THE STORM INSIDE

I always thought the real genius in haute cuisine was not the chef that could concoct a 64-ingredient recipe, but the bloke that discovered the taste of cinnamon goes well with apples. What has this got to do with LIKEWENDY's music? Just about everything. How else can we explain such magical results from so simple a combination : melodious, almost radio-friendly tunes arranged in the most traditional symphonic-prog fashion you can think of. This music is so simple it almost makes composing sound easy.

LIKE WENDY are actually a one-man band, namely BERT HEINEN, a mighty talented artist. "The Storm Inside' is his first album and yet sounds like his 10th. The craftsmanship displayed on it is simply stunning: the poignant, hauntingly beautiful melodies (think a somewhat more laid-back version of IQ), the lavish PENDRAGON-like symphonic arrangements, the ever-present energetic, throbbing ARENA-like passages and finally, the soulful, melancholic vocals so characteristic of Scandinavian bands - all this makes for some highly satisfying listening for anyone into melodic prog. Although many prefer the band's third album "Tales From Moonlit Bay", I find the shorter tracks on "The Storm Inside" more suited to HEINEN's style - as if he managed to say in a single musical phrase what others would need 20 minutes to achieve.

For lack of space, I won't describe the tracks individually and simply say that most start off as slow, relaxing pieces that develop into hard-driving, solid rock numbers. They usually end in a powerful rush of sounds that completely engulf the listener. The kind of stuff that both induces the shivers down your spine and provokes the proverbial 'lump in the throat' all at once. Not overly progressive but a real winner in my books.