Zello - Zello

Year of Release: 1996
Label: AD Perpetuam Memoriam
Catalog Number: APM 9614 AT
Format: CD
Total Time: 40:00:00

Starting with "Overture", this album immediately takes you on a journey along rocking songs and quiet interludes. This overture indeed captures several melodies of the album and is, by that, a little epic in itself. "Fairy Queen" is also a very powerful song, with a beautiful hammond organ and a very "Starship Trooper"-like synth solo at the end. The quiet "Little Eve" leads into the very Kansas-like "The Children Are Crying" which is, although the subject of this song is rather serious, a pretty joyful song. Another interlude brings you to "Traffic Jam," which is a rock 'n roll type of jam with several tempo-changes. The violin is, once again, very present. The combinations between Hammond and violin are much better elaborated, than the so-maniest-version-of Kansas did on their last album Freaks Of Nature.

"Shades Of The Crying Children" is again one of those little intros. This one, played on a sort of a Clavichord, is rather special. It is followed by "The Angels Have Fallen." Again this is a very lovely 'catchy' song. With its up-tempo-beat this is real party-time! Quiet water-sounds follow, at the beginning of Kelpie which features a theme that was also present in "Overture."

"Voyager" and "Hold On" end the album as it started, and that's the only problem I have with this album. Except for the interludes, many of the songs have the same beat and the same sound. Where the album starts very strong and convincing, I'm losing a bit of interest towards the end, which is 'more of the same'. A bit more diversity could save this album. Maybe a guitar player would add something to the compositions. Melody sometimes depends too much on Hammond and violin. Nevertheless, I'd recommend Zello's promising debut especially to Kansas-fans. But others will also certainly enjoy this album....... at least for the first 25 minutes.

This album was reissued in 2004 by Lion Music as First Chapter, Second Verse with guitars and bonus tracks added. This review courtesy Dutch Progressive Rock Page (DPRP); acquired when PW incorporated content at AudioVision in early 1999 - ed. Dec 2005]

Tracklisting:
Overture (5:38) / Fairy Queen (5:34) / Little Eve (0:31) / The Children Are Crying (5:47) / The Humming (0:45) / Traffic Jam (4:46) / Shades Of The Crying Children (0:56) / The Angels Have Fallen (3:54) / Kelpie (0:42) / Voyager (4:41) / Fragments Of 5 And 6 (1:00) / Hold On (6:37)

Musicians:
Anders Altzerfeld - organ, Moog, synth
Jamil Batal - drums
Lennart Glenberg - violin
Dan Lindell - bass
Mats Olsson - piano, harpsichord, synth
P. O. Saether - lead and harmony vocals

Discography:
Zello (1996)
Quodlibet (1999)
First Chapter, Second Verse (2004)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin SE

Added: July 1st 1999
Reviewer: Jan-Jaap de Haan

Hits: 2790
Language: english