KNIGHT AREA
Knight Area are a Dutch band and were formed in 2003, the year they released their first album. The band is led by Gerben Klazinga, the keyboard player and main lyricist and the rest of band consists of vocalist Mark Smit, guitarist Mark Vermeule and the rhythm section of bassist Gijs Koopman and drummer Pieter van Hoorn. ‘Nine Paths’ is the band’s fourth full length release, following on from ‘Realm of Shadows’. The album begins with ‘Ever Since You Killed Me’ and it’s an archetypal prog track, with soaring keys and guitar and plenty of light and shade. ‘Summerland’ follows in a similar vein and has more than a passing resemblance to Dream Theater about it. Next up is ‘Please Come Home’ and it marks a change of pace; the track is a balladic duet featuring Charlotte Wessels from symphonic metal band Delain. It’s an atmospheric effort and effective in its delivery. ‘Clueless’ is the fourth track on this release and is a somewhat more commercial cut than its predecessors. ‘The River’ features a superb keyboard solo from the middle section to the outro and ‘Pride and Joy’ is an excellent, energetic instrumental. ‘The Balance’, ‘Wakerun’ and ‘Angel’s Call’ are the trio of tracks that close this release and each one has its merits and are of a high standard. In summary, this is a good release and one that shows progress from ‘Realm of Shadows’. The musicianship is of a similar high quality to its predecessor but the song writing seems to have gone up a notch. There are plenty of bands within the rather crowded ‘prog’ genre but Knight Area seem to be carving a niche for themselves.
LABEL:
FORMAT:
The Laser's Edge
Album
NINE PATHS
Review by Dave Uphill
RUNNING TIME:
60:11
RELEASE DATE:
5th December 2011
TRACK LISTING
1) Ever Since You Killed Me
2) Summerland
3) Please Come Home
4) Clueless
5) The River
6) Pride and Joy
7) The Balance
8) Wakerun
9) Angel's Call
2) Summerland
3) Please Come Home
4) Clueless
5) The River
6) Pride and Joy
7) The Balance
8) Wakerun
9) Angel's Call
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Netherlands
"The musicianship is of a similar high quality to its predecessor but the song writing seems to have gone up a notch."
