Stormbringer Webzine

Progressive Rock Reviews


Starfooted

METAPHOR

 

Musicians:
Bob Koehler - drums, percussion
John Mabry - vocals, acoustic guitar
Jim Post - bass, bass pedals
Malcolm Smith - electric and acoustic guitars
Marc Spooner - keyboards, bells & whistles

Tracklist:
1. Ladder from the sky (6:53)
2. Chaos with a crown of gold (5:58)
3. Starfooted in a garden of cans (15:04)
4. The illusion of flesh (2:07)
5. In the cave (9:13)
6. Seed (10:09)
7. The bridal chamber ( 2:42)
8. Don't sleep (9:00)
9. Battle of the Archons (10:24)
10. Assumption (2:19)

Metaphor originally started out as a Genesis tribute band. Their debut CD "Starfooted" though is a concept album with their own compositions. The music however is very reminiscent to early 70's Peter Gabriel -era Genesis but with a more modern sound.

There's also reminiscences to Arena, The Flower Kings, Galleon, Gentle Giant, IQ, Marillion, Spock's Beard and the Swedish band Twin Age, but after all, Twin Age were once a Genesis tribute band too. This album has it all: Mellotron, odd-time signatures, many complex rhythm changes, good compositions and arrangements.

The songs are very much built up the same way as typical Genesis song s, but it would be unfair to say that Metaphor hasn't got moments whe n they are blooming out in their own personal style. The vocalist John Mabry is very good and so are the musicians. John Mabry is one fact or that makes Metaphor differ from being a Genesis-clone.

This album is highly recommended to lovers of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis. They are a perfect substitute for the symphonic progressive rock that Genesis abandoned with the release of "-And then there were Three" in 1978.

I'm a big Genesis fan so I can't help but to love this album after all. Hopefully they will develop their own style on forthcoming albums, then they would surely get a breakthrough. I think that Metaphor has a good chance to become one of the major progressive rock bands in the near future. Remember my words!

Contact:Metaphor Homepage: http://www.metaphor.org/
E-mail Metaphor: progrock@metaphor.org

Galileo Records
c/o Patrick Becker
Alpenstrasse 22
2540 Grenchen
Switzerland
Tel: ++41 32 652 33 93
Fax: ++41 32 653 75 69
Email 1: info@galileo-records.com
Email 2: progpat@bluewin.ch
Internet: http://www.galileo-records.com/

-Reviewed by Greger Rönnqvist-