THE TEETHING FASHION

A small number of gigs and a line-up change later, Relayer were ready to come up with their second album.Bill Kiser took his place behind the drum kit, replacing Michael Ways, and the new work of the band carried the title ''The teething fashion''.Released in 1996, this marked the first product of Relayer for Angular Records.The album was also distributed in Europe via Musea Records.

Slightly more complex, the new Relayer album shows again a fresh and passionate band full of interesting ideas, split in short- and mid-length compositions, which feature intricate and rich performances.A light GENTLE GIANT influence appears every now and then, indicating a new element in Relayer's music, combined with the already familiar GENESIS and RUSH influences.Guitar work falls somewhere between MARILLION and RUSH'es ALEX LIFESON, while the keyboard parts are pretty great, often colored with symphonic textures and pompous deliveries, again MARILLION should be cited as an influence, of course along with TONY BANKS' monumental style.There are moments when the group sounds very close to compatriots ECHOLYN, especially in the more complicated moves, characterized by the clean voices, the changing tempos and the dense interplays.Relayer though were always a group with a strong sense of melody, thus another one of their works contains plenty of them, either through emotional guitar solos or the laid-back vocal-based acoustic preludes.But again there are also a few tracks with an extremely dramatic atmosphere, created by the crying electric guitars and the orchestral delivery of synthesizers, showcasing a band capable of flexible and mature composing.

For fans of rich, 70's-influenced Neo/Symphonic Progressive Rock, delivered in a modern way, ''The teething fashion'' is a not-to-be-missed album.Strongly recommended, an overlooked pear of the 90's...3.5 stars.