ASSAULT ON MERRYLAND

Not a very sturdy album, the lyrics are a bit contrived and show an obtuse, formulaic approach to creating atmosphere through pedestrian imagery. The album lacks any capacity to connect with the listener on an emotional level and it is obvious that the whole work is contrived to "show off" in terms of talent. One can surmise that the reason Surprise didn't last is because the definitions of the words "talent" and "genius" were muddled somewhere along the way. It sounds like original Piper-era Pink Floyd meets Jethro Tull on a bad day.

While not bad for a first effort, the idea of a band's initial offering being something as ambitious as a full-length concept album. There was real potential here but these lads simply bit off more than they could chew. "Tyrangatang" showed some merit but was too weighty in context of the album's intended direction.

"Assault on Merryland" is proof once again that adjective and adverbs do not atmosphere make and that talent alone does not create a solid album. Disappointing.