The More You Live, The More You Love

Again it seems that this year musically is very strong. Surprisingly strong albums of old timers Pallas and Yes, a coming back album of the neoproggers Comedy Of Errors, a first solo album of the former singer of Big Big Train, Sean Filkins, the nice album Of Mirrors, a farewell live album of A-Ha and many more. Five months before the end of this year it brings me to the following top 10: 01. Comedy Of Errors - Disobey 02. Sean Filkins - War And Peace & Othere Stories 03. Yes - Fly From Here 04. Pallas - XXV 05. Kate Bush - Director's Cut 06. Mirrors - Lights And Offerings 07. Memories Of Machines - Warm Winter 08. Ultravox - Moments From Eden 09. A-Ha - Ending On A High Note - The Final Concert 10. Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Liverpool

After a hiatus of five years I was asked to return as an editor for the Dutch progressive rock magazine iO Pages. I decided to return back to the music which I hardly listened too for the past years, and see what it would do to me. It was quite a surprise to receive the new album of Pallas as a review copy, since their last studio album was released five years ago. So let me come straight to the point, I think for a lot of us it will be a strange experience to listen to an album of Pallas, where, for the first time in 25 years, Alan Reed is not the singer. Paul Mackie is the replacement, an Aberdeen local, who does a very good job. His voice sounds pleasant, and somehow the vocal arrangements with Graeme Murray are stronger than during the heydays with Alan Reed. It's a gamble, but it pays back very well. Without a doubt musically the album is as strong as you can expect from Pallas. In eleven songs the band returns to Atlantis, where after the optimistic celebratory ending of The ...