Ontofield is a one man project by John Graham, and this is the debut CD. The music(according to John) is “different styles in different songs and could be described simply as rock with a progressive edge, but really draws influences from an eclectic range. The recommended way to arrive on a view of the work of Ontofield is to give it a listen and make your own mind up. In other words; listen to it, if you like it, that's good.” I knew the very first time I played this that I liked it a great deal, but it took a while longer for me to finally get a handle on what it most reminded me of, which is early Nineties Pendragon. To be fair, that probably has more to do with the vocals and guitar than the overall feel, as the keyboards are very different to that of Clive, which gives the band a very interesting musical perspective.
Not content with just channeling good vibrant British prog, there are large elements of Tangerine Dream in what is being produced, with Vangelis and Floyd also getting a look in. But, although there are times when Ontofield almost come over as a keyboard band, there are also plenty when the guitars are right at the forefront and others where they combine to deliver something that is dramatic and powerful. This is progressive rock music that actually contains both elements, and doesn’t just concentrate on demonstrating just how clever the musician is, but also remembers that this is about entertainment and certainly listening to this there is more than enough to enjoy on first hearing with more to be taken from the music with repeated plays.
This doesn’t seem like a solo project, as there is a real band feel (and the drums don’t sound programmed!), and it is certainly worthy of further investigation. For more details on the band then visit www.ontofield.com.
