In the world of progressive rock, we no longer present the English of IQ 'who are now almost 40 years of scene. After 'The Road of Bones' in 2014 (which was one of my favorites this year), they release their 12th album 'Resistance'. First of all, like its predecessor, it's not a opus but two that are offered to us with a duration of one hour and 48 minutes with two long developments of each about 20 minutes in the second part which was not originally intended to be integrated into the album (we will come back to it). Concerning the main opus, we get to the heart of the matter with 'A Missile' which has an extraordinary power of striking (normal, you will tell me for a missile !!) with sumptuous arrangements where each instrument brings its contribution and where 'Peter Nicholls' makes a first masterful performance. Without transition, 'Rise' takes over and alternates tension and relaxation with always a big sound in the parts powerful and a tormented atmosphere to a climax, then, change of scenery with the first part of 'Stay Down' which embarks us on a small cloud in a refined atmosphere that gradually takes ampleness to finish in apotheosis. Follow 'Alanpandria' also cut in two with a first atmospheric part conducive for an invitation to travel then a second part which is a sort of epilogue of the first four songs with a masterful rhythm section until the last note. With 'Shallow Bay', the register is lighter and it's a pretty 'Floydian' title with a much more accessible melody and beautiful instrumental parts in which 'Mike Holmes' offers us a wonderful guitar solo, then, 'If Anything' is moving away a little further from the beginning of the opus with its subdued atmosphere with electronic sounds that can make you think of the atmosphere of 'Phil Collins' in the 80s with a rhythmic section in restraint and which ends completly staggered but remarkably with powerful organ chords. And it is with the 15 minutes of 'For Another Lifetime' that the first album ends in a patchwork of atmospheres which make it a formidable progressive piece making succeed a first part in a disturbing atmosphere with an organ of barbarism , then, a second part much more classic but nevertheless majestic with several changes of tempos and intensity and beautiful and rich instrumental passages with accessible melodic lines.
As for the second opus, lovers of long progressive developments, you should be delighted by 'The Great Spirit Way' and 'Fallout' which together total more than forty minutes with all that one wishes to find in titles of this magnitude but which require to linger to draw all the musical richness. In general, the moods generated by these two titles are more in tune with 'IQ' compositions of the 90s, but it can be emphasized that, whatever the style, 'Paul Cook' contributes fully to the success of the ensemble. with a remarkable rhythm section. The other two tracks 'Fire And Security' and 'Perfect Space' are much more classic and accessible and can be a good entry point for those who want to discover this band, the first having 'Floydian' influences and the second eyeing towards groups like 'Arena' or 'Pendragon'.
In short, with these two magnificent albums, the English of 'IQ' still offer us, after all these years, a beautiful work that should take a good place in the discotheque ideal of any amateur of progressive and 'Resistance' is recommended for an informed public who likes to take his time slowly discovering long developments... | |
