Ageness -
Songs From The Liar’s Lair


(CD 2009, 51:52, Presence Records PRECD 016)

The tracks:
1- Entering(01:11)
2- Martial Arts(09:54)
3- The Lie And The Liar(07:13)
4- Why Don't You Go Away(06:37)
5- Sons Of Madness(05:04)
6- The Lament Of Ghosts(09:26)
7- Liar's Lair(12:24)

Ageness Website        samples        Presence Records


In the nineties, I became acquainted with the fabulous albums Rituals (1995) and Imageness (1998) of Ageness. Since then I am a huge fan of this Genesis-inspired Finnish band. Even their album logo showed some similarity with this legendary British band. I was lucky to see Ageness in 1999 at the Planet Pul Festival in Uden, The Netherlands, but during the latest decade, it became very quiet around the band. I checked out their website from time to time to see how they were doing. Well, the band is alive and kicking! Ageness gave some concerts performing songs from Peter Gabriel and Rush, they worked for the Colossus Progressive Association, recorded a live DVD and they even worked on a new album with the preliminary title Liar’s Lair. Time elapsed, but no new album saw the light of day. When I recently checked out their website, I finally read the good news: the release of a new Ageness-album, the first in eleven years. The band changed the album title to Songs From The Liar’s Lair. I was very eager to listen to this album, thus I contacted the band for a review copy. At first, I didn’t expect anything at all, but out of the blue, a copy fell into my mailbox.

I had great expectations of the new album. Could Tommy Eriksson (vocals, keyboards and guitars) and the other band members come up with another fine release? The answer is: yes, they could, although I was not so positive when I heard the album for the first time. Fortunately, I realized that I, while listening, made a big mistake, because I too much focused on the sound Ageness produced in the nineties. I forgot that both the band and I are ten years older and we might have changed music wise. I kept that in mind during the following listening sessions and that proved to be the right way to enjoy this new Ageness album. The album shows once more that Tommy Eriksson is quite a genius. After Imageness, he collected only the best pieces to record for the band’s fourth studio-album and so we can enjoy seven beautiful songs. I really began to love this top-notch album and almost got addicted to it. I just had to play it every day. The modern sounds we hear on Songs From The Liar’s Lair fit the band perfectly. From time to time, we can still here some fine synth solos, impressive mellotron samples and also the great guitar solos remained. Guitar guru Speedy Saarinen surprised me with some wonderful guitar eruptions. The rhythm section remained the same after all those years:   Jari Ukkonen on bass guitar and Kari Saaristo on drums, both doing a great job on their instruments. Not only had the music suffered a new and positive change, but also the band’s logo. It is now a modern computer animated creation that still looks a bit like the old one, just like the music. ‘The story continues’, Tommy sings on the track The Lament Of Ghosts. So welcome back boys with this fabulous album and don’t wait another ten years for your fifth album release and please hurry with the new DVD. For this outstanding album, I can only give the highest rating possible. By the way, I almost forgot to mention. Don’t get the CD out of your system after the last notes of Liar’s Lair. The band has a fine extra for all the people who are patient enough to wait until the CD really reaches the end.


***** Henri Strik (edited by Peter Willemsen)
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