Release date: 27.09.2019
Label: Giant Electric Pea
Producer: Mike Holmes
Length: 108:37
Genre: neo-progressive rock
Rating: 10/10
We’ve kind of gotten used to the cult names of neo-prog rock putting out records less often in their later years than when they were young, when a new album dropped every year or two. The tough-as-nails IQ are among the icons of the eighties British neo-prog scene who take their sweet time making a new album in the new century. “Resistance” is the follow-up to their previous studio album, “The Road of Bones” (2014), and five years have passed since that one came out. In that time IQ, who have kept the same lineup since 2011, wrote so much new music that they decided to put out another double album after the excellent “The Road of Bones” and the neo-prog classic “Subterranea” (1997).
Longtime IQ fans sensed even before “Resistance” came out that the charismatic singer Peter Nicholls, guitar maestro Mike Holmes, keyboard wizard Neil Durant, seasoned bassist Tim Esau and drumming ace Paul Cook had cooked up something very ambitious this time, and that it wouldn’t be just a cautious continuation of the previous record, which would of course have been the easiest route. Unlike on “The Road of Bones,” the songs on the second disc aren’t separated from the ones on the first and form a rounded whole, while, according to Holmes, the guitarist and the only member of every IQ incarnation, the band realized early on while shaping the album that “Resistance” would take them into completely new creative waters. Just how ambitious a project “Resistance” is shows in the fact that the second disc holds not one but two twenty-minute super-epics, which rank among the best things ever made by the English champions of symphonic prog rock.
Of course, the key songwriting, sonic and lyrical elements that lifted IQ into one of the finest (neo-)prog rock bands in the world more than three decades ago are still here, but since “The Road of Bones” they’ve gotten a more than noticeable upgrade. Nicholls’ intellectual, brooding lyrics have become even more socially aware and almost shockingly critical of society, to the point where they practically force the listener to stop and think about social reality, while his singing has reached a new level of expressiveness.
Hard to believe, but on “Resistance” Durant has finally managed to step completely out of the long shadow of his predecessor Martin Orford and taken the symphonic arrangements to the next level of maturity. More than on some of IQ’s past symphonic exploits and the Genesis influences that left a major mark on most of their discography, he draws on the arranging craft of some of the giants of mature art rock, led by David Bowie from his farewell “Blackstar” (2016) phase. Together with Holmes, he’s reached a new level in building complex, unpredictable guitar-and-keyboard harmonies, while the ‘tried and true’ Esau-Cook rhythm section is as creative as it’s been in ages.
“Resistance” is a dream experience from start to finish for all prog gourmets, not just longtime IQ fans, who will be licking their fingers the whole way through. Already on the phenomenal opener, the thoroughly dark “A Missile,” IQ go ‘all in,’ in one of their heaviest guises. Before Nicholls’ distinctive, inconsolable vocals come crashing in, the listener might think they’re dealing with some technically refined prog metal band. The dark, dramatic atmosphere is outstanding throughout, and it’s hard to single out all the thrilling strengths of this piece, but special mention goes to Nicholls’ singing, which shakes the listener again and again with its intensity and expressiveness, while mighty, epic harmonies accompany him in the background and intelligently built time-signature shifts with plenty of atmospheric changes follow him.
“Rise,” which finally convinces the listener that IQ won’t be making any sonic compromises on “Resistance,” and will instead ‘burn it all down’ in a thoroughly eclectic way, doesn’t lag behind the previous track one bit in epicness, darkness and drama. “Stay Down” opens with a melancholic piano intro that promises a calm love ballad, until Nicholls’ mournful singing, subtle acoustic guitar passages and symphonic swells turn it into a gloomy requiem that, with the crash of hard-hitting electric guitar passages, completely changes its atmospheric nature.
“Alampandria” is a piece soaked in a mysterious, oriental mood, mostly thanks to dramatic Mellotron swells, while punchy guitar passages and Nicholls’ agitated singing bring the intensity to a boil. “Shallow Bay” features majestic orchestral arrangements, while Nicholls once again conjures up an unforgettable mood with his vocal melancholy and Holmes puts the cherry on top with a closing guitar solo.
The lovely ballad “If Anything,” ruled by Nicholls’ immense vocal melancholy, is steeped in still-life synth arrangements, while the brilliant organ finale comes as something of a surprise. The first disc closes with the epic “For Another Lifetime,” at over fifteen minutes. It has a rather serene opening section that gets more ominous by the minute thanks to eerie effects and a vocoder that completely warps Nicholls’ voice. Then comes a shift into the first of many complex sections that distinguish the shortest of the three ambitious epics on “Resistance.” The chorus comes off unexpectedly upbeat, even liberating, amid mostly gloomy harmonies and at times almost cataclysmic drum passages, while Nicholls once again confirms his status as one of the finest singers in modern progressive rock.
The second disc opens with the nearly twenty-two-minute super-epic “The Great Spirit Away,” which, no exaggeration, is a very serious contender for the most ambitious piece in IQ’s history so far. That holds even compared to the ‘epic of all IQ epics,’ “The Harvest of Souls” from the album “Dark Matter” (2004). You could barely count on the fingers of five hands the prog rock bands with this much mileage who can still turn out super-epics at the level IQ do. The whole composition is like an incredibly dramatic journey through countless shifts in atmosphere and harmony, tied together in a charismatic way by Nicholls’ singing, while unexpected time-signature changes bring no shortage of surprises. There’s no lack of instrumental sections along the way either, and the ones that impress most are Holmes’ subtle acoustic guitar passages.
“Fire and Security” is a more ‘traditional’ IQ piece, with a ballad-style intro and a shift into a melancholic section where mighty guitar passages and ethereally flavored symphonic arrangements take over, while Nicholls’ singing delivers an utterly gloomy overall picture. “Perfect Space” is one of the most innovative moments on “Resistance,” where IQ also play with minimal touches of jazz rock fusion, which you can hear in the subtle acoustic guitar passages and some rhythmic twists.
The album closes with the nearly twenty-minute epic “Fallout.” This composition of unexpected experimental dimensions has a rather different atmospheric nature from “The Great Spirit Away,” since next to it, it’s a somewhat more ethereal and relaxing piece with an almost serene intro. That of course doesn’t last long, and IQ steer it all into far more complex and dramatic waters, while still not betraying the central atmospheric motif. The end result is perfection and one of the finest pieces not just on this album but in their entire career so far.
With “Resistance,” IQ have made another masterpiece and a leading contender for the best progressive rock album of 2019. Since “Ever” (1993) we’ve been used to IQ wowing us with a new masterpiece after a long wait, but this time Nicholls, Holmes, Durant, Esau and Cook have truly outdone themselves and made one of the key symphonic prog rock albums of the last decade. With it, IQ managed to reach the next level of maturity in their sonic development and prove that even in neo-prog, a genre that experimental purists often overlook, if not outright despise, there’s still plenty of untapped room for further sonic ‘evolution.’ “Resistance” is a great example of how modern progressive rock should sound while not being ashamed of its roots. Let’s hope it becomes a clear sonic signpost for younger prog bands, who too often stay fixated on the Genesis-Yes-Pink Floyd-Marillion axis.
Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Tracklist:
CD 1 (52:58)
1. A Missile (6:40)
2. Rise (6:49)
3. Stay Down (7:55)
4. Alampandria (3:48)
5. Shallow Bay (6:21)
6. If Anything (6:03)
7. For Another Lifetime (15:22)
CD 2 (55:39)
1. The Great Spirit Way (21:45)
2. Fire and Security (5:26)
3. Perfect Space (8:33)
4. Fallout (19:55)
IQ:
Peter Nicholls – vocals
Mike Holmes – guitar
Tim Esau – bass guitar, bass pedals
Neil Durant – keyboards
Paul Cook – drums, percussion
