[Cozy]

Hey everyone!

Here's my review/ranks of the fest:


Pure Reason Revolution (A+) - Great set. It was everything I expected and more. My only small gripes were that they didn't address the audience (considering *they* at least spoke English) and that the mix towards the back made it difficult to hear the vocals. I especially enjoy that there were people leaving the theater complaining that this band wasn't prog enough for them. Welcome to the future, my friends.


One Shot (A) - I knew these guys would be great going in, and they didn't disappoint. The only knocks were that they didn't play "Fat" on Ewaz Vader, that the set list was only 45 min (I didn't realize it was going to be that short), and that they were stiff so there was nothing to 'look at' so to speak.


La Maschera Di Cera (A-) - LuxAde solidified my enjoyment of this Italian retro symph band. They put on a great show and Alessandro gets extra points for his passion and stage presence. My only knock was that the epic track at the end was a bad choice and about 7 min. too long.


Indukti (A-/B+) - Another band that brought more modern elements to the mix. This was a great set that wasn't too long as some of their music can get repetitive. These guys get points for trying to rock the shit out of a sedentary NF audience, but alas, nobody moved. The major knock is that SUSAR is complemented by the Riverside vocalist, and I felt that was truly missed and would have added a bit more dynamic and dimension to the set.


Secret Oyster (B+) - These guys took a little while to get their legs, but what a great effort from a band that really hasn't played together. I was especially pleased that this relatively unknown band got a lot of nice reviews from just about everyone I talked with. And now you can get 4 studio CDs finally reissued from Lasers Edge.


Magma (B ) - I saw these guys at NF '03 and was blown away. I was less so this time around, but I still enjoyed the set. The new material for the 2008 album was a little long and a lot to absorb for those not familiar with the work would get easily lost. While I don't EXPECT Magma to play K.A, I was very disappointed they did not considering this was the first time many listeners would have gotten to hear a live rendition of the 2004 release they've had a few years to absorb.


NeBeLNeSt (B-) - I was looking forward to these guys on Saturday, but they left me a bit cold by the end. I did however enjoy the last track which I recall being from the first album. For some reason I don't think the material translated that well live, .... or maybe it was me....oh well. And this could have also been a mix thing. It sounded very muddy to my ears.


Bob Drake (B-) - Very fun material, clever, and a nice way to inject personality to the festival. I had a real problem with the mix though. From the back of the hall, you could barely understand what Bob was singing even when it was just he and his guitar. That really took away from my experience imo.


Izz (C+) - Good at what they do. Professional musicians. Moments of excellence, but it overall didn't do much for me and while I'm familiar with most their work, but for some reason many of the songs I heard I couldn't recall. I also felt the two drummer thing could have been better utilized.


Incomplete: Holdsworth, Robert Rich. I really didn't hear enough to be able to make an impression.

And I knew I wouldn't enjoy Magenta and Hawkwind to attend, so I didn't.


Anyway, great festival overall!


PS - Discipline is a monster start for NF X!