Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: IQ
Label: Giant Electric Pea
Released: 1997
Running time: 102:31
Rating: 5/5
In 1997, British neo-prog rockers IQ released their most ambitious studio project yet, titled »Subterranea«, a breakthrough album that finally rocketed them into the top league of their trade. This double concept masterpiece was one of the high points of their career and, at the same time, one of the best progressive rock albums to come out in the nineties. While working on »Subterranea«, IQ were buoyed by the hugely positive response from fans and critics to their ‘comeback’ album »Ever« (1993), which marked the studio debut of arguably the most beloved version of the band. The man behind the lyrics and the fairly complex concept of »Subterranea«, which was inspired by a real 19th-century event, the poorly investigated incident surrounding the mysterious Kaspar Hauser, was charismatic singer Peter Nicholls. Together with guitar wizard and producer Mike Holmes and keyboard heavyweight Martin Orford, he formed the core of the band, while the dream rhythm duo of rock-solid bassist John Jowitt and versatile drummer Paul Cook kept the IQ train thundering ahead at full speed toward new creative triumphs.
The concept of »Subterranea« is pretty dramatic and fits the intense atmosphere that runs through the whole album. Of course, it doesn’t lack social criticism, which is typical of Nicholls’ often deep and socially conscious messages. »Subterranea« tells the strange story of a nameless protagonist who was the guinea pig in some mysterious experiment. The unknown man was hermetically sealed off in a laboratory with no contact whatsoever with the outside world, while his senses were deliberately dulled during the experiment. It’s never fully clarified whether he managed to escape the lab on his own or whether his jailers let him go on purpose. Either way, the secretive organization running the experiment tracked his every move in the outside world. For someone with dulled senses, that first contact with the outside world was a huge shock, since he suddenly started rapidly ‘soaking up’ everything he saw, smelled, heard, tasted and touched. After this state of over-the-top euphoria, he first runs into a group of homeless people in a park and temporarily joins them, living under the open sky. His time with society’s outcasts doesn’t last long, because an unnamed religious cult quickly spots him and wants to use him as easy prey for its schemes. The cult wants to brainwash him, but the protagonist resists and escapes. Along the way he meets a girl named Maya and falls in love with her, and the feeling is mutual.
But just as the two start planning a future together, Maya is abducted and their happiness is suddenly over. Most interpreters of the concept assume she was killed by the same people who were running the sinister experiment on the protagonist. At this moment, with his whole world collapsing, he realizes that someone is watching him. The protagonist manages to find the person tailing his every step, but before killing him, he manages to wring out of him the name of the experiment’s leader (Mockenrue). This is followed by a brief period of inner calm, in which the protagonist locks himself inside his own mind, before a sudden return to harsh reality. With the new realization that he’s part of a secret experiment, he sets off on the trail of his tormentors, putting on a false identity. In time he manages to kill a few of the agents pursuing him and gets closer to the truth. Among other things, he finds out that he isn’t the only person the experiment is being carried out on, and that the other guinea pigs also have a special, mysterious symbol tattooed on them, which turns out to be none other than the IQ logo.
Meanwhile, the nameless protagonist increasingly realizes that real life is much harder than the one he knew before, when he was cut off from the outside world in the laboratory. The victims of the experiment eventually band together and rise up against their tormentors, but the latter outwit them and burn all the evidence of the experiments. The protagonist finally confronts the experiment’s leader Mockenrue and ends up as the only survivor. In an abandoned room where he’s left completely alone, he suddenly refuses to return to the real world and chooses voluntary self-isolation, which closes the conceptual circle and brings the story back to the beginning. The protagonist loses his memory again and, in the middle of an unfamiliar place, wants to stay safe in complete isolation from the outside world.
Overall, IQ took a remarkable step forward in maturity on »Subterranea« when it comes to sonic sophistication. Some critics did accuse them of trying to imitate Genesis’ equally double-disc concept masterpiece »The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway« (1974), which had some influence on Nicholls’ lyrics, but the two albums are completely different both musically and conceptually. »Subterranea« is even one of those IQ albums where the Genesis influence is less obvious than usual, despite Nicholls’ vocal resemblance to Peter Gabriel. On the other hand, here and there you can feel slight Pink Floyd influences, which is otherwise a rarity on most other IQ albums.
The songs are cleverly arranged and complement each other beautifully, tying the whole concept together in a convincing way. The opening instrumental »Overture«, which quickly builds an intense atmosphere, opens with a short improvisation, followed by a punchy shift into a dynamic section full of dramatic guitar-and-keyboard harmonies. On »Provider« the charismatic Nicholls shines for the first time, aptly capturing the emotional state of the nameless protagonist, who for the first time in his life starts to become aware of the world around him. The title track, which quickly made it onto the list of the most popular IQ live numbers, is the first of the album’s peaks. A melodic arrangement with complex harmonies between guitar and keyboards takes center stage and reaches its climax in an epic chorus. This superb composition clearly demonstrates what a huge sonic evolution IQ, equally convincing on short and longer pieces, have gone through since their turbulent beginnings in the eighties.
»Sleepless Incidental« is just one of the many dark moments on the album. Nicholls’ mournful vocal delivery creates unforgettable drama, while Holmes’ hard-rock passages thoroughly heat up the tense mood. Complex bass lines paired with fiery drum fills really stir up the increasingly gloomy ambience, which Orford’s organ passages crank up even further. »Failsafe«, the second-longest track on the album, kicks off with a hard-rock riff that even Ritchie Blackmore wouldn’t be ashamed of, followed by very tasteful guitar-and-keyboard harmonies that strongly recall classic Genesis. After the instrumental intro comes an equally dramatic vocal section and plenty of stormy transitions, with which IQ keep the atmosphere incredible throughout. »Speak My Name« is a decent power ballad with lovely piano arrangements and, as a whole, positively brims with an upbeat mood. »Tunnel Vision« is a pretty ‘traditionalist’ IQ composition with a gloomy ambience, pompous symphonic arrangements, crunchy guitar passages and a melodramatic vocal performance that sends shivers down your spine.
»Infernal Chorus« slowly builds its drama, with menacing guitar phrases and an angry vocal approach reflecting the protagonist’s inconsolable rage at losing his girl. »King Of Fools«, with its mounting tension, at times sounds like the score to a Victorian horror film, thanks to plenty of spine-chilling keyboard effects. The mellow »The Sense Of Sanity« is a very interesting experiment, featuring soothing xylophone sounds that make for a striking contrast with the recent bleak mood that took over during the protagonist’s fury. At this point he decides to dig into the truth and take revenge on his mysterious tormentors. Here Nicholls goes for his most ethereal and serene vocal approach and is key to the uplifting ambience. »State Of Mine«, which closes the ‘first chapter’, is a dynamic, symphonic instrumental that, thanks to its multi-layered harmonies between keyboards and guitar, strongly recalls classic Genesis.
The second disc opens with the instrumental »Laid Low«, which features melancholic piano arrangements and guitar soloing, followed by a sudden shift into the punchy »Breathtaker«, yet another of those key »Subterranea« compositions that push the story into the next dramatic chapter, while the band builds an unforgettable atmosphere where something is always happening. Nicholls is once again phenomenal in the way he slips into the protagonist’s role, while Orford delivers a cunning synth solo in the middle section. »Capricorn« is an interesting achievement already because it features slick saxophone passages that give it a slight jazzy flavor, so that alongside the Genesis influences you can also sense a touch of Steely Dan. »The Other Side« is a moving instrumental with plenty of ethereal-sounding ambient curtains.
»Unsolid Ground« is again a somewhat more compact effort, with a melodic central arrangement, a relaxed rhythm and a lovely chorus that, in another era, might even have had commercial potential. »Somewhere In Time« opens as a mournful ballad, while Nicholls again excellently slips into the role of the ‘martyr’ determined to get to the bottom of the truth. That’s followed by the obligatory plot twist, where a mighty mood takes over with lavish symphonic arrangements and clever time changes. The dream rhythm section shines again here. »High Waters« is a dramatic piano ballad that works as a sort of overture to the epic finale, and Holmes’ brilliant, heart-wrenching guitar solo deserves a special mention.
Right at the end of the album sits its ‘magnum opus’, the epic treat »The Narrow Margin«, which runs exactly twenty minutes (not a second less, not a second more), matching the traditional length of a prog-rock super-epic. And it matches the high standard in quality too, as it’s the most ambitious composition in IQ’s history up to that point, one they later topped in quality, drama, message and complexity only with the unforgettable »Harvest of Souls« (»Dark Matter«, 2004), probably the finest creation of their career so far. A calm intro is followed by a shift into an upbeat section with recognizable IQ hallmarks, where there’s no shortage of dramatic rhythmic twists, vocal theatrics, shimmering keyboard passages, dynamic guitar phrases and complex rhythmic meanders that take the listener on an unforgettable sonic adventure. The instrumental sections are consistently rich, clever, lively and full of epic fervor, so even with the composition’s respectable length there isn’t a dull moment to be found. The mood, which at times sounds like a heavenly revelation, is a special chapter in itself, condensing the essence of the whole concept and successfully closing the narrative circle.
With the double masterpiece »Subterranea«, IQ created one of the high points of their turbulent career and, at the same time, one of the key concept albums of neo-progressive rock. »Subterranea« is one of those ‘eternal’ classics that a listener can enjoy every single time, discovering something new in the music on each spin, while the concept is deep enough that its messages don’t ring hollow, even if it isn’t as unique or complex as some of the concepts from the golden era of progressive rock. At the same time, »Subterranea« has passed the test of time with flying colors and given IQ extra energy for future feats that were no less thrilling.
Lineup
Peter Nicholls: lead vocals
Mike Holmes – guitar
Martin Orford: keyboards, backing vocals
John Jowitt – bass guitar, backing vocals
Paul Cook – drums
GUEST MUSICIAN:
Tony Wright – saxophone
Production
Mike Holmes
Tracklist
CD 1: (52:22)
1. Overture (4:38)
2. Provider (1:36)
3. Subterranea (5:53)
4. Sleepless Incidental (6:23)
5. Failsafe (8:57)
6. Speak My Name (3:34)
7. Tunnel Vision (7:24)
8. Infernal Chorus (5:09)
9. King Of Fools (2:02)
10. The Sense In Sanity (4:47)
11. State Of Mine (1:59)
CD 2: (50:09)
1. Laid Low (1:29)
2. Breathtaker (6:04)
3. Capricorn (5:16)
4. The Other Side (2:22)
5. Unsolid Ground (5:04)
6. Somewhere In Time (7:11)
7. High Waters (2:43)
8. The Narrow Margin (20:00)
