LET NOT THE FLAME DIE OUT

Second album by this band is somewhat better than their latest one, but the music presented here still features more similarity with some Trip-Hop or Techno. What's positive on here that they are at least using some analogue instruments like electric violin, guitar, flute and sax but which aren't that much evident unfortunately. The album is nevertheless dominated by an electronic sound.

At times it's sounding trippy and poppy as in the first two tracks, at others it's becoming a bit monosonic and mesmerizing as in The Locusts Call which combines repeated drum loops with some spheric sequencer sounds and an ethnic touch. Didn't work out that well I've got to say. One Eye To The Sky is initially more in a modern TANGERINE DREAM vein before the added drum beats are giving it rather a more Techno touch. Ali Mamoun's Broken Entranceway offers a little bit more variation, but still sounding rather samey, an hybrid of TD-type of music and Techno I would say.Actually this band would fit better under electronic music than space rock. Frequency Of Sand features again some electric violin but it's dominated by a very monotonous repeated drum loop with synths and sequencer sounds. Occasionally there are some ethnically sounding sampled vocals. Mutashaker (Thank You) might be described as some kind of "ethnic techno",and Our Man In Baghdad is more Trip-Hop-ish.Atoms Of The Gods is the first one I think which is dominated by "real" instruments and here we can listen to the listed sax, unfortunately it's very short, but so far the best one. As Seen In 822 A.D. is some kind of Acid-Jazz and Sanctuaries Of Jupiter dominated by Techno beats. The remaining three tracks really cannot convince me neither to rate this album higher than 2 stars.

CONCLUSION Their second effort is slightly better better than its successor, but still far away from what I would call good space rock at least according to my taste. Really not my "cup of tea" and I don't think interesting to any progster.

Oh dear, the music of this group didn't please me very much... Their stuff on this disc sound much more like contemporary "trance" dance music to my ears, but I understand that they have relations with the modern electronic psych groups, but still I see them as a borderline inclusion. Maybe I'm just too old timer or allergic towards modern electronic poppy music? Their monotonous and short songs don't offer very much for listen in my opinion, and I'm not pleased personally by their aestethical style. Perhaps those who are interested of the modern electronic sounds like this stuff (Korai Orom was mentioned being similar?), and I would recommend them to make their own conclusions about this, but I just can't rate this very high. My appologies.