Alkozaur’s debut album, “Serum of Life,” is relatively unpretentious for a progressive rock album. There are flamboyant keyboard tapestries to give the music a solemn touch, but the guitar and bass play straightforward riffs most of the time. Especially the first half of “Sarah Smiles” is indicative of this (in the second half the band takes off into slightly more stately regions). Singer Philippe Compagnon’s voice is at times reminiscent of Peter Gabriel or Marillion's Fish. The French band’s foremost feature is the creation of an atmosphere, as in the beginning of “When Angels Fly” with its courtly soundscapes. The instrumental “Last Fight” is one of the album’s standout tracks, beginning as an elated piece with wonderful keyboard flourishes that are suddenly interrupted singling out a creepy, menacing bass riff, before taking off again. These musicians have gotten around, and that shows in this mature debut.

by artistxite