HYBRIS

A delightful album with a great deal of depth, which seems to have been a thinly veiled attack on the state of progressive music at the time. It occupies a pivotal place in the history of progressive rock, signaling the renaissance of the genre.

Or, at least, it ought to have.

But because it was from an unheralded part of the world (at that time), and the lyrics were not in English, it was not promoted and distributed as it ought to have been. So other albums, such as DREAM THEATER'S 'Images and Words', shaped the progressive rock scene in the early-mid 1990s.

Musically, the album is incredibly strong. The musicians are skilled, and what they play is meaningful and well-composed. 'Jordrok', in particular, stays long in the memory even after a first listen, and will please even casual fans of the symphonic prog sub-genre.

I wish this band had continued. With such strong musicianship and compositional skills, I can't help wondering what they might have become when they found their own voice. Because, for all its strengths, this album has one weakness: it is an echo of other voices. Those looking for innovation, for a new voice, will not find it here. But you will find something enchanting.