Neronia - Second World

(CD 2019, 44:09, Independent Release NECD1006)

The tracks:
  1- Chaos(1:04)
  2- Here I Am(2:39)
  3- What Else Now(5:39)
  4- Kiss Of A Rainbow(3:44)
  5- Grey Day(3:36)
  6- Rhythm Of Life(3:59)
  7- Missing Link(4:29)
  8- Different View(5:26)
  9- Control Your Life(2:46)
10- Leave The Past Behind(0:55)
11- Loud And Proud(3:34)
12- Center Of My Dreams(6:12)

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After the German band Neronia returned to the scene with Nero (see review) in 2015, I could appreciate their music, but wasn't really convinced by the band. Now, four years later a successor has been released in Second World. Before the release of Neo, Neronia was reduced to a quartet and remained the same with vocalist and keyboard player Falk Ullmann, guitarist Rüdiger Zaczyk, bass player Lutz Beberweil and drummer Dirk Hartel. Their former keyboard player Michael Stein, returns as a guest musician on Second World.

Musically the album is a continuation of their previous effort and remains in the safe zone of thorough progressive rock in a conceptual way. The band is influenced by bands like Galahad, due to the sometimes metal related guitar parts. Vocally the band has it's ups and down in my opinion, Falk has his moments, but doesn't hit them right on certain points. Here I Am even sees Scorpions references in the vocals. What Else Now has some The Who elements in it. Too bad the vocal capacities in combination with the quite average compositions don't really rock my world. On occasion, the heavier guitar parts sound tasty, and when the keyboards join, it sometimes becomes interesting. The spoken words elements in Control Your Life have a familiar sound, guess I heard it before somewhere in the nineties. That's basically the whole feel, returning to the nineties, including the obligated acoustic instrumental; Leave The Past Behind. My personal favourite is the heaviest, most powerful track Loud And Proud.

Where I was afraid of no to less progression after the previous album, I feel sorry to be right this time. Second World continues as a mediocre, average progressive rock album, that has it's roots in the nineties. If you can't get enough of that period, You might like this album, check it out.


*** Pedro Bekkers (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen)

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