ARGOT

THIEVES KITCHEN's debut CD "Head" was very good but their new CD "Argot" is even better. It's close to being a masterpiece. It's only one year between the two releases but they have grown and matured as a band, as composers and musicians. This CD is even more complex than their debut with lots of odd time signatures, rhythm & mood changes and lengthy instrumental passages, but the big different lies in the arrangements, compositions and performance. My first impression is that the music is quite similar to new bands such as The FLOWER KINGS and SPOCK'S BEARD but with the influences from the old prog heroes EMERSON LAKE & PALMER, GENESIS, KING CRIMSON and YES ever present. Their music is very much in the 70's progressive rock style. The musicians are very skilled especially the fast fingered keyboard player Wolfgang Kindl. Even the vocalist Simon Boys, who I didn't like that much before, have gotten a lot better. All the tracks are +13 minutes but they never get boring although their length, not a second. The first track "John Doe Number One" is a progressive masterpiece. Although the debut album was really good it didn't have any clear direction. But "Argot" has a clear direction and everything you could wish for from a progressive rock album. At least the kind of progressive rock I love. Make way for THIEVES KITCHEN on their way to progressive rock stardom.