Detailed Review [KBB - 2000 - "Lost And Found"]

Line-up: Akihisa Tsuboy - violins, guitars; Gregory Suzuki - keyboards, theremin; Dani - bass; Shirou Sugano - drums.

Produced by Akihisa Tsuboy. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Dani, Akihisa Tsuboy.

As for me, this is the first really 'cool' album in the genre of Classic (Symphonic) Art Rock from a lot of works of Japanese Progressive I've ever listened to. First of all, many Japanese are very strong in RIO, the most flexible and complex among progressive genres, in which they are probably going in advance of all, including even Americans. Japanese are also good in anything related to Jazz-Fusion in its various manifestations. It will suffice to listen to Mongol (to read the review please click here) and Happy Family to make sure that Japanese were probably the first to unite the three chief Progressive genres together - Art Rock, Prog Metal and Jazz Fusion to have as a result the most wonderful RIO I've ever heard. And they've done it exceptionally harmonicaly and… simply great, after all! Quite tired of listening to traditional, great, yet mostly accessible (Neo in other words) Japanese Art Rock, I was for the first time really satisfyed with the KBB debut CD. Talking so, I mean pure Classic Symphonic Art Rock free of other stylistical additions. This is for those who could contest my words with such names of the genre as Outer Limits, Ain Soph, etc, - all these have however either jazzy or heavy elements in their basically symphonic structures. So, despite the fact anything created by Japanese within the framework of pure Symphonic Progressibe was really good (not bad, at least), - all these works have been made either within the framework of Neo or, at best, closer to the 'borderline' between Neo and Classic Art Rock. (I think I won't enumerate both these bunches - at least two tens of the bands, most of which I have received from the same Musea.). Back to KBB , already on their debut album they created quite original (ÎÊ, I hear some influences - UK, at first, but on the whole the stylistic of KBB is absolutely different), wonderfully bombastic Symphonic Art Rock with a richness of 'symphonic' colours, lots of diverse arrangements, virtuosic musicianship from the band in general and from each musician in particular. The only slightly negative thing on the album is that the leader, violinist and guitarist with his brilliant but unceasing soloing sometimes leaves quite little room for the rest soloists. On the other hand, his wonderful activity, however, helps hold the music in a state of unrestarained dynamics from the first to the last note. So not only musicians, but listeners of the album too wouldn't practically have time to relax during playing time. Overall, it's pleasant to learn that a band of true Classic Art Rock, which - with such a powerful symphonism -courageous as a samurai, comes fromt he land of the rising sun.