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I have been informed that Red Sand is a band in the vein of Marillion and my colleague prog heads recommended me this album. This might not be the best album by the band but when I spun it at the first time, I almost lost my patience with this album due to the tempo is so slow and it consumes my listening pleasure, really. Take the opening part "Submissive" which consumes more than three minutes with a very very very slow tempo of music with singing style. Yes, after that you will find catchy guitar solo in the vein of Marillion's "Chelsea Monday" but by the time my energy has drained out because of the slow tempo at beginning. It's probably the band's intention to create the right dark nuance for the song but it seems like being elongated very long. I am not saying that this is a bad track at all, it's just too long and actually not necessarily this long. The singing style is also dragging too long, which actually fits with the music, but it sounds quite annoying to my ears. The transition piece in approx minute 11:20 when the acoustic guitar fills enter does not sound smoothly, and again . it moves so slowly.

"Gentry" starts with a disconnected telephone call with annoying answering machine "The number you dial has been changed ." repeatedly and it does annoy my ears. The soundscape was not crafted properly, I think. The band should have hired Mr, Steven Wilson to do this part. "Very Strange" is also another slow moving song - well, at least at the opening part - using long sustain keyboard work followed with music in medium tempo. I have lost my patience here and I have stop the player .. sorry . I can not wait that long .. it's dragging too long, I think.

Overall, this is not a bad album at all but for sure you have to have "patience" to get the full joy of this album. I recommend this album for collectors of neo progressive music only or fans of the band. I don't think the music of this album is in a way similar with Marillion - they are definitely different! Most of passages in the composition do not flow naturally. (Imagine Marillion's "Heart of Lothian" which moves smoothly even though the style changes, or Marillion's masterpiece "Forgotten Sons" with many tempo and style changes). Keep on proggin' ..!

Peace on earth and mercy mild - GW

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