NUMBER SEVEN

Phideaux continues his winning streak of stellar releases, "Number Seven" being very much the heir to the outstanding "Doomsday Afternoon". As a whole, "Number Seven" is a symphonic journey through beautiful styles, moods, tones, and emotions, with a consumate songwriter as one's guide.

The album begins with the mysterious "Dormouse" theme, giving way to the beautifully ominous "Waiting for the Axe to Fall", which features characteristic blends of synth, vocals, and guitar effects. These features are utilized throughout the album, its recurring themes and melodies weaving a lush and emotive tapestry of sound. The vocals are great, with the female lead almost stealing the show. Phideaux's guitar playing is usually understated, so don't expect anything especially rousing or heavy-- mood and melody are the name of the game here. There are peaks and valleys within the dynamics, but things stick to subtlety more often than not (even though the album is about war).

The overall feeling is generally forboding, but never oppressively so. Phideaux doesn't seem to take himself as seriously as some other symphonic/prog stars, and "Number Seven" reflects that. Although dark, this release has a sort of bouyancy which keeps its tone and pace moving quite along, and it never gets preachy with its lyrics.

Very, very good, and probably a 5 star release if not for its close similarities to its slightly more striking predecessor, which has a greater depth of emotion. Still, "Number Seven" is a lock for album of the year on many listener's lists, thanks to its iconically progressive sound and genuine excellence. The blend of styles and quality of songwriting is poised to place Phideaux as the prog-rock artist to watch.

Songwriting: 4 Instrumental Performances: 4 Lyrics/Vocals: 4 Style/Emotion/Replay: 4