Elements

1) Elements is a Dutch progressive rock band from the The Hague region in the province called Zuid- Holland. The band released its first album on the 19th of June in a nice venue in Vlaardingen called De Kroepoekfabriek. The current line-up has existed since early 2014 and the members are: René Alblas (guitar), Joost Donkersloot (bass and vocals), Sander de Jong (drums) and Kees van Oosten (keyboards).
The album is in memory of former drummer Govert Jan Repelaer van Driel who's responsible for all lyrics but hasn't been able to enjoy listening to them on the album because he lost his fight against cancer, at the age of just 35, before the release. It's nice that in this way he still gets posthumous recognition for his work.
The music reminds me mostly of the 80s prog of Pendragon, IQ, Pallas and Marillion (Fish-era). The vocals of Donkersloot also has a touch of Nick Barrett (Pendragon) at times. As usual in prog rock it's mainly all about the guitar and keyboards, and both are in good hands with musicians Alblas and van Oosten.
I liked the guitar soloing in Intimacy and I Miss You, where keyboard player van Oosten also shows his skills. Ongoing Circle Of Life has a Floydian feel, and Symphony For The Nerds has a nice keyboard intro. The longest track, Imprisoned Angel, has some beautiful keyboard sounds and great guitar work, just like us proggers always enjoy.
The only point of criticism is that the production could do with a bit more dynamics. It sounds a bit flat. This is a nice debut by this new band which gets better every time you listen to it. They are not (yet) in the premier league of Dutch prog bands like Knight Area, Silhouette, Sylvium and 'oldies' Kayak, but that might change with future releases? There are already new songs in the pipeline for a second album, so lets wait and see. Meanwhile enjoy listening to their first work.
2) Джаз-фьюжн группа, костяк которой составляли Danny Gottlieb (перкуссия, ударные) и Mark Egan (бас-гитара, клавишные, программирование).