Dark Matter by IQ

Dark Matter by IQ, released in 2004

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.

Dark Matter was released after a four-year hiatus since their previous album, The Seventh House. It represents a return to the progressive rock sound of the 1970s, moving away from the neo-progressive sound of their previous works, with a more vintage sound and plenty of room for organ and mellotron. Dark atmospheres, complex and epic compositions, and clear influences from the early symphonic rock giants, are also evident.

A high-quality album that, despite mixed reviews, is in my opinion one of the band's best albums since Ever, although surpassed in my opinion by all their subsequent LPs, which are truly excellent.

The symphonic progressive rock of the 1970s is present in the instruments, rhythms, and song structure, which are few, long and complex.

- Sacred Sound opens the album with great power, great guitar work, and spectacular keyboards.

- Red Dust Shadow is a melancholic song with excellent acoustic guitar and an evocative mellotron.
- You Never Will has a great, rousing intro, a positive mood, and beautiful keyboards, making it a rhythmic and captivating song.
- Born Brilliant returns to a dark sound with a powerful rhythm section and impressive guitar solos.
- Harvest of Souls is an epic piece lasting about 24 minutes, the album's top track. It features great virtuosity and complexity, beautiful acoustic guitars and vocals, and a typical symphonic rock sound. It's a rather explicit tribute to Genesis' "Supper's Ready," a song referenced several times.

And the album itself is indeed a more or less explicit tribute to the masters of symphonic rock without whom neo-prog would never have existed.

The fact remains that these are beautiful and moving songs, played with great mastery.

Anyone who's seen some of my articles has already understood that I love this band... I'm biased!!!

Note: All links to the musicians' works are in the TAGS under the article title or on the "Artists" page.

Tracklist

1. Sacred Sound (11:40)
2. Red Dust Shadow (5:53)
3. You Never Will (4:54)
4. Born Brilliant (5:20)
5. Harvest of Souls (24:29) :
- i. First of the Last
- ii. The Wrong Host
- iii. Nocturne
- iv. Frame and Form
- v. Mortal Procession
- vi. Ghosts of Days

Duration 52:16

LineUp

- Peter Nicholls - lead vocals and backing vocals
- Mike Holmes - electric and acoustic guitar (6 and 12 strings), EBow, effects, producer
- Martin Orford - Korg CX-3 organ, synthesizers (Kurzweil K2500, Access Virus KB, Yamaha SY85, Roland JV-1080, Korg Triton), samples, Moog bass pedals, backing vocals, pre-production
- John Jowitt - basses (4, 5-string and fretless), backing vocals
- Paul Cook - drums, percussion