THE TALE OF WOE

- It took almost 10 years to make a successor after their debut album Traumatized (from 1997) but the result is awesome, I am sure that many neo-progheads and also 'non-neo-prog- hating-mid-Genesis lovers' will embrace this new effort by USA band Puppet Show!

.1. Seasons (8:45) : From the start Puppet Show is in high gear with a fluent rhythm, a powerful rhytm-section and a bombastic keyboard sound featuring choir- Mellotron and quick synthesizer flights. The vocals are a bit high-pitched with at some moments a slightly theatrical undertone. The music contains lots of shifting moods, some surprising musical ideas and wonderful, often sensitive electric guitar play. The final part delivers a dreamy climate with warm vocals and a beautiful strings-sound.

2. Seven Gentle Spirits (14:17) : Again lots of shifting moods, from dreamy with piano, vocals and Hackett-like volume pedal guitar work to compelling with a guitar/keyboard duet and a bombastic, very exciting break featuring propulsive drums and captivating work on guitar and keyboards. I have to mention the strong soli in an atmosphere between symphonic and neo-prog.

3. Harold Cain (4:16) : A short track with powerful Hammond organ and remarkable fiery electric guitar.

4. The Past Has Just Begun (16:41) : Another long and alternating composition, the sound of the keyboards and guitar evokes mid-Genesis, very pleasant. I also enjoyed a fluent Hammond organ solo, a slow synthesizer solo and a mid-tempo with raw guitar, culminating in a bombastic climate with fiery wah-wah guitar and a lavish Hammond sound.

5. God's Angry Man (4:13) : This is a bit weird song: it starts strong with again fiery wah-wah guitar and compelling Hammond organ but then it turns into a mellow atmosphere with strange sounds, this doesn't match with the rest of this album (as Prog-jester also pointed at).

6. On Second Thought (11:52) : This magnum opus is a splendid final composition, what a dynamics, what a beautiful keyboard work and what a moving final part featuring lush keyboards and a long, fiery guitar solo, halfway accompanied by the unsurpassed sound of the choir-Mellotron, this is Progheaven!

Highly recommended!!