LANDMARQ

This album was a complete surprise for me. And a pleasant one at that.

For some reason, I've been checking out more female voiced prog lately, including newer stuff from Panic Room, The Reasoning and Karnataka. Landmarq's earlier albums from the 90's were voiced by a man (Damian Wilson), and I'm not much of a fan of their music from that era. Tracy Hitchings took over lead vocals for their 1999 album, and then endured a period of illness and remission for cancer during the mid-2000's.

When "Entertaining Angels" was released 14 years after that previous studio effort, her voice was back to its typical strong and cheerful tone, with lyrics inspired by her battle with cancer. Lest you think this might be a morbid affair, fear not - it is very inspirational and uplifting music with some great refrains and musical motifs. There is a passion to Tracy's vocals as she sings over a combination of complex and easier progressive arrangements. I put her vocals right up there alongside the best of the prog female vocalists that I've heard.

Some of the guitar solos are reminiscent of David Gilmour's work, and are a nice accompaniment to the great vocals. If this music were a little more original, it might get a full 5 stars from me. Nevertheless, it is still a really enjoyable album to listen to from beginning to end; you can't beat that these days.

I see where Tracy Hitchings passed away this past December. This album stands as a great testament to her talents and will.

This is a 2-disc DVD+CD set, filmed and recorded live in 2013 at one of the band's European shows at De Boerderij, NL, but I only have the audio so can't comment on the filming. By this time Dave Wagstaffe had decided to leave the band due to his ongoing commitments with Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash, and his place on the drum seat had been taken by Danny Martin. All eight songs are taken from the latest studio album, 'Entertaining Angels', probably due to having released two live albums since the 1998's 'Science of Coincidence', which was the last studio album prior to that one, plus a live DVD in the same period.

Doesn't really matter why though, as 'Entertaining Angels' is a great album, so I am more than happy for the band to be performing most of it in concert, and I am sure the fans there that night feel exactly the same way as well. In the live environment the guys are polished, with superb harmonies and great musicianship, and a real edge to their performance. I have been lucky enough to see Mike play live quite a few times, and it is where he really thrives, while Uwe and Steve have shared a stage for longer than many marriages and each know their place, but also somehow manage to take it to the next level. Uwe is surely one of the scene's most under-rated guitarists, with a wonderful biting sound, while Steve is rarely content with staying with the drums and would rather be creating additional melody lines, and then there is Tracy. When I hear Tracy sing, with that power and grace, I wonder why it is that someone with her talent isn't a household name and why studio-created monstrosities are the ones that rake in all the money.

Landmarq have never gained the kudos they really deserved, and having to take many years out for various reasons certainly never did them any favours, but whichever way you look at it, this is an awesome album that all neo prog fans (in particular) should have in their collection. The second stage of the band is complete. Now let's be having the third'

This double CD set was released in 2014, and shows what most people think of as the two different recording line-ups of the band. Use D'Rose (guitars), Steve Gee (bass, vocals) and Dave Wagstaffe of course appear on both, while the first disc features Tracy Hitchings (vocals) and Mike Varty (keyboards) and the second has Damian Wilson (vocals) and Steve Leigh (keyboards). Overall this is designed more as an introduction to the band than anything else, as it only contains one new song (from the newer line-up), "Origins", with everything else already easily available from other albums. What it does do really well, is contrast the difference between the two versions of the band, and as Landmarq now move forward with another new singer and a new drummer, it will be interesting to see where the music takes them.

By the time Mike Varty joined Landmarq, he was already well-known as keyboard player with Shadowland and Credo, while in many ways Tracy was the original obvious choice for the band given that she and Dave Wagstaffe were a couple and she had been lead singer in Quasar, the band that a few of the guys had been in before, but it was never to be. Instead she made a name for herself working closely with Clive Nolan, plus other session work. In fact, the only time I ever saw Tracy sing with Landmarq was when she and Clive supported them at The Standard and then joined them onstage for an encore: I have always loved Tracy's voice, one of the true star female singers from the British prog scene, with a breathiness and range that is simply wonderful. But, Tracy finally did join Landmarq, and this line-up has always felt more symphonic to me, with Mike putting down the layers, Steve Gee putting some amazing fretted and fretless bass as another melody, while Uwe plays over the top. Dave keeps punching it at the back, while Tracy is always a star, always hitting the notes with the emotion and power she has become known for. This CD is that of a mature band, one that has grown and is respected throughout the scene.

But for all that, I must confess that out of choice it will always be the second CD to which I will normally turn to first. I know that part of that is because I was talking to the guys a great deal during this period, and was lucky enough to see them play a few times. I am also aware that I have always raved over Damian's vocals, but Steve Leigh's (ex-Tamarisk) impact on the overall sound cannot be overstated. Songs such as "Killing Fields" sound as fresh and dynamic as they did more than 20 years ago when I first heard them. The instrumental section at 2:50 is wonderful, with Uwe playing a complex solo, Steve Gee doing just as much behind him, while Dave keeps it tight and Steve Leigh provides the support for all of them. But, there are plenty other times when the keyboards are the ones grabbing the attention. Plus, the second CD contains the mighty "Ta' Jiang", sixteen plus minutes of the orient meeting Twelfth Night in a fashion that is surely their finest hour. The first disc is great, but arguably the second is more original in its approach.

If this was being released for the fans I would like to have had the original demos from before Damian joined the band, and wonder if there are any recordings at all (even from gigs) when Moon Gould was singer, as he was a fine vocalist and is often overlooked. But, if you are looking for a perfect introduction to one of the UK's finest prog acts, then here it is.

First clouds within the Landmarq family appeared in 1993.Damian Wilson was proposed the position of singer for the Luxembourg-based act La Salle and left the band, who replaced him with Ian Gould after several auditions.Gould spent a year with Landmarq, participating in numerous live shows with his powerful voice, but he also quit in 1995 because of musical differences and went on to join Medicine Man.In the meantime the collaboration between Wilson and La Salle did not go well and he rejoined Landmarq for the recordings of the third studio album ''The vision pit''.The album was recorded at the Thin Ice Studios in Maidenhead in the early summer of 95' with Clive Nolan helping Landmarq in orchestrations, while additional engineering and mixing was served by Karl Groom.''The vision pit'', released in 1995, was the last album of the band for the SI label.

Too many things went on between the previous and the new album, but the inspiration was still there for a group that slowly became a stable value of the Neo Prog scene, producing bombastic and sharp Progressive Rock with grandiose orchestrations, angular guitar riffs and of course monumental vocals by Damian Wilson.While the music is once more accesible, heavy and quite melodic, this is another case of a Landmarq album that requires time to be appreciated.Energetic music with excellent guitar solos, great breaks between mascular grooves and lyrical material, poetic lyrics and edgy synthesizers, often with a symphonic edge.The songwriting is pretty great with memorable melodies, impressive choruses and a variety of atmospheres, including lots of 80's-styled Prog keyboard stylings, straightforward rockin' moments and some decent room for pompous instrumental work.Neo Prog legends ARENA must have listened to Landmarq tons of times, as the style is pretty similar.Powerful piano lines, orchestral overtones with the sign of Clive Nolan and Heavy Rock pounds are also in the menu, combined perfectly in the longer tracks of the album like the excellent ''Infinity parade'' or the punchy ''Bed of nails''.

At this point Landmarq seemed like a group ready to rule the Prog world.While their music was not the most original around, the solid and consistent songwriting along with amounts of energy included in their third album were enough to satisfy the prog fans.Highly recommended...3.5 stars.

This is the follow-up album to 'Thunderstruck' as it is the second part of that live album, and marks the end of an era for the band as it will be the last album to feature keyboard player Steve Leigh. Although the band have been a little careless with vocalists over the years (with Damian Wilson doing the hokey cokey, Moon never recording, and now Tracey who was the person they originally wanted to front the band years ago), this is the first time that they have had a change of 'musician'. So the future is now with Spanish keyboardist Gonzalo Carrera (ex Galadriel etc), but this album looks back with five of the six numbers taken from the three Damian albums.

Tracy has long been one of my favourite female singers, and she gives the songs a different edge to that from Damian who was a very hard act to follow indeed. The fact that the guys had been playing together for many years certainly show as they have a total understanding of what they are about and with Tracy giving it her all, this captures one of the UK's most under-rated prog bands at their best. There is an instrumental version of the mighty "Ta Jiang" (here combined with "Narovlya") that is only half its' original length but it still shows what close understanding between a rhythm section and twin melodic lead instruments can provide. Uwe is never an over the top guitarist but he has enough of an edge to give the music bite when it needs it while Steve's keyboards can be simple and almost understand or total pompous grandeur when the need arises.

Yet again this is a solid testament to the band, and an album that all progheads will surely enjoy, but instead of just listening to the album why not get out and see them! They are playing some dates around the country in the near future ? go out there and give the much maligned prog scene some support. The band has all the details on their very informative web site at www.landmarq.net.

Originally appeared in Feedback #73, Jun 03

The 'difficult' second album was upon them, but with "Solitary Witness" opening 'Infinity Parade', it showed that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. This is a powerful rock song full of emotion, with delicately picked guitar and keyboards that build to a crescendo as Damian turns on the power and the edge. The highlight of this album is "Ta'ijing" where the band go all out with an epic, at over sixteen minutes long. While there are elements of Twelfth Night in sections of this, they manage to bring in some oriental influences and styles and make this very much their own with tension building and the music driving along. Another favourite of mine is "The More You Seek The More You Lose", which belts along much quicker and heavier than many prog numbers. There is also the bonus of "Borrowed Mind" which was originally only available on the Japanese version of the album

It has been far too long since these great albums were easily available in the UK, so if you enjoy your prog then get these now! Cyclops have also reissued 'The Vision Pit' (the last album with Damian), 'Science Of Coincidence' (their first album with Tracy) and the live 'Thunderstruck'. There will also soon be a new live album, 'Aftershock'.

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02

It has been a long time since I put this CD on the player, far too long, and it is like returning to an old and trusted friend. Landmarq were formed out of the ashes of Quasar by Steve Leigh and Uwe d'Rose (Steve had previously taken over the keyboards in Chemical Alice when Mark Kelly left to join some outfit called Marillion), along with ex-Quasar vocalist Bob Daisley. Bassist Steve Gee was next to join and after writing a host of material they called on Dave Wagstaffe to complete the line-up. Just as they were recording a demo for Dutch label S.I. Bob decided to leave, and replacement Rob Lewis-Jones didn't want to commit himself. The band now had a deal but no singer! Tracy Hitchings (also ex-Quasar!!) wanted to join the band but the label was loath to have her in a band so soon after releasing her solo album. Luckily Karl Groom (who was engineering the album) had the perfect solution in the vocalist he was working with on another project, Damian Wilson.

Damian is to my ears one of the finest male rock singers this country has produced, and when he joined, the band were ready to set the prog world alight. 'Solitary Witness' was an impressive debut, released in 1992. It combines strong keyboard-led prog with good guitars, intricate melodies, and soaring vocals. Opener "Killing Fields" powers away while "Foxing The Fox" always reminds me of a powerful rushing taken of "Blood On The Rooftops". Clive Nolan and Karl Groom produced the album at Thin Ice and Clive also helped out by providing the lyrics to some of the songs. Landmarq never forget that they are a rock band, and the crisp clean lines of their music cut through much of the over-dramatised music of the time. Even now it has a great deal to offer, and the fact that it has long been unavailable surely means that many will pick up this reissue, featuring as it does a different version of the album highlight "St Helens Suite". I can remember watching the band at The Standard where they were joined by Tracey and Clive, with Clive reading his own lyrics out of the booklet as he couldn't remember them!!

Originally appeared in Feedback #69, Aug 02

It has been some 13 years since the last Landmarq album, due in no small part to Tracy's battle with cancer. This got me thinking, as the keyboard player is Mike Varty who is also in Credo ? whose singer Mark Colton also suffered a life-threatening illness which long delayed an album. If I was in DeeExpus, Shadowland, or anything else Mike is involved with I might be concerned?.Anyway, I first came across Tracy's singing a million years ago when she was in Quasar with Dave Wagstaffe and Steve Leigh, and after they all left that band they formed Landmarq, although with Damian Wilson on vocals while Tracy worked with Clive Nolan and also followed a solo career. It was only towards the end of the Nineties that Tracy became the singer on a full-time basis (after Damian, then Moon, and then Damian again if my memory serves me right) and she appeared on their last studio album 'Science of Coincidence', but this is the first to feature Mike as he has only been there seven years. The rest of the guys are those who have been there since the beginning, namely Uwe D'Rose (guitars), Steve Gee (bass) and Dave Wagstaffe (drums). Although since the release of this album Dave has had to announce his sad departure as he is no longer able to commit to touring, as he also plays with Martin Turner's Wishbone Ash.

So, what about it then? Production is top class, as one would expect from Mike, and although Tracy has been through a lot on the last ten years it doesn't show in her voice at all. I have always felt that Tracy is one of the most under-rated singers from these shores (go and find her solo album if you don't believe me), and is easily on a par with Lana Lane, and here she sings with a passion and strength that totally belies what has been going on in her personal life. In many ways this is easy listening prog, in the sense that the music is here as an accompaniment to the vocals and although there is a lot of complexity in the arrangements it is all about the singing. There are Floydian moments ("Mountains of Anglia" features some great slide guitar as well as sax) and others that are more in your face, but at all times it is about mood.

My favourite Landmarq album is always probably going to be 'Solitary Witness', but in many ways this is a rebirth and to my ears is a totally different band who produced that album 20 years ago, not just in personnel but in approach. 2012 has been a wonderful year for bands that first came to prominence in the 90's to produce great albums, and Landmarq are no exception.

Turbulence?

If you happen to know the live concert DVD Turbulence released in 2006 (or, if you have seen the band live recently?), several of the tracks on this new studio album will be familiar to you. The title track, Mountains Of Anglia, Prayer, and the 16 minute plus Calm Before The Storm were all included on the Turbulence DVD (but ironically not the track called Turbulence itself). As such, more than half of the music on this album is at least six years old. But during this time little or nothing has happened to these songs or to the sound of the band in general. Like on the previous Science Of Coincidence from 1998, the songs are lush and melodic and filled with modern keyboard and clean, soaring lead guitar. I again find this music very pleasant and enjoyable, but somewhat lightweight.

Even if I think that Tracy Hitchings is a fantastic vocalist, I much prefer the Damian Wilson-era of Landmarq. The excellent debut album Solitary Witness remains my favourite Landmarq album and nothing they did after that has impressed me. There is no denying that these people are very talented musicians, and this is certainly another good Landmarq album, but again I fail to be impressed. As I said in my review of Science Of Coincidence, anyone looking for something dark or heavy should definitely look elsewhere.

Long overdue, Entertaining Angels will please fans of the band and many fans of the lighter side of Prog

It's been quite some time since Landmarq released a studio album, the last being Science Of Coincidence way back in 1998. There have been a number of live releases since then including the band's first DVD - Turbulence, Live In Poland in 2006. The delay has in part unfortunately been down to vocalist Tracy Hitchings diagnosis with cancer a few years ago. Thankfully she has now been given the all clear and made a full recovery and is back in fine form.

Entertaining Angels is a great comeback for Landmarq and whilst I don't have all their albums in my collection it's the strongest set of songs I've heard from them. It's a consistently enjoyable collection of neo prog verging on crossover with strong and memorable melodies throughout. Lush keyboard work prevails alongside some fantastic and very tasteful guitar work from Uwe D'Rose including some searing Gilmour style soloing. Icing on the cake though has to be Tracy Hitchings gorgeous vocals whose theatrical delivery soars over this excellent collection and proves that she's one of the finest female vocalists working in prog, or any other genre today.

Most of the songs exceed the eight minute barrier with album closer Calm Before The Storm reaching sixteen minutes. Landmarq go for strong hooks over complex instrumental workouts and it works in their favour. Whilst unlike many prog bands we don't get a myriad of changes on most the tracks but they never appear overly long and laboured. This in part has to be down to the way Tracy expertly builds her vocal parts keeping the listener captivated, Part 2 of Glowing being a shining example. There's still room for some strong instrumental passages though with sax making a guest appearance on a couple of occasions for added colour.

The album is also available in a limited edition which includes a bonus disc with a further four tracks making up an extra thirty minutes of listening. Whilst these make a welcome addition there's nothing on here as strong as the main album but nevertheless worth the extra few quid. Overall then Entertaining Angels is a great return for Landmarq and sure to keep fans of the band happy and hopefully get them a few new ones along the way.