NUMBER SEVEN

I guess the reviewers' contrasting opinions (either 1 star or 5) are somewhat biased by the author's presence on PA as a user. The truth about new PHIDEAUX album, as it's supposed to be, is somewhere in between - three fair stars.

I loved "Doomsday Afternoon", so I had no problem with this one. The same way singer- songwriterish Retro-Prog, with beautiful catchy melodies, but this time it really sounds like a sequel. The originals are always better, aren't they? I mean DA was that special album, whose line is continued by N7, and it will always be better (at least, in my book). N7 can't be regarded as DA's twin, it's more pastoral, somewhat Genesis/Curved Air/Italian Prog-inspired, more laid back and acoustic, while DA was more Symphonic and even Floydian at times. It hardly breaks a new ground, it is definitely NOT a new word in a world of Prog, but it's even better, you can just sit back, relax and got an hour of good ol Prog. A bit lacking diversity, a bit uneven and too sentimental in its second half, it still worthy of these three fair stars. Recommended, but newbies should start with "Doomsday Afternoon" first