.jpeg "The Road of Bones by IQ")
.jpeg "Subterranea by IQ")
.jpeg "Lateralus by TOOL")
Resistance by IQ, released in 2019
IQ's origins date back to a previous band, The Lens, after which Holmes and Orford formed IQ.
The original lineup included Peter Nicholls on vocals, Paul Cook on drums, and Tim Esau on bass, with a sound inspired by the symphonic rock of the early 1970s. Their first albums, Tales from the Lush Attic (1983) and The Wake (1985), are now classics, seminal albums in the neo-prog genre.
Peter Nicholls left the band in 1985, and Paul Menel took his place. The Menel era began with Nomzamo (1987) and Are You Sitting Comfortably? (1989), with a more pop and commercial sound.
Nicholls returned in 1993 with the album Ever and with it came the return of progressive rock, which continued to release highly successful albums from that point on, including the double concept album Subterranea (1997) and Dark Matter (2004). They recently released Dominion, in March 2025.
Resistance continues the great series of Dark Matter, Frequency, The Road of Bones.
It's about two hours of excellent progressive rock, with songs often clocking in at over ten minutes, a fact the band has said, "The extra time allows the music to breathe and evolve, which feels more organic."
This is very true for this album and for progressive rock in general.
It's not a long album, therefore, but a band that delves deeply, that takes its time to express itself, and uses time with beauty and technique.
The overall atmosphere is dark and aggressive, and the tracks are epic in scope, with powerful songs and excellent performances by Paul Cook on drums. There's a beautiful alternation between soft, introspective moments and intense, aggressive sections, but it doesn't quite reach the unrivaled "The Road of Bones."
"A Missile" opens the album, a dark, dark, and heavy song with powerful keyboards and drums.
"Rise" continues the mood of the previous song, alternating between more intense and fast-paced moments and softer ones.
"Stay Down" has a vintage '70s prog sound, a beautiful melodic piece.
"Alampandria" is an instrumental piece, an atmospheric and psychedelic interlude with a Middle Eastern sound and a strong keyboard part.
"Shallow Bay" is a song characterized by a beautiful melody and an ethereal atmosphere that provides a backdrop to beautiful, energetic drumming.
- "If Anything" has a strangely (for this album) new age sound, a welcome break from the album's other energetic tracks.
- "For Another Lifetime" is one of the album's epic tracks, clocking in at 15 minutes, driven by a beautiful slow progression with excellent solos.
- "The Great Spirit Way" is an exceptional epic track, running about 22 minutes.
- "Fire and Security" is a melancholic and atmospheric song, building to a crescendo with a ballad-like opening that builds to a dark atmosphere and a powerful guitar solo.
- "Perfect Space" begins with a beautiful interplay between snare drum, bass, and guitar, then segues into a beautiful IQ-esque piece.
- "Fallout" is another epic track that closes the album, with an ambient opening that progresses into a very powerful dark piece.
A beautiful album, featuring the song "Fallout," which stands out for its twenty minutes of perfect harmony between the band members, an almost engineered quality, perfection.
Highly recommended!
Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.
Tracklist
1. A Missile (6:40)
2. Rise (6:49)
3. Stay Down (7:55)
4. Alampandria (3:48)
5. Shallow Bay (6:21)
6. If Anything (6:03)
7. For Another Lifetime (15:22)
8. The Great Spirit Way (21:45)
9. Fire and Security (5:26)
10. Perfect Space (8:33)
11. Fallout (19:55)
Duration 108:37
LineUp
- Peter Nicholls - lead vocals and backing vocals
- Michael Holmes - guitars, producer
- Neil Durant - keyboards
- Tim Esau - bass, bass pedals
- Paul Cook - drums, percussion
.jpeg "The Road of Bones by IQ")
