LEAVE

German band CLOUDS CAN is a fairly new addition to the progressive rock scene in Germany, albeit one with a history that goes back a couple of decades. The band is a duo, and both members are composers and multi-instrumentalists with established solo careers. "Leave" is their official debut album under the Clouds Can moniker, and was released by German label Progressive Promotion Records in 2017.

If you tend to favor artists that explore progressive rock in a manner not too many others do, and has a go at the genre in a contemporary manner, Clouds Can is a good example of just that. That Thomas Thielen makes up half of this band is something those familiar with his solo albums will hear, and chances are good that if you enjoy his solo albums, then the music of this side project will appeal just about as much, even if it is somewhat different in overall scope.

I've said this many times in the past, but it is worth repeating, and that is I don't read press releases until after I have played the music. Although to be honest, even if I did, I am so far behind that I would have forgotten what they said by the time I got around to the album, so consequently it is only just now that I have realised who is involved in this project, namely Thomas Thielen (t) and Dominik Hüttermann (Virtual Moon, Imatra). Dominik provides keyboards while Thomas does everything, as usual, but here he is working with someone else who has had major input into the album. Apparently, they recorded together back in the Nineties before Thomas decided to work as t, and it was that which led to Thomas doing his own work.

With only a couple of songs just breaking through seven minutes, and a style which contains some more popular elements, such as a chorus, the result is something which is more crossover than neo-prog. In some ways this is a cross between modern Hogarth era Marillion and Steven Wilson, contemporary and modern yet still maintaining its links to the prog scene and Thomas's solo works. I have long been a fan of t and am glad I had not read the press release prior to this as I have not been influenced by knowing he was involved, but instead can say this is a commercial progressive album I have enjoyed immensely, and I am sure many progheads will feel the same way.