WORLD IN FRONT OF ME

I am tempted to copy Jon Landau's famous "I have seen the future of rock'n'roll at it is called Bruce Springsteen" line in a gig review back in 1975 as the opening salvo on this review. But if I started this review with that borrowed line, it would sound like a cheap cliche.

But I think you get my drift.......

Mars Hollow is a much hyped band these days. Which is a double edged sword. But in this case, the hype has substance.

.......So they must have had their tongue firmly glued into their cheeks when they starts this album with a big nod/tribute to Kansas. The cheesy choir...... well, you can either laugh out loud or smirk. It depends on the level of your cynical views on the music world. The rest of the album shoots of like a rocket towards the sun though. The opening song Walk On Alone, after passing the smelly cheese board, is excellent with a solid build up and theme. The next song Voices is perhaps the most catchy one with a solid nod towards Neal Morse and Spock's Beard. Voices is also my favorite song here.

And this is where we find Mars Hollow's sound. Somewhere between Kansas and Spock's Beard. Mars Hollow draws on the American symphonic prog tradition instead of looking envious at the English symphonic prog tradition. Mars Hollow is born in the USA and they let you know it throughout this album. The music is very elegant throughout. The musicians does a brilliant job. The sound is superb with a good blend of symph and heavy prog. They also include a lot of vintage Hammond organs in their sound. The same goes for vocal harmonies. The result is a warm, organic sound. Yes, a blend of Kansas and Spock's Beard is the best label this album can get.

The quality is great throughout and is excellent through the first two songs. The final song, the title track no less, is also brilliant. In other words; this is a great album. But I have heard that Mars Hollow is far better on stage than on this album............ Oh hollow Mars !!!!!!!!!

4.5 stars