Also Eden - [Redacted]

This is the fourth studio album from South-Western neo-proggers Also Eden, but although I am sure that I heard the debut when it came out in 2006 I have somehow missed these guys through the years, and I can see that on the basis of this I am going to have to undertake some searching as this is superb from start to finish. I know that they have been through some line-up changes over the years, but as I am treating these as basically a new band I can’t comment on what impact that may have had on their overall sound, all I know is that I like this. A lot. Rich Harding’s vocals reminds me of a lower version of Galahad’s Stu Nicholson, with the same quality and melody yet with the edge at times of Credo’s Mark Colton. Certainly on a musical front there are similarities with the aforementioned Credo as well as IQ, but although I mention these just to give some sort of idea of the sound these guys are very much their own band.

I have often thought that some progheads look down on the ‘neo-prog’ genre, and some of the bands themselves hate being called that, but to me this album epitomizes all of the best from the Nineties when I and many others (but not enough, let’s be honest) traipsed around from Walthamstow to Whitchurch and all points in between as we tried to support the progressive underground. It brings back the memories of hearing Winter for the first time when I was the only person in the audience (Red Lion Brentford – sadly missed, but never forgotten), or jumping around to the madness of Grace or the metallic monsters that were Mentaur and Freewill. Harmony vocals, great riffs and hooks, keyboards and a rhythm section all joined together, who could wish for more? This is progressive rock that brings a smile to the face of the listener and the desire to get up and move, as they remember that the second word of the genre is indeed “rock”, something that often gets overlooked. Sheer fun from start to end, here is a band I need to hear more of.