BLACK CHAPTER RED

German band CROMWELL was formed back in 1992, and released their debut album "Burning Banners" in 1997 through the German label Angular Records. Line-up alterations and other issues then saw to it that the band activities stopped up for quite some time, but a second album has been in the works for many years now. Their sophomore creation "Black Chapter Red" eventually appeared in the summer of 2016, issued through Progressive Promotion Records.

Those who are fond of the harder-edged variety of neo-progressive rock that some bands started to explore in the '90s should feel right at home with this sophomore production by Cromwell. Tight, firm and dark toned guitars paired off with light toned keyboard arrangements are the key combination that creates an appealing sound, with effective vocals and clever use of minor alterations, as the details that ensure nerve and tension, are maintained quite nicely. Fans of a band like IQ (circa 1985-'87) and Galahad might want to give this one a spin.

Excellent addition to any prog music collection

This band from Germany delivers one of the best neo prog i ever heared in long time. With only two albums released so far, their most recent one is called Black chapter red, issued in 2016 after almost 20 years silence from debut Burning banners. Worth the wait?, yes it does big time. Cromwell is to me one of the most intristing bands from this genre with nice and smooth keys passages and very strong rythmic section and the job they done is little more intresting then on many bands from this genre. The voice is no more from a female as on previous album but a new voice of Holger Weckbach, who is excellent on all pieces, reminds me a lot in tone of voice with DC Cooper from Royal Hunt. The instrumental sections are more then ok, but to me the cherry on the cake are the keyboards, really really good, I was impressed, didn't expect to be so inspired from start to finish. Catchy album, with melodic lines but aswell complicated twists and turns just to be an enjoyble ride for fans of the genre. Forte pieces, title track , Black Confetti or the opening one.

So in the end a big 4 stars for this excelent album. It's a shame that this band didn't get very much attention from the prog conoseurs because worth every second. Recommended, better and far more intresting outfit then many bands from neo prog from today.

German outfit Cromwell were formed in 1993, releasing their debut 'Burning Banners' four years later. Back then they were a quintet with a female singer, but by the time they came to release their second album in 2016 they were a quartet with a male singer. Original band founders Eric Trauzettel (drums) and Wolfgang Täffner (keyboards) had now been joined by Holger Weckbach (vocals) and Frank Nowack (guitars, bass) while the album was mixed and mastered by Martin Schnella (Flaming Row, Seven Steps to The Green Door).

The result is an album which is basic neo-prog which sounds as if it had come from the Nineties as opposed to a much more modern release. Also, I actually thought the drums had come from a machine as opposed to a human, and the result is something which may have been influenced by bands like IQ, Pallas, Jadis, Enchant or Saga (according to the band themselves), but has little in the way of power or drive of any of them. It has far more in common with guitar- driven melodic rock than neo-prog, although there are plenty of keyboards, and the result is something which rarely captures the imagination. There is nothing inherently bad about any of it, but there is little here which encourages me to listen to it ever again once I have finished writing the review. I would much rather listen to any of their influences as opposed to Cromwell themselves, as this is basic stuff at best. It really does sound as if we have gone back nearly 30 years and I am playing a demo tape all over again, as while the production is as strong as I would always expect from Schnella, none of the rest of it lives up to that.