Solid Neo-Prog
philippe deroin | Gaithersburg, USA | 10/04/2009
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Realm of Shadows, the third album from dutch prog-rockers Knight Area, does not break any new ground but covers old territory very well, mixing familiar elements of Classic Prog like Genesis, early Marillion or Camel with hints of outliers like Kansas or Dream Theater. The quintet serves a third helping of the formula already established with Sun Also Rises (2004) and Under a New Sign (2007). So the concept album, which seems to loosely describe some sort ot metaphysical journey, may not appeal to fans of more adventurous progressive rock (like Porcupine Tree's The Incident) but will certainly appeal to those who follow the works of Pendragon or IQ, always enriching the canon...
All the tracks on the album are good. One, Two of a Kind, seems more mainstream than the others and is therefore a matter of taste. Two, Momentum and Awakening, are short instrumentals. The other tracks are of medium length and tempo. The standout-track is probably Occlusion, the 11mn album closer which seems to channel both Foxtrot and Script for a Jester's Tear, followed by A Million Lives, Dark Souls, Antagony and Ethereal.
Realm of Shadows is a solid entry in the prog canon. In terms of interest, it is a toss-up with is predecessor Under a New Sign. The fact that the band has gone from seven members to five does not make a lot of difference since it is very much the brainchild of keyboardist Gerben Klazinga. Very much in the way that Pendragon Will sound like Nick Barrett... And because of this dependance on one mastermind, like Pendragon, Knight Area sometimes seems to turn in circles, without having the excuse of longevity. But it does manage to stand out eventually. Not like Pendragon, with an unusually good album like Pure but with its musicianship. In particular, the real stand-out of Realm of Shadows is not, in my opinion, a specific song but bassist Gijs Koopman who is omnipresent and inventive, without being overwhelming. On this album, Koopman has the kind of musical presence of a Chris Squire and his playing alone would be enough to recommend the opus.
"
Realm of Shadows
C. Westbroek | The Netherlands | 10/12/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This third release of the Dutch sympho-band Knight Area is their best release until now. The band gets better with every release and with five members they sound not less than they did with seven on the former album Under A New Sign.
There is something for every like in this kind of music on the album. There are two instrumental songs and both are outstanding.
The best tracks on the album are in my opinion Dark Souls and Occlusion,the longest song on the album with more than 11 minutes.
The song that will attrack people who would like to hear the music not too dark and heavy will feel attracted to Two Of A Kind.
The solo's on the album are very nice. The production is really very good and the artwork is atmospheric and beautiful.
The only thing I personally would have loved to see on the album is a longer instrumental song as both the instrumentals on this album are just between two and three minutes.
"
Track Listings (9) - Disc #1