DEPARTURE

Do you like CAMEL? if the answer is NO, then this album is not for you!, just plain and simple; so, do not even bother in track this one. Always MUSEA has been good on finding sound-bands hidden like this one, from the mid- 80'; that instead of doing Neo-Prog, they decided to go on with a more Symphonic approach.

Mid-period CAMEL output come to mind, but also ASIA MINOR ("Between Flesh and Devine, which by the way is a real pleaser!..). I would not call them a CLONE all the way, but is really hard not to consider this band a CAMEL clone, since most of the lush keys and the guitar mellow parts sound like them (ala Latimer..), other influences a do hear in them is Alan Parson's here and there, what probably set them apart is the occasional use of Cello, and the extended spacey-moods, specially on the title track, and just for that I am willing to give them 1/2 star more, but that is it!

Of course, the longer tracks are the best, and probably the more structured; but in general the whole album lacks of the.."Punch" you may say of CAMEL; Yes! I know some progheads do not see CAMEL like that, but come on I am making a point here, and is that after listen to this band, instead of repeating any track, I felt more compelled to pull from my shelves a CAMEL CD!! Do you know what I mean? I hope, because even though is a GOOD album, maybe for late afternoon winding down from work or rainy Saturdays afternoons, your collection will not suffer from its absence, and I personally have 100 cds, better for this occasions. By the way the two bonus tracks in the CD, are quite good too!

3 to 3 1/2 stars.