(Neo-Prog) No Name - The Other Side - 1998, FLAC (image+.cue) lossless

NO NAME plays neo prog that features strong writing and musicianship. The compositions have a 'dramatic' flavor and the keys dominate - but all the playing is solid. They also know how to dare compositions over twelve minutes and show a great diversity in the climates and the instrumentation (keyboards, electric, acoustic and classical guitares, vocals, percussions, drums, bass, flute etc.). Both neo and symphonic fans will enjoy NO NAME !

The first time I saw No Name, was in their home-city of Luxembourg, where they played as support for Arena, not long after the release of their debut-album The Secret Garden. I remember them as a very bombastic and powerful band. Last year, after a line-up change, they released their second album, called The Other Side.
The opening-track, Horizon is a tribute to IQ, which becomes clear soon after the introduction of electronic beats. A riff from Out of Nowhere has been used here prominently. Although this song is quite nice, it's completely dominated by this riff. It gives a certain recognition, but at the same time distracts from what's original in this song. The instrumental part in the middle, for example is very nice. Ambivalent feelings tough.
An acoustic guitar sets the atmosphere for Dolphin's, Sharks and Flood of Sunshine, a song about a relation that's no longer to be. Many changes in rhythm and volume, make this song - after a few 'spins' - an attractive composition.
Downpour, Sunflowers and Sadness starts with a beautiful combination of acoustic guitars and 'tubular bells'. The chorus of the song has a nice melody, that sticks in your mind. For some reason this track is one of the more IQ-ish track on the album, but I can't put my finger on the spot 'why'.
The contrast between a subtle verse and a bombastic chorus, which is remarkable in NoName's songs, is also present in Strange Decisions. This song also features a very 'proggie' keyboard-melody. Only problem with the keyboards is that they're either present or absent. It's a bit unbalanced, which is a pity, because also in this song (after a very 'Fishy' bit) there's a nice keyboard-lead.
The sound of wind introduces the epic of the album, the 35-minute! Tan' Ibhan. In the 70s they could have filled an entire album with such a track.
To be honest, I don't consider this as 'one song'. The different parts are too diverse for that. It's a string of songs. Musically, it's not really clear what's the central point or theme of this 'string of songs'. The Discovery is one of the better parts of this long adventure, with changing melodies and lovely interplay between keys and guitar. You can hear NoName has been 'influenced' by some other bands, but it's not disturbing at all. After the 'optimistic The Discovery, Sha'uri starts mystical, to develop in a more romantic way, leading directly into Ra, which is very dark-sounding and mystical. Howling guitars (Brian May?) and a heavy bass-line are followed by a faster keyboard-part and great guitar-solo. This exciting instrumental is certainly one of the best tracks on the album.
In The Ruler several themes and melodies of the first parts of this 'mega-track' re-appear, including a great keyboard-lead. I am very fond of this stuff and keyboard-player Alex Rukavina gives it all. Simply beautiful!
The second part of The Ruler is different from the first part but again features some nice solo's over an on-going bass-line by Gilles Loes.
The last track, No Farewell, is a very joyful song, featuring a flute and a bass-line as most prominent melodies. It builds slowly to a climax, followed by the gentle theme that started No Farewell. Very nice! The wind ends the whole thing.
In The Name of the Moon is sort of 'encore', that opens with Loes' fierce bass-sound, followed by one of Rukavina's nice keyboard-melodies. Towards the end, there's a fade-out, which is a pity thing to end an album with, especially since drummer Chris Sonntag and Gilles Loes on bass are doing interesting things at the time.
To conclude: This album features some really nice music. There are some really interesting instrumental bits on the album and some songs are a joy to listen to. Weaker points are the 'unbalance' of the keys in some songs and the vocal-melodies. Patrick Kiefer has a fine voice, but what he's singing is not too interesting, especially since, he's doing the same sort of thing for 60 minutes long.
Also the 35-minute 'concept-track' Tan' Ibhan may be 'a bridge too far' for NoName. It features great parts, but regrettably also some duller moment. 20-minutes would have been O.K. as well.
Nevertheless, overall The Other Side is sounding allright and really is a product of skill. The beautiful cover-art by Rainer Kalwitz adds that little extra that makes you buying this album. I wouldn't mind seeing this band as a support act again at all!

- Patric Kiefer / vocals
- Gilles Loes / bass
- Chris Sontag / drums
- Alex Rukavina / keyboards, programming
- Yves Di Prospero / guitars