D'accorD - Helike

It’s kind of weird to see a Norwegian band not playing (any kind of) extreme metal music and although, we have seen and heard lots of bands from Norway playing all kinds of music… I, honestly, didn’t expect to hear a band that plays 70s prog rock music heavily influenced by Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Pink Floyd and King Crimson.

 

The sound/production is trying to capture the vibe of that era… the song arrangements, the flutes, the Hammond, the performances… all are coming from the 70s. The guys seem to have studied and truly love that music and that specific era. Even the tracks on the CD are only two… about 20 minutes each... in the way that prog rock bands did it back in the 70s. But back then, they had to split the track in two pieces so as to put it in both sides of the vinyl… nowadays, there’s no such restriction though. “Helike” is a confident concept album but it lacks on some specific parts… so in the end… it does not leave you a very good taste.

 

The band is playing really nice… yet, the songwriting has nothing new to offer… just the same safe copy/paste musical themes from the aforementioned bands. Contrary, if you wanna go your own way, you must not be afraid to explore new musical territories… after all, that’s what progressive music was meant to be in the first place. As for the vocals… they are not fitting the whole result nicely. It’s the frailest point on this album. The homesick fans of 70s prog rock music… better take a look at them.