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""Realms of Shadows" is highly recommend to fans of the neo prog genre and perfectly suitable for non-aficionado too."
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4/5
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Knight Area, a Dutch group born in 1982, is the solo project of Gerben Klazinga, the man who holds the keyboards there and to whom we owe the composition of the titles of this "Realm Of Shadows" third production of the combo. The two previous efforts, "The Sun Also Rising" and "Under A New Sign", released in 2004 and 2007 respectively, had received a warm welcome from critics, especially on your favorite site, and allowed the quintet to participate in the Rockfest in Germany, and to tour there with the talented band Riverside.
Knight Area sails in the crowded spheres of Neo-Progressive Rock. This album does not deviate from the path chosen at the birth of the band. Compared frequently to Pallas, Collage and Satellite as his worthy successor (he inherited some of his members), Knight Area, with this new production, is now very close to a mix between Arena and Pendragon. The small world of the Prog being definitely a big family, we can find other bands as we listen carefully to this record like IQ or Landmarq.
I must say that this album, for the Hard Melodic lover that I am, and contrary to the sensations I often experience when listening to works flirting with this musical genre, has not provided me with any irrepressible yawn or any compulsive annoyance. Indeed, the territories here borrowed are not bordered by soporific evanescent beaches, nor are they dotted with useless technical demonstrations.
This opus, where guitars and keyboards are kings, is full of brilliant harmonies, chiselled melodies, deep emotions distilled by the voice of Gijs Koopman who knows how to do it in the dramatic tremolo, of millimetre-sized bass parts (we think of Geddy Lee of Rush on the instrumental "Momentum" or Chris Squire of Yes) and magnificent keyboards that sometimes evoke the Genesis of "Wind And Wuthering" especially on "Occlusion" the final eleven-minute piece.
Mark Vermeule, the new guitarist who joined the band for the previous opus, is now very well integrated into the band and offers us magnificent six-string parts in the tradition of the excellent Steve Rothery (Marillion) and Andy Latimer (Camel). His luminous interventions never encroach on the territory of keyboards, to which, on the contrary, they respond or mingle with jubilant harmony.
So here is a Prog opus to highly recommend to fans of the genre. I would even suggest that it will be perfectly suitable for non-aficionados who will find, in the melodic richness of each track, in the finesse of the six-string and keyboard interventions, and in the beautiful artistic sensitivity of the compositions of this "Realm Of Shadows", material to really have a pleasant time. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Ethereal - 6:51
02. Antagony - 7:52
03. Two Of A Kind - 5:11
04. Momentum - 2:21
05. Awakening - 2:50
06. Dark Souls - 5:29
07. Realm Of Shadows - 5:51
08. A Million Lives - 6:52
09. Occlusion - 11:15
LINEUP:
Gerben Klazinga: Claviers
Gijs Koopman: Basse
Mark Smit: Chant / Claviers
Mark Vermeule: Guitares
Pieter Van Hoorn: Batterie
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READERS
3.5/5 (8 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (5 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH KNIGHT AREA
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