Prog4you.com - Progressive Rock Review

This isn’t just another live act. Izz puts on a great show every time. That aside, something miraculous must have happened at NEARfest on June 23rd, 2007, and its essence is captured on this disc.

It seems as if their mediocre pieces were pre-treated with pixie dust or elfin magic – as their run of the mill suites were most excellent. Speaking of strange enchantment, their tried and true ensembles were virtually supernatural. They’ve obviously put forth due diligence in the rehearsal room. More so, they’ve gained experienced the old-fashioned way via prog houses and festival circuits. The result is a band that executes as well on stage as they do in the studio, and this event is by no means an exception to the rule.

In all actuality, I’m not sure they could do much better than what’s demonstrated here. As a witness to their unforgettable recital at RoSfest, I can clearly recall a rousing performance. Afterwards, they were total gents as they rubbed elbows with the plebs at the meet and greet. So they are likeable from the grassroots to the concert halls.

In general, what they do is continually improve on confectionary material and serve it with a twist. They’re “almost” like Spock’s Beard if you turned the dial up on neo and down on pop. Then again, they’re quite accessible in-between the spry time signatures and the groovy licks.

As one who’d rather hear my live music real-time and in-person, I rarely notarize official bootlegs because most of those recordings are nothing more than glorified reproductions of days gone past. “You have to be there,” is what’s typically said when the material doesn’t pan out on the do-over.

While that’s common sense, I’ll throw caution to the wind. I have no choice but to recommend this release. They came, played and conquered; then put out a live album that nobody in their right mind could classify as leftovers. I can only imagine what this extraordinary material was like with the benefit of theatrical-quality acoustics. In a nutshell, that’s the only disillusionment one should experience when watching this talisman spin.

8.75/10
Reviewer: Josh Turner

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: : Discography : :
Leaving Lotus (2007)
Fraktal (2005)
Always Home (2002)