The American band Iluvatar certainly isn't number one where output is concerned. Their self titled debut dates from '93, followed by Children in '95, whilst the sop Sideshow already dates from '97. However, Iluvatar remains loyal to its record company and also to its sound, which is pretty unusual for an American band. The main reason is because this sound leans a lot towards the typically British 'neo-prog,' with bands such as Galahad and the 'old' IQ as prime examples, whilst whispers of Genesis from the Wind and Wuthering period are also in the cards. Although there have been some personnel changes over the years, the identity of the band remains mainly due to the voice of Glenn McLaughlin and the guitar sound of Dennis Mullin. The floating sound of the keys, together with the dreamy guitar sound, make "Savant" a beautiful song. Especially, the use of mellotron lifts this song to higher ground. There's a lot of drama in the uptempo "Dreaming With The Lights Out" where we are constantly bombarded with lush keyboard parts, all produced in a spectacular way. The somewhat "harder" "Better Days" reminds me of Rush during their Counterparts and Test For Echo period, whilst McLaughlin's voice is trapped between that of Geddy Lee and Stuart Nicholson. A very powerful song! The rather acoustic "Even Angels Fall" is a nice resting point before Iluvatar tackles the album's epic "Indian Rain." The intro is very much in the style of Pendragon whilst the guitar solo reminds me of Collage. Then the song evolves towards a cross between Genesis and the better of Italian school, which is probably due to the heavy use of mellotron. Whilst I had my doubts with the album Children, Iluvatar certainly proves with A Story Two Days Wide… that it remains one of the better bands of the moment. Let's hope the many lurking festivals will put them in the spotlight too!
Reviewed by: John ‘Bo Bo’ Bollenberg |
