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The Night Watch - Twilight CD (album) cover

TWILIGHT

The Night Watch

 

Neo-Prog

3.59 | 63 ratings

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Gatot
Special Collaborator
Honorary Collaborator
4 stars This album represents a good example of how the band that has taken the musical format of progressive rock hero, GENESIS (and a bit of KING CRIMSON), can still perform its best despite some critics about cloning to early GENESIS music. For me personally, I have no problem at all with the initiative of copying the format of elder band (s) as far as they don't take the musical segments directly. I even have to thank the band because I like this kind of music, still. In this album, I could not identify any effort by the band that leads to plagiarism. This album has successfully filled me with musical needs in the vein of Gabriel-era GENESIS and early KING CRIMSON. This might be GENESIS would look like if GABRIEL did not leave the band. It might be. The vocalist, SIMONE ROSSETTI, has a vocal quality on par excellent with PETER GABRIEL. It's a very close voice. It's no harm at all if even ROSSETTI really tried to emulate GABRIEL's singing style and fit with the music. He wrote all lyrics of this album while the music was composed by its guitarist FRANCESCO ZAGO.

I would not go over track by track but the opening track MY IVORY SOULS indicates the symphonic nature of the band and its close structure and format with early GENESIS. When I observe in details, the sound and style of guitar is reminiscent of early K CRIMSON, played in an ambient nuances. Opened with Hackettian guitar fills, the music suddenly enters with great drumming and Frippian guitar work. When vocal enters the scene, it's a perfect Gabriel singing style and quality. The Fripp guitar sound is really stunning and I enjoy it very much. The song is accessible for most of us especially if we like GENESIS. The music suddenly turns to be quiet with a humming ROSETTI's voice. When the music starts to rise again, I can sense the vocal style of GABRIEL singing the I KNOW WHAT I LIKE song. Overall, this song has a very strong composition and structure, excellent musicianship. And, it's really enjoyable.

Second track THE THEME is a short acoustic guitar fills that reminds me to the intro of BLOOD ON A ROOFTOPS or HORIZON of GENESIS. It flows to the third track FISHERMAN which has a very tasty melody. This track has really BLOWN me (the same case with first track) because the melody is pretty damn nice - shame on me that I feel like crying enjoying this beautifully crafted track (melody-wise) combined with Gabriel's singing style. What a memorable melody! It reminds me to GENESIS' track "The Lamia" of The Lamb album. Yes, there is piece when the guitar piece is very close to GENESIS Supper's Ready at minute 7:00 (approx). It's OK.

Well, I understand that people's musical tastes are different from one to another. Even those who are hard core fans of GENESIS Hackett era might not like that the kind of their music is being copied by new band. As I explained above that I have no problem at all with this, even I'm so thankful to THE NIGHT WATCH that has perfectly combined the music of GENESIS with KING CRIMSON as you might find it at track 6, A GAME WITH SHIFTING MIRRORS. It's the same case with CITIZEN CAIN (oh boy .. I love the band!). Copying musical format has also happened in hard rock genre like what happened with KINGDOM COME (80's band not the 70's) which received intense critics being a copy cat of LED ZEPPELIN. But, . I don't care. Music is derivative. I love KINGDOM COME. Their debut album is excellent! As for THE NIGH WATCH, this debut album is excellent and deserves 4/5 rating. Excellent. GW, Indonesia.

Gatot | 4/5 |

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