PETER GABRIEL 3 [AKA: MELT]

The rumours are true. Peter's third album is where it all finally comes together. A defining moment in the shades of grey that constitutes the dividing line between prog and non-prog, it is an adventurous, uncompromising piece of artsy defiance and inclusive accessibility.

With the exception of a few tiny drops in quality, the craftsmanship behind the album is flawless. I admire the genius it takes to create such a cryptic, counter-current work as 3, Melt (or simply Masterpiece as I prefer to call it) and present it with such ease and confidence in the hands of an ever growing audience. That's the biggest illusion of them all; this is in fact a very, interesting, progressive and transcending work.

Stunningly rewarding when you dissect the songs patiently and carefully, trying to reveal all nuances and all the detail in the production I really can't choose any particular highlights. There are so many skilled musicians involved, such carefully applied judgement, boldness and drive in the production and micro-management that many of the individual songs create small worlds of feelings and imagery even while lasting for a maximum of about seven minutes. A combination of awe-inspiring drums (no cymbals!), percussion, bass and Chapman stick and an awakening interest in world music also manage to do something only rhythms of that calibre can; they not only convey the heavy emotionality and spirit of the music psychically, no, they manage to go beyond that and actually appeal to some primal, often forgotten chord within you that resonate with the purely physical part of sound.

A pounding, hollow drum beat, mischievous percussion and gnawing, mistreated guitar on The Intruder really is a kidnapping of the mind.

Suspended and vulnerable as the initial stripped-down xylophone may be on No Self Control, there's still a return to the pounding frustration and fractured fragments of sanity, efficiently portrayed by some menacing guitar and a veritable collapse out of control in the forms of brooding, powerful drums.

Family Snapshot. Melancholic, quiet beginnings, lyrically progressing with a saddening inevitability, but it's getting stronger and stronger musically, more and more charged with emotion as the discussion unfolds in the head of the assassin in the song.

Take the chance and judge the other songs for yourself. Even though it may seem to be a thoroughly dark album, there are rays of hope now and then, adding to the depth and total experience, and surprisingly there are quality rockers such as And Through The Wire and I Don't Remember to contrast to the 'heavy' stuff and give room for some air. You're going to need it in the otherwise compressed atmosphere and dense sound.

And over all this there's of course Peter Gabriel's voice. Screaming his heart out, lurking deep and restrained or painfully howling it is perfectly clear that the man is a singer of singers, with an amazing palette of emotions and sounds to his disposal. Gives me the chills.

A spectacular ride. 5 stars.

//LinusW