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Review:
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Ireland's not well know for being a hotbed of progressive
rock, and Dead Heroes Club, from Derry, reckon that they're
the only ones, and I'm in no position to argue!***
A Time Of Shadow is the bands second album, originally
independantly released last year, but they've since been
signed by ProgRock Records in the US, so it should be a
lot easier to get hold of.***
The whole feel of this is classic prog rock, from the
Tolkienesque cover to the songs themselves; long in title
and long in length!***
The album opens up in fine progging style with Theatre
Of The Absurd, which, at 9 minutes and 13 seconds is only
the fourth longest track on offer! Prog rocks! And it's
a good taster for when the band have in store. Undoubtable
prog leanings, over a track reminiscient of Jump in their
mellower moments. Indeed, singer Liam Campbell's voice is
a cross between Peter Gabriel and Fish with a touch of the
John Dexter Jones' thrown in for good measure. The second
track is the equally as long Stranger In The Looking Glass,
opening up in a wonderful Pink Floyd mode, with Gerry McGerigal's
guitar work very much in the David Gilmour style, before
breaking into early, bouncy Marillion bass-driven thing
delivered by Wilson Graham.***
The shorter and rockier The Centre Cannot Hold follows
on, injecting some urgency into the album, but this gives
way to A Gathering Of Crows, with it's sampled intro of
hate and overtly proggy keyboard riff courtesy of Chris
Norby. We played this song on Proggy Style 61 back in July,
so you should be familiar with this track, with its powerful
lyrics decrying religious fanaticsm on all sides. Eleven
and a half minutes of prog pomposity for us all to enjoy!***
The emotional The Sleepers Are Waiting comes next;
dedicated, as the album is, to a friend of the band who
passed away. It's another exceptional track that highlights
the bands versitality. Final track, A Time Of Shadow rounded
off this weeks Proggy Style Radio Show. It's a prog rock
epic in every sense of the word. Fifteen minutes long, slowly
building up, a classic way to end the album.***
This is an excellent album, one that any fan of proper
prog will enjoy, time after time.***
(Charlie
O'Mara) From "Silhobbit.com"
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