IQ
The Road of Bones

There is no 1 without 2. I think this is the phrase that drives the listening experience of the latest work by the British neo-proggers IQ. Five years after the respectable "Frequency" (since the early '90s, IQ have been taking 4 and recently even 5 years between albums), once again with a new keyboardist - Neil Durant from Sphere3 - and with the return of two historical members, Paul Cook (after a few years of absence) and Tim Esau (bassist on the band's first four albums, John Jowitt left the band after about twenty years), "The Road of Bones" is released, the band's tenth studio album.

And what did I mean by the introduction? Let's go step by step. The album was released in several versions: a standard one with a single disc containing the 5 main tracks, a limited edition with a second CD containing 6 other unreleased tracks, and a deluxe version with an additional third disc containing two more unreleased tracks but especially demo and live versions of the tracks from the first CD. I should state that I have never had a liking for limited editions, bonus tracks, and similar stuff, I've always considered them impurities within a studio album as they pollute it with material not part of the original work - most of the time it's leftover material - and they often deceive the consumer into thinking that element is an integral part of the work; usually, before adding a new release to my external hard drive, I customarily remove all these little bits and savor the album in its regular edition. But despite this... I wanted to listen to "The Road of Bones" in its double edition, and I think it only makes sense if heard in this version; I'm not saying the deluxe one, where much of the material on the third disc are demos and live tracks, but the special double edition, absolutely yes. Simply because I don't think a disc exclusively containing 6 new tracks (against the 5 of the first) and 49 minutes of new music, which is more creative and experimental than the band's standards, can be considered bonus. It actually seems a bit of a joke, albeit a benevolent one. It almost seems as if the band's intention was to focus listeners' attention on the first disc, with its more classical sounds, and instead divert attention from the more sophisticated second, as if that successful attempt at renewal was only a "complimentary" parenthesis, something not to give too much thought to, to be enjoyed as a gem and quickly archived. One could debate this at length, but I will do justice to the work by reviewing it in its double CD version.

I do not quite agree with those who claim that IQ has not shifted their sound one bit in thirty years. The first two albums or "Dark Matter" had a very old-fashioned sound; the two from the late '80s were instead more commercial and more eighties-like; "Ever" had a more delicate and romantic sound, "Frequency" has darker atmospheres, etc. Such a statement might apply to names like Threshold, Neal Morse, and Flower Kings, but not for IQ, although it's true that neo-prog colleagues like Marillion and Pendragon have changed far more radically than they have.

About "The Road of Bones," we can say that it follows the path of the darker atmospheres evoked by "Frequency" but also with many references to "Subterranea"; moreover, it adds new sounds, especially on the second disc, where there are dark electronic experiments rather unusual for the band. Additionally, slightly harder riffs (never exaggerated) appear in the IQ sound, confirming the darker approach the band is acquiring. We are witnessing a rather successful attempt by the band to inject new life into their sound more than they have done so far. I think the new keyboardist Neil Durant should take some credit in this regard. If already in "Frequency," the presence of a different man than usual, Mark Westworth, brought new sounds, now the further change brings even more new ones. While many band followers always receive lineup changes negatively, I instead always see them positively, as a new person can bring new life and ideas to the band. Excellent performance too by returning bassist Tim Esau, who provides bass lines that are never intrusive but well audible and in any case perfectly blended.

The album opens with "From the Outside In": a fairly direct track, not very dynamic, based on a not particularly elaborate rhythm, on hard but not too hard riffs, and its dark keyboard layers, very in line with the previous album; the coolest moment of the track is the central part where we can hear almost "cybernetic" sounds that leave the listener perplexed at first listen. It's just an excellent opener, but with the title-track "The Road of Bones," a truly strong dish arrives, moreover, with an atypical progress for the band: the track indeed has two faces, delicate and distressing in the first part and aggressive in the second; the first relies on a most delicate keyboard carpet on which bass lines intervene more essential than ever and on which the keyboardist himself intervenes with beautiful crystalline sounds, all with an almost trip-hop bordering approach, but then a guitar comes into play with non-intrusive but unusually aggressive riffs and much stronger keyboard parts, almost to unleash initially suppressed anger. And then comes the time of the suite, "Without Walls": it starts slow with delicate keyboards, then becomes stronger with decisive guitar riffs leading and then again a softer part with dreamy keyboards and acoustic inserts before the next more lively part, until the slower but intense outro. "Ocean" is instead relatively short and has a dense and engaging sound, with excellent keyboard sounds and its brilliant and engaging melody, almost "summery"; personally, it reminded me quite a bit of "Closer" from the previous album. To close the first CD (and thus the regular edition) there's the excellent crescendo of "Until the End": oh yes, it is indeed a crescendo track, it indeed starts slow and dreamy with guitar arpeggios with an almost oriental flavor accompanied by fine keyboards, then becomes more rhythmic with powerful melodies until a faster part marked by excellent bass lines, then reaching the slow outro guided by delicate pianistic touches and acoustic passages.

In the end, the first disc doesn't hold big surprises, yes, it has a couple of original cues that nonetheless collectively contribute to giving the group's proposal new life, but they don't compare to what's waiting for us in the second CD (which again, I refuse to consider a bonus); it is precisely the second that is the main dish of the restaurant "The Road of Bones"! You can already tell from when "Knucklehead" starts: those electronic effects and almost tribal, almost new-age sounds are certainly not something we would have expected from them; and if that's not enough, the track nearly touches progressive metal, with pounding riffs unusual for Mike Holmes's guitar and still with a stronger than ever dark melody. The instrumental "1312 Overture" seems to be a clear homage to "YYZ" by Rush: the rhythmic cadence of the drum hits is incredibly similar, those who love the Canadian trio surely will have directed their mind there automatically; even here there are no shortage of brilliant cues, such as the particular synth passages with an almost "filtered" sound. Also surprising is the intro of "Constellations," based on cold electronic effects, with an almost industrial flavor that might vaguely recall Nine Inch Nails loops; however, the track maintains a fairly traditional imprint marked nonetheless by dark melodies and characterized by excellent drumming, albeit not very dynamic, of the returning Paul Cook. However, the two most markedly unusual tracks arrive. "Fall and Rise" is a real foray into ambient, a track with dreamy atmospheres and very varied, abyssal, and ethereal sounds at the same time, with Neil Durant definitely playing a leading role, although Tim Esau also deserves a mention, as with his smooth bass lines with a vaguely fusion flavor, he greatly contributes to the track's atmosphere. Even if the real jump off the chair I must admit to having it done with "Ten Million Demons": an almost Depeche Mode-like electronic loop leads to a track that either because of the jumping-on-the-spot rhythm at concerts (seems tailor-made), or because of the orchestrations systematically placed at certain moments, or because of some hand clapping inserts present, it immediately reminds "Uprising" by Muse (compare to believe); besides, such a catchy melody has not been heard since the times of "Are You Sitting Comfortably," we are facing the most typical case of a track criticized and labeled as tacky by the purist progger (not in my case). To close the album is "Hardcore," which once again strikes with electronic reverbs immediately bringing to mind "Sleep Together" by Porcupine Tree; a track that further confirms the darker sounds of the recent IQ.

Having reached the end of listening to the entire two-disc set, the impression one gets is of a band that is indeed tied to their sound but also trying to introduce new elements. I sincerely hope that what was heard especially on the second disc is not just a parenthesis but truly the beginning of a new phase for the band; I hope this album is only the linking ring between the band's past and hypothetical future, and that in the future, they continue to seriously surprise.

In any case, IQ have shown how they can, with over 30 years of career behind them, still produce a seriously inspired album that doesn't just rely on what's already been heard. In fact, I would even lean out and point it as their best and most complete album, at least on par with "Subterranea" ("Ever" immediately below). The year 2014 is still only halfway through, not all of the sector's releases have been listened to by me, but at the moment, the palm for the prog album of the year goes to them. It's likely the Opeth will surpass them, but that doesn't take away from the fact that this album surely surprised many fans of the band, including me. Keep it up!