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Salem Hill - The robbery of murder
(Lazarus records)

Maybe this is something for Kansas lovers who just want something else. No ... this is more than that. This new album from the American Salem Hill is an album that stands right in between progressive (folk) rock like we know from Kansas and some more symphonic sounding music from younger American bands. The style is absolute American but has some Floydian elements. The 'Overture' displays a powerful and somewhat bombastic intro and continues in a dramatic theme on 'Swerve' and 'When'. This concept album about what a murder can do to those who left behind has a very strong redline in it. Climaxes are chosen carefully and some heavy and balled things were bound together in one piece containing two or more tracks, to give some real balance between the parts. The violin of David Ragsdale is a brilliant element and not the only thing that makes me think that I'm sometimes listening to a new kind of Kansas. After the emotional beginning the anger bursts out in 'Someday', a Kansas-like rock song with a fine drive and good guitar solo's. In between there is a nice interlude with exciting some playing. Some of the songs comes very close to what Spock's Beard is doing on their latest album, not concerning the real prog stuff. Powerful rock with a drive and some special elements that takes this production above the average rocker. 'To the hill' sounds a bit of latin, because of the rhythm and vibraphone, 'Revenge' is a pounding rocksong with instrumental themes with hammond, violin and some weird keyboard parts. After the thrilling ballad 'Trigger' the story comes to an end in the 'Epilogue' that brings us to another climax. Brilliant album and not only for Kansas freaks.