THE CONTINUATION

THE WINDMILL are a six piece band out of Norway and this is their second release. Considering i'm the first collaborator to give this album less than 4 stars should give you cause to take my opinions with a grain of salt. It's a proggy album with sax and flute along with the usual instruments. I don't know, this recording just doesn't do a lot for me but having said that clearly many Prog fans love this album.

"The Continuation" is led by flute and piano early on before a full sound kicks in around a minute with drums and guitar leading the way before the flute returns. Some nice guitar over top after 2 minutes in this opening instrumental. "The Masque" opens with piano before flute and strummed guitar takes over as the vocals join in. Synths come and go then we get a change before 5 minutes as it speeds up and becomes fuller sounding. I much prefer the tune up to this point with the vocals and mellow sound. Some aggressive organ runs come and go as the guitar solos. A flute solo before 7 minutes and I like the brief vocal melodies a minute later. The song continues to shift and change the rest of the way. "Not Alone" has spacey synths and a dark rhythm as the flute joins in. It's building as drums and more join in. It then settles back after 1 1/2 minutes to the original sound. Vocals arrive before 2 1/2 minutes as we get a ballad-like section here pretty much to the end.

"Giant Prize" is one I don't like even a tiny bit as we get this Reggae beat with vocals. "The Gamer" is the closing epic at almost 25 minutes in length. Some nice soaring guitar, spacey synths and drums lead early on before a calm arrives with piano only after 1 1/2 minutes. Vocals will follow and it stays laid back. Relaxing guitar after 6 minutes and it will go on and on then the vocals return before 9 minutes. It turns more powerful 12 minutes in and the vocals that follow are more passionate as well. A lighter almost humerous instrumental section follows then it turns heavier after 18 minutes before settling back with vocals to the end.

This just doesn't grab me for some reason but I appear to be in the minority with that opinion.