ADONIS

Anyone's Daughter were one of the few German bands that really "got" the symphonic style. Blending a Genesis-oid style with Camel-like touches and a touch of jazz-fusion, they gave German prog a swift kick in the pants that was so desperately needed. As bands like Novalis and Grobschnitt were flagging into obsolescence, this (comparatively, they'd already been together five years when ADONIS was released) young group set out to fill their shoes.

There's no better example of what they can achieve than the four-part, 24-minute title suite, which interpolates majestic adagio passages with soaring guitar against faster, intricate sections of fusionoid riffing. Matthias Ulmer absolutely SCREAMS on lead synth, and adds strong organ, piano and string-synth to the mix as well. Thoughtfully orchestrated, he is the highlight of an already strong band without dominating the field. Drummer Günther "Kono" Konopik (ex-Pancake) keeps up with the faster changes well, yet knows how to subtly complement the softer passages. Singing bassist Harald Bareth is one of the more pleasant German prog-rock vocalists.

"Anyone's Daughter" the song is the closest the album comes to the jackhammer intensity of the suite. "Blue House" is an adagio instrumental, a vehicle for Uwe Karpa's emotional, Latimer-esque guitarwork. "Sally" is merely a bouncy pop number, cute but pretty inconsequential.

This was quite a surprising debut album. Stylistically, not far from Asia Minor's great BETWEEN FLESH AND DIVINE album, oddly enough.