HIGH WHEEL: Live before the storm

Cover	Release	Style
	2006	progressive rock
	Label
	www.progressrec.com
	Website
	www.high-wheel.de
	Contact
	-
	Playing Time	Cat. N°
	2:16:04	PRCD 021
	Review by	Rating
	Claude	9/10
nederlands	Review
To be honest I am not really fond of live-albums, you may only have a higher value if you get music, other than on the studio albums, or if the quality of the recording is so good, that it gives you a nice overview of the discography of the band. And the latter is certainly here the case for the latest album of German High Wheel, their complex music does not leave much room for experimenting and is already difficult enough as well for the musicians as for the public. This live registration took place in the German Neuhaus and was at the same time the swansong for club Kant’N, because this music temple had to make place for a huge parking. As<already told, the guys have made for this opportunity a selection from their 4 studio albums, with especially a lot of epics. The concert starts with Open Lines of ‘Remember the colours’, where because of the typical close harmony vocals the link with Gentle Giant seems obvious. High Wheel is clearly a progressive rock band, a modern version of their great examples Yes and Genesis of the seventies. Now and then it becomes a bit heavier, like for example on The Void of the album with the same name, but the melody always perfectly fits with the complexity of the track, which is not so evident. ‘The Screamer‘ sounds better than ever, a mix of King Crimson and Gentle Giant. The quality of the recording is superb, you can hardly hear it’s live, I’m afraid that the number of attendees was not too big, but sadly enough the quality of the music is sometimes in disproportion with the public. The first part of the concert is concluded with There (almost half an hour of music), impossible to describe what you may experience in such a track, I can only advice to see these guys once live, or you may naturally also buy this album. And don’t forget, there is a second cd naturally, of the same quality of the first one. ‘Outside the circles’ is an epic, navigating between Yes and Gentle Giant. And yet their music sounds very original, despite the inevitable influences from the past. The 4 musicians are demonstrating during the entire concert their technical abilities, melodic guitar solos, heavy rhythm section (with a short drum solo in 'Try an error'), Jethro Tull like flute intermezzos, in a nutshell the ideal cocktail for some heavy progressive rock. Some people might have some reserves with the lead vocals, but I think the voice of Hierl perfectly suits this kind of music. And for those who know a bit of German will appreciate his nice comments between the songs. High Wheel is probably better as live act than on a studio album, if you don’t have any album of this band, you can easily start with this 'Live before the storm', and maybe you will look their previous work, because they will be remastered in 2007. Again a good effort of the Swedish label Progress Records.
Musicians
Wolfgang Hierl : guitars, flute, vocals Uli Jenne : drums Erich Kogler : bass, taurus, keyboards, vocals Andreas Lobinger : keyboards, vocals
Tracklist
CD 1 - 68:31 1. Open Lines (14:52) 2. Void (5:51) 3. The Screamer (12:35) 4. Gear-Wheels (4:24) 5. Gnithon's Promise (4:09) 6. There (26:40) CD 2 - 67:33 1. Outside The Circles (18:57) 2. Try An Error (5:17) 3. High Wheel In The Sky Part 1 (11:22) 4. The Four Reasons (13:43) 5. Into Voyage (11:56) 6. Hate Hounds (6:18)
Discography
1910 (1993) Remember The Colours (1994) There (1996) Back From The Void (2002) Live Before The Storm (2006)


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