MATRICIDE

La Tulipe Noire's first album with new vocalist Julie Massino is a solid album in the tradition of Nostimon Hemar, its predecessor. As usual with La Tulipe Noire, the shadow of early Fish-era Marillion hangs heavy over proceedings, but by this point in their careers the band have become adept at making that sound their own and saying something new with it, having developed substantially over the Shattered Visage days. Massino turns in a credible turn as lead vocalist, and by and large in the seven years - the largest gap we've ever seen between Tulipe Noire albums - the band don't seem to have made any musical quantum leaps, but they've not gained much rust either.