ARRIVE ALIVE

Pallas

Neo-Prog

3.23 | 68 ratings

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Prog-jester
Prog Reviewer

Script for a Jester's Tear is the best one in Neo-prog...but not the first one! :)

This compilation of live & studio tracks is almost a Masterpiece. I've been searching for a long time for such kind of music: the very neo-prog, even proto-neo-prog, right from the beginning of the 80s, like IQ, Twelfth Night & Marillion. Surely, it is poorly produced & recorded. Surely, there is NO perfect musicianship. Surely, they're greatly influenced by hard-rock & new-wave. But this CD contains more energy, emotions, melody & power than some other bands' discographies taken together! It has everything I looked for! I'm more than satisfied! :)

The record opens with a smashing hard-rock hit "Arrive Alive" (studio take), which is simple yet groovy. The next two epics, "5 to 4"&"Queen of the Deep" (both live), have some great parts (I like the second epic more). "Flashpoint" (live) is another hard-rock song, with easy-to-remember chorus...very nice!:) "The Ripper" (live) is the first highlight of the work, highly structured & complex epic. The vocalist's insane laughing (somewhere over 10/11 minutes) scared me so much at the first listen...frightful indeed. It creates the incredible atmosphere of worry & tension. The next one, "Crown of Thorns" (studio), is the second highlight (my favoritest track on the album). Astonishing ballad-like epic, very haunting...just awesome! The best song on the LP to involve the young minds into it's atmodphere. The pre-last song (I've no 9th track on my CD edition) "Paris is burning" (studio) is a proof, that proggers DO know, what good joke is (well...in that time...). Great parody on French chanson, a perfect song for radio !:) The last one ("The Hammer falls") is a rock hit (once again) with a ballad intro. The cover-painting is also perfect - very neo-proggy, yet original & moody. With this album I got the Main Prog Rule: DO NEVER BELIEVE THE OPINIONS 'TILL YOU LISTEN TO THE ALBUM BY YOUR OWN EARS. Recommended!

Prog-jester | 4/5 | 2005-11-16

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