compositions with moods that shifts from mellow with piano and warm vocals to powerful mid-tempo rhythms and bombastic outbursts featuring biting and blistering guitar runs and sensational, often dazzling synthesizer play (TOSHIO EGAWA is the amazing Japanese answer to Keith EMERSON and Rick WAKEMAN). The interplay between the musicians is splendid (like metal-inspired guitar soli and violin- Mellotron waves or biting runs and spectacular synthesizer flights) and the rhythm-section sound very dynamic and adventurous. GERARD's music has hints from ELP, ELOY, DEEP PURPLE and GENESIS (ARP Pro Solist sound) but their sound is very distinctive, especially these two albums (when guitarist/singer Yukihiro Fujimura left to found VIENNA, GERARD turned into a very ELP/UK like trio). I do have a slight preference for the second album: it sounds a bit more mature and the first album has two mediocre ballads (AOR meets symphonic rock) while the second album only contains strong tracks. I you are up to harder-edged and alternating bombastic prog rock with lots of exciting instrumental work, this band is yours!