SKU
LE1047
The Dutch masters of prog return with their long awaited second album “Under A New Sign”. Three years ago Knight Area stunned the progressive rock world with their debut “The Sun Also Rises”. Knight Area creates epic symphonic rock in the vein of Genesis, Marillion, IQ, and Pendragon. Originally conceived as a studio project by the brothers Gerben and Joop Klazinga, Knight Area evolved into a touring band drawing quite a bit of attention in Europe. The band was honored to receive an invitation to perform in the US at Nearfest 2005, where they picked up many new fans.
“Under A New Sign” marks the first recordings of Knight Area as a true band, with other members having creative input. The band’s installed fanbase need not worry – the music is essentially the same but with some harder edge guitars. The new album should also appeal to fans of heavier progressive bands like Arena and Dream Theater.
"Under A New Sign" is the perfect blend of old school prog married to modern production techniques. The band's signature sound - Mellotrons, Hammond organ, and flute - dizzying lead synth and guitar interplay - it's here in spades! Noted mastering engineer Bob Katz gave the music an expansive and epic feel.
- Style:Symphonic Rock
- Record Label:The Laser's Edge
Customer Reviews
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Like so many of my fellow Dutchmen I often wondered why, let's say in the last 10 years, there hasn't been a Dutch progband that was able
to really "compete" with the more bigger foreign names.
Well, that all changed in 2005 with the release of Knight Area's debut album. Although it still wasn't on the same level as the bigger acts I immediately sensed that there was potential.
And now it is March 2007 and I have just finished listening to their second album 'Under A New Sign', an album that is the end result of the evolutionary proces from Knight Area - The Project to Knight Area - The Band. First glimpses of that were shown at their performance at
NEARfest 2005 but it most evidently shows in the compositions. Gone are the short songs giving way to more elaborate songs in which the musical ideas have room to breath and grow.
The band has been seen reporting that the new material has become
heavier but I think that is pretty much a false impression. Yes, the
heavier parts are indeed heavier then on the debut, but these are balanced by more delicate passages (featuring flute or cello) and great flights of symphonic bliss.
A Different Man opens the preceedings very cautiously with distant flute or recorder before a wave of Mellotron-strings and Taurus pedals
comes rolling in. Jangly guitar akin to Steve Rothery's playing on Misplaced Childhood accompanies singer Mark Smit. The uptempo bit that follows is firmly rooted in 80s neoprog. Nice to hear both
guitarplayers playing the melody in two-part harmony. The finale of this song is a long extended guitar solo that rivals the ones IQ's Mike Holmes regularly puts on their albums. Judging upon style and
tone the first half is played by ex-Cliffhanger guitarist Rinie
Huigen who then hands over on the second half of this finale to Mark Vermeule. The Moog Taurus pedals are put to great use on this section as well and it has been quite a while since I heard such a
good recording that really does their sound justice.
The second song, Exit L.U.M.C. is a bit more edgier, darker and maybe it is because of the similar title but it somehow reminds me of IQ's N.T.O.C. Resistance at first. Might have something to do also with the digital piano sound we hear at first. But after the first keyboard solo we
definitely enter the soundworld of Pallas with the thundering basslines and prominent Mellotron-choir. The flashy synthsolo interruptions Wakeman-style make sure however that impression doesn't remain in your mind for long although right before the closing piano / vocal section they return to that glorious sound once more. Yes, it is clear by whom Knight Area are influenced but this is not an act of pure cloning, it is taking the musical elements they love and cooking this great progstew :-)
With the third song, Mastermind, the level of intensity is even raised
a bit more. Thunderous (and slightly distorted) Rickenbacker bass courtesy of Gijs Koopman rolls in, joined by crashing guitar powerchords and some impressive powerhouse drumming by Pieter van
Hoorn. Mark Smit puts in one of his best vocal performances on this album (check out the cool harmony-parts on the choruses). Keyboardplayer Gerben Klazinga shows he is as quick on his synths as the guitarplayers in Knight Area.
The instrumental title track is a much more elaborate successor to the title track of the debutalbum. Where as that one clearly evoked Genesis' Cinema Show keyboard solo-section, this one is much more Knight Area. This one is also firmly rooted in neoprog (read: IQ)
territory but the mood changes quite radically with the introduction of a jazzy section with some tasty Hammond organ playing and a very tasty guitar-solo by Mark Vermeule (I guess). The torch is then again handed over to Gerben Klazinga for a very flashy organ solo.
Courteous Love is the symphonic ballad of the album. Mark Smit has not
only grown into his lead singing role on the more energetic material but shows on this song that he is as adapt in more gentle territory.
Lot of work has evidently been put into the backing vocal arrangements on the album and it most clearly shows in this song (it hints a bit at
Queen's style of backing vocals). Lovely flute playing by the other Klazinga on the album, Joop, and we also get some fine cello-playing by Ruben van Kruistum. The closing symphonic finale doesn't come surprising but
has an epic grandeur that reminds me of mid-period Genesis or even Eloy.
Dreamweaver at first seems to be again a more heavy (almost progmetal) song but the intro is deceiving because already in the first half we
get treated to a very atmospheric keyboardsolo. The overall feeling is that the current direction isn't that much heavier then for instance
Arena's Immortal or Contagion album and fans of that music should basically run not walk to get this Knight Area album.
And then it is time for the final track, A Different Man Part 2 and we discover that the distant flute sounds at the beginning of the album was really a recorder. An atmosphere of early classical music is evoked but that feeling soon dissolves but a gentle flute melody steps
to the fore. It is exactly this feeling of letting the music take its natural course what elevates this album to a much higher level then their debut. But soon the tempo of the song rises and I find myself
bopping along with the syncopated rhythm and again some very tasty synthsolos. The long guitarsolo that follows seems a variation on the closing section of the opening track of the album. This then segues into a calm vocal section followed by an atmospheric keyboard part
preparing us for the big finale. And when I say big I mean really, really big. Think Steve Hackett's massive build-up at the end of Shadow Of The Hierophant but with a much heavier sound.
In 55 minutes Knight Area delivers a powerful punch with their music that really should draw in all those who are into Arena, Pallas, IQ but also mid period Genesis and Steve Hackett.
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