We all have to admit, in most of the prog related releases of these days there is always at least a hint of Genesis to be heard. That is not a bad thing because Genesis was of great importance for the birth of the musical form we called symphonic rock in those days and progrock now. However, that does mean that you need to have an excellent vocalist and musicians if you want to come close in terms of level. Of course there are plenty of examples, Marillion was initially also treated as a pure Genesis clone, and not entirely unjustified, but grew into something that was, and is, even better for me. Why this long introduction? With The Book Of Revelations, the big man behind this project makes frantic attempts to imitate or at least approach ancient Genesis. We are talking about Gerard Freeman who, apart from the drums and two guitar solos, plays and sings everything we can hear on this album and does not hide his admiration for the music of the old heroes. Let's at least say that his attempt is very courageous, but that the chance of failure certainly exists. With the help of Joe Donegan on drums in all tracks but one, Glenn Charles drums in the opening track, and Mark Worledge delivering two guitar solos, he presents his second full album called Olympus Mons. The albums consist of eleven tracks of which three form the suite Debacle In The Retirement Home and as you see, humour is never far away. So let's pop the big question, is he successful in producing an album of the high standard of mentioned band(s)? I'm sorry, but there is no simple yes or no in this case and I will try to explain. It is immediately clear that Freeman has a great voice, but still he lacks that little bit extra that Peter Gabriel and Fish have. The voice is a bit more ordinary, a bit "rounder", but his intonation and timing are remarkably similar to those of the singers mentioned. So let's stick to an "almost" on this one. If we go to the music then it is very clear where it is going, if Marillion was already accused of plagiarism then Freeman goes two steps further. That is actually a point of criticism and a big compliment at the same time, because if you are able to play keys and guitar in such a way that the often made comparison applies, then you have great capabilities. The texts are interspersed with historical facts and some biblical references that are interwoven with modern situations, but what stands out is humour. Sharp observations are intelligently articulated where you hear typical English language, a bit like....... , indeed Peter Gabriel. I've mentioned the name Genesis a lot now but I have to be a little more specific because I mean the old version with Gabriel on vocals and of course Steve Hackett on guitar. The keyboard playing could have been done by Tony Banks and that is another compliment. We hear a lot of keyboard parts but the guitar parts are numerous too and they resemble those of ....., indeed Hackett. Maybe it is noticeable that I have hardly mentioned any individual songs and that has a reason, namely that they are all of the same level but also that they are quite similar. Still, I want to mention the third part of Debacle In The Retirement Home separately because here the brakes go off and a beautiful piece of music is created with a wonderful guitar solo by Worledge. The name Citizen Cain comes to mind, not bad either. Towards the end of the album the feeling slowly arises that I have heard it all by now. That does not alter the fact that the music is very good, but it is all very, very recognizable. Is that so bad? No, in principle not, because as they say, better to steal well than to conceive badly and it is inevitable that contemporary music contains elements of the past. The last tracks are all relatively short and the thought occurs to me that a different order of the tracks might have provided a better balance. Olympus Mons is a beautiful tribute to ancient Genesis and for fans of this band almost a must listen because you are going to love it. The music is good and Freeman is really an all-rounder in that respect. There are no really weak tracks so it is also good in terms of consistency. At most, you could say that there are not too many real highlights, although the already mentioned third part of Debacle In The Retirement Home is in fact that. Is it as good as Selling..., Foxtrot etc..? Not quite but maybe the next one? Altogether it is safe to say that if the example, mentioned far too often by now, is not your thing, you can safely let this album pass by, but if it is, you are in for a treat. ***+ Erik Fraanje (edited by Dave Smith) Where to buy? |
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