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Review:
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Last year I witnessed Flamborough their ‘home gig’
on the annual Dutch Progfarm Festival (2008 edition) and
noticed a strong move towards the sound of Seventies Camel,
how about this on the new Flamborough Head album? -
Well, on Looking For John Maddock the combination of
Eddie Mulder his flowing and moving guitar work with Margriet
Boomsma her flute sound and keyboard player Edo Spanninga's
lavish Hammond organ work and frequent Minimoog-like synthesizer
flights, often brings Seventies Camel to my mind. And during
the synthesizer solo halfway Don’t Forget US, Edo even sounds
as ‘the second coming’ of the late Peter Bardens! But I
don’t mind because Flamborough Head plays wonderful, very
melodic and harmonic symphonic rock with flowing shifting
moods, pleasant accelerations and wonderful work on vintage
keyboards and guitar, from moving and howling runs to a
delicate duel with a tin-whistle in Don’t Forget Us. The
absolute highlight on Looking For John Maddock is the epic
final composition that showcases Flamborough Head at its
full splendor, it also features more variety and musical
ideas than the other five tracks: a bombastic climate with
an up-tempo rhythm, a Solaris-like part with flute and classical
orchestrations, beautiful electric guitar work, lush vintage
keyboards (including an eruption with a ‘The Moody Blues
Mellotron sound’) and finally a sensitive guitar solo with
soaring Hammond organ, what an exciting conclusion of this
strong new Flamborough Head album, four solid stars!
www.progwalhalla.com
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