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"With "A Seasonal Affair", Argos confirm that they have a real musical identity and assert their legitimacy within the world of progressive rock."
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4/5
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When one drags along, like Argos, a label claiming to belong to the neo-progressive rock movement, it can be hard to renew itself. The German band seems to have found its solution to the problem by daring musical crossbreeding.
For this fourth album, no change in the line-up, just a few guests who came to lend their talent to the basic quartet. Andy Tillison (The Tangent) and Andy Wells (Pilgrym) play a few keyboard passages, and Marek Arnold (Toxic Smile, United Progressive Fraternity, Seven Steps To The Green Door) brings the sensual wanderings of his soprano saxophone.
Of the eleven tracks that make up this opus, more than three-quarters are more or less tinted with Canterbury. Some of them in a blatantly way like 'Lifeboats' or 'Black Cat', and others are more diluted like 'A Seasonal Affair' or the epic 'Not In This Picture'. If this 'so British' style dominates, some tracks can surprise by taking the listener by surprise, such as 'Divergence' which, with its very Bowie-like vocals, sounds like an old psychedelic rock hit from the 80's.
If you add a dark 'Silver And Gold' to the Carptree-like low vocals or a 'Stormland' that seems to be inspired by the Nordic fogs of Anekdoten, you get a pretty good idea of the wide musical spectrum explored by Argos. Whether the compositions are long or short, the performers take the time to embellish them with a few high-end solos.
Following the example of Big Big Train, Argos brilliantly demonstrates that it is possible today to produce innovative progressive rock. With this fourth album, the German band finds its place among the leading bands that make music evolve intelligently. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. A Seasonal Affair - 03:39 02. Divergence - 04:04 03. Silent Corner - 06:32 04. Silver and Gold - 04:26 05. Lifeboats - 06:02 06. Not in this Picture - 12:33 07. A Seasonal Affair - 04:18 08. The Forbidden City - 05:21 09. Stormland - 06:21 10. Black Cat - 05:18 11. Killer - 03:38
LINEUP:
Rico Florczak: Guitares Robert Gozon: Chant / Guitares / Claviers Thomas Klarmann: Chant / Guitares / Basse / Claviers / Flûte Ulf Jacobs: Chant / Batterie Andy Tillison: Claviers / Invité Andy Wells: Claviers / Invité Marek Arnold: Invité / Saxo Soprano
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(0) MIND(S) FROM OUR READERS
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(0) COMMENT(S)
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READERS
3/5 (1 view(s))
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STAFF:
3.5/5 (2 view(s))
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IN RELATION WITH ARGOS
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OTHER REVIEWS
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