STAND UP

This album is just a remake of their previous album which was a remake of their previous one. I guess that you have the idea. Another album with some Gabrielesque sounds (solo career), a few very good guitar work (Stand Up), pleasant vocal melodies (Whiteline Highway), some Floydian moments with the intro of Wasteland to remind you Run Like Hell.

Keys will irrevocable evoke Banks while they were three, but so is this Final Conflict album. Signature in the Sand being the worse song here and the best example of what NOT to do.

I have almost reviewed 200 neo-prog albums. And when I had covered the major ones of this genre (the genuine Marillion, Pendragon, Arena, IQ), I must say that I couldn't really find lots of bands who could hold the comparison (although I have a special tenderness for the melodic music of Grey Lady Down).

Final Conflict is no exception. Looking deeply for inspiration (T230). The listener has to wait for Days Gone By to find the second above average song of this work. As in Whiteline Highway, what will catch you is the excellent vocal harmonies : sweet, polished, emotional. But Andy Lawton's guitar work is adding a great touch as well. Pendragon is very near.

I guess that Floyd (later generation) is again on the rendez-vous with Miss D Meanour. Not very original perhaps (these synths solo are definitely too much Banks oriented and somewhat annoying because of their repetition).

I like very much the short instrumental Omen. Fully spacey (almost Tangerine Dream - Pheadra).

When I listen to Stop, the epic of the album, the vocal introduction draws me back in the sixties and Bang Bang (by Cher, but immortalized by Vanilla Fudge). It is another good number from Stand Up. I guess that you could say that it sums up all the characteristics I have outlined earlier on in this review. A fine piece of neo-prog music.

This looooong album (almost seventy minutes) holds too few good songs to be considered as a good album. Two stars.

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