(Translated)

By looking at the cover of Echolyn's debut CD, one would think it was a special from a local flea market, and you would easily get the impression that a wierd gorup is at work here. However, the music of this 5-member formation from Philadelphia is not nearly as strange as the wrapping makes you think.

Divided over eleven compisitions, we are presented with a mix of American and European rock in which we encounter professional executued Rush-like times and breakes, with the typical tradtional guitar ane key parts in the style of Genesis and Yes. Also there are slight similiarites with Pink Floyd among others due to the use of voices and sound effects ( Fountainhead, Peace In Time, Shades, Until It Rains). Add to that the singing of Raymond Weston, who more than onmce reminds us of our great friend Steve Hogarth [Marillion] and the confusion seems complete.

Echolyn knows how to use diversity of influences, even in long pieces (The Great Men, Shades and Meaning And The Moment). It never becomes confusing in spite of the continual changing of the symphony passages, heavy oriental parts and acoustic inter-mezzos.

The productions is modern but not too much so that some of the more old-fashioned sounding songs like Clumps Of Dirt, an instrumentsal a la Rush with a real drum solo, the sympho ballad On Any Given Nite and with the organ varitions in The Velveteen Rabbit give off the right atmosphere.

With a total time of almost 68 minutes, the CD has been utilized to the maximum. Echolyn is an excellent record.