About a year ago the Polish prog band Believe released their previous album This Bread Is Mine. Now they return with the new album World Is Round. Back in 2008 some changes in the line-up took place as new singer Karol Wroblewski and keyboardist Konrad Wantrych joined the band. Since then the line-up remained the same and that also applies for their musical style. If you liked the previous Believe-albums then World Is Round will also be to your liking. The themes of this album are a metaphysical reflection on our lives as humans and the cycle of nature. In my opinion this album is again rather dull and predictable especially the vocals tend to get on my nerves after a couple of minutes. However, the music is somewhat romantic, laid back and to some extent demanding for sensitive listeners. The compositions are solid and well-performed and the production is well-done either, but I find the music a bit too flat, a bit one-dimensional. In other words, there's no real musical progression in the songs. Highlight is the final epic track Poor King Of Sun / Return. This is a complex song with many instrumental passages, many changes of tempo, but sadly with a rather boring piano outro. Cut Me Paste Me - a weird title by the way - shows the somewhat heavier side of Believe that also features a nice guitar solo with a Riverside-vibe. In general, I think the album is too mellow for me, especially during singer-songwriter tracks like Bored or New Hands and I think that pure prog rock lovers will agree. After listening to the album five or six times I still don't get it. World Is Round didn't really touch me, but you have to listen for yourself and make up your own mind. *** Martien Koolen (edited by Peter Willemsen) Where to buy? |
