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IQ — Subterranea
(Inside Out Music SPV 0922853A DCD, 1997/2005, 2CD)

Subterranea Cover art

I admit I was surprised that, five years on, neo-prog gods IQ would choose to follow Ever, their classic release from 1992, with a double CD concept work much in the same style. For a band known for how much they mock the very genre they champion (just read one of their fan club mags) this wasn't what I expected. And after giving Subterranea a couple of listens, I'm left with more questions than answers. On the surface, musically speaking that is, Subterranea treads the same familiar territory of the past, delivering recurring echoes of past slices of IQ's musical legacy — a bit of "Headlong" here, a dash of "Nostalgia" there. The keyboards offer a couple of new sounds, but, if anything, the band has reigned itself in musically, narrowing the tonal color palette. Question one: Why? I would think a double CD allows room for greater exploration of this sort and yet IQ has chosen a narrower spectrum of sounds. My own explanation is that it helps keep the listener focused on the lyrical text. And there's plenty to pay attention to. Of the 19 tracks on Subterranea, only four are instrumental and generally only around two minutes in length each. Typical for singer Peter Nicholls, the lyrical themes to Subterranea aren't immediately understandable. In fact, I'm still left wondering what most of it's about. There seem to be familiar themes of life, death, and exploration of the self and identity and I recommend listeners allow themselves generous time to grapple with the subject matter. Unfortunately, with so much effort and attention required for the lyric, it becomes difficult to pay much attention to the music. Don't mistake that there aren't some compelling pieces on Subterranea ("Tunnel Vision" and the 20 minute long "The Narrow Margin" come to mind) or some fiery playing ("Sleepless Incidental," "Infernal Chorus"), though usually from Martin Orford's synths rather than Mike Holmes' guitar. It's just that, while Subterranea was enjoyable to listen to, it just didn't grab my attention like I've come to expect from IQ. I was hoping Mike Holmes would be allowed to delve into some of his techno leanings and move IQ into more modern territory but he really is rather restrained here. And neither drummer Paul Cook or bassist John Jowitt ever come to the fore. In time, I imagine many questions surrounding Subterranea will be cleared up but in the meantime I'm left with a slight sense of disappointment at what could have been a real masterpiece.

by Paul Hightower, Published 1998-02-01

According to vocalist Peter Nicholls, this is the album iQ has always promised to make. Almost totally unheard of these days, it's a double concept album, over 100 minutes in total length. Although the neo-prog scene has died down over the last two years tremendously, some of the best bands of the genre are still kicking. iQ has always been the cream of the crop in this field, because while their style may not be completely original, they simply do it well. Very well.  Martin Orford dominates the album with oodles and oodles of digital and analog synths and those trademark minor chord progressions. His solos really shine this time, and they tend to be the high points throughout the album almost as a rule.  Guitarist Mike Holmes is the producer once again, but his guitar work is slightly less prominent than ever before. Bassist John Jowitt and drummer Paul Cook anchor everything down very professionally and very solidly, but for my tastes Cook is just too straight with everything. If you can't find 2 and 4 on these songs, you need to go back to kindergarten, since Cook hammers them out like clockwork. Nicholls, with his high but rich Gabriel-esque voice and enigmatic lyrics, turns in what is probably the best vocal performance of his career. The "story" is deliberately left ambiguous, so the album doesn't really feel like a concept album and the lyrics are almost impenetrable. In the end, Subterranea is a logical extension of Ever, but perhaps just a little bit too huge of an undertaking. Ever is more concise, more consistent and more solid overall, but for the iQ diehard, this is a sure bet nevertheless. And on those nights when no one else is around, you can crank up those keyboard solos and guiltily play along in the air without ever having to confess to it...

by Dan Casey, Published 1998-02-01

Filed under: Reissues, Issue 14, 2005 releases, 1997 recordings

Related artist(s): IQ

 

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