Short Reviews [InVertigo - 2019 - "InMotion"]

Apparently the first ever album released by Progressive Promotion Records back in 2010 was the debut by a little-known part-time band called Invertigo. The idea was to try out different approaches and learn from mistakes, but instead the album was a success and led to the second album, ‘Veritas’, just a few years later. However, there followed a lengthy gap which has now only just been rectified by the release of the third album ‘InMotion’, which has been mastered by Martin Schnella (Flaming Row, Seven Steps To The Green Door etc.). Sebastian Brennert (piano, vocals), Michael Kuchenbecker (keyboards), Matthias Hommel (bass) and Carsten Dannert (drums) are all back from the last release, but guitarist Jacques Moch has been replaced by Kolja Malezki. The result is solid neo prog, with some nice chunky guitars here and there, although never too over the top. The use of piano as well as keyboards is welcome, especially when it is used beneath some chunky riffs as it adds a very different tenor and feel to the album. They are not afraid to mix and match ideas, so a song can start with intricate classical guitars, while on another we have a youngster telling us what we should be doing with the environment. The production is balanced and very clean indeed, which is exactly what I would expect with Schnella being involved, and each musical line is clear and distinct. Just six songs, and a total playing length of 43 minutes, this is an enjoyable album without ever really breaking new ground. Pleasant without being groundbreaking, let us hope it isn’t so long until the next one.