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Review:
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IZZ is an USA four piece formation that was founded
in the second half of the Nineties, after their acclaimed
debut CD entitled Sliver Of A Sun (1999) The Darkened Room
is already their fifth studio-album, four years after their
previous effort The River Flows. Before I received this
album in order to review, I had only heard of their name
(during an interview with Nemo, their bass player named
IZZ as one of his favourite bands) and didn’t know anything
of their music.***
From the very first moment I listened to the new album
The Darkened Room I am very impressed about their music,
how captivating, thrilling, emotional, compelling and especially
original progressive rock music these skilled musicians
have created! OK, it’s obvious that The Beatles, Genesis
and Yes are a source of inspiration but these elements are
very wonderfully blended with their own ideas and the many
surprising twists and turns. In fact you can compare IZZ
with fellow USA progrock band Spock’s Beard because of the
blend of Seventies Prog and the evolution of an own sound.
And that’s what we witness here, outstanding music that
range from progressive pop (the catchy Ticking Away) to
Classic Prog inspired music like the 76-77 Genesis-oriented
23 Minutes Of Tragedy featuring twanging acoustic guitars,
bas pedals and a Hackett/Banks sound. But the inventive
arrangements and many strong musical ideas turn this compsoition
into something very special and exciting like spectacular
synthesizer solo, howling guitar and emotional vocals. And
so these elements do in the other tracks: an interlude with
soaring Mellotron turns into a part with heavy guitar riffs
and flashy synthesizer in Swallow Your Pride (great male
vocals), in Day Of Innocence a mellow first part with twanging
acoustic guitar and high pitched vocals shifts into a heavy
conclusion with fat riffs, thunderous drums and fiery guitar,
in Regret there’s a bass solo before a sumptuous final part
and in Can’t Feel The Earth Part I a Grand piano is omnipresent
along Brian May-like guitar, majestic choir-Mellotron and
fat Minimoog and in the end a xylophone sound is beautifully
blended with the other instruments. The highlights are the
very compelling compositions Can’t Feel The Earth Part II
en III, enjoy the 24-carat symphonic rock, loaded with exciting
Mellotron and synthesizer solos, changing atmospheres and
heavy guitar play, this is a Progwalhalla!
Check out this album, meanwhile I feel ashamed that
this is my first musical experience with IZZ and I am going
to discover the other albums, what a progrock sensation
this USA band is!***
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars! [4 of 5 Stars!]
Erik
Neuteboom
Progwalhalla.nl
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