mutatis mutandis
| Format | CD |
| Country | Spain |
| Recorded | 2000 |
| Issued | 2000 |
| Label | Musea |
| Cat no. | FGBG 4313.AR |
| Playing time | 51:05 |
| Reviewer | Petrus Bojanowski |
| IN NOMINE mutatis mutandis |
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||
The Spanish band In Nomine go for a sophisticated and artistic neo prog with strong roots in the original progressive rock of the 70s. This is mixed with a sound consisting of both vintage (70s) and more recent (neo prog) elements. The result is an album of many adventurous atmospheres and impressions.
In Nomine sounds as if IQ should perform the songs of Drama period Yes. Here are plenty of details, elegant passages and great variation in themes and emotions. None of the tracks (five long and one short) have dull moments.
The arrangements are coloured by characteristic (Yes/ELP/Genesis) moogs and synths, some piano, classical guitar, various electric guitars, some congas, a lot of backing vocals, and of course bass and drums (with 70s sound mix). There are also a lot of elegant arpeggios, very active bass playing and odd rhythms, all performed in a catchy way. The musicians play well together, and the overall performance is quite good.
The band’s two good vocalists sound like a combination of Ian Anderson, Peter Gabriel and Fish. All vocals are in English. The chord changes are lyrical, and the album is melodic and pleasant, while at the same time both exciting and challenging, which in itself is quite a feat. But then, this is high class art rock.
The sound is good, quite dynamic, and with a well varied instrumentation. A few sections have guitar parts with too much chorus which makes it sound halfway out of tune and a bit unprofessional, however this is characteristic for several neo prog bands, and perhaps more of a subjective matter of taste than actual objective criticism.
Those who like IQ and 70s progressive rock like Starcastle, Yes and Genesis, plus Marillion, should be able to find a lot of enjoyment in the album Mutatis Mutandis. This debut record is easily recommended!
© 2002 Tarkus Magazine