Never Land (IQ, 2025)

IQ's 2025 album titled "Dominion" is a very good specimen of (neo) prog rock, as usual. Even if it includes a long epic track - at once among the favourites of many hard core fans - I'll single out this slow, atmospheric and rather simple song. "Never Land" is not unusual for the band, based on a moving, delicate theme and a two part crescendo . 

A beautiful cover art, isn't it?

Needless to say, Peter Nicholls unmistakable voice takes the lion's share, while the band provides a lushing sound carpet during the track's first half and explodes in an absolutely prog wall sound from then on. Yes, sometimes the heart rules the mind and I was completely won by such an emotional whirlwind, even more meaningful coming from a more than forty years old act. Under its apparent simplicity, this song can't hide a meticulous work, a work that magnifies the underlying strong feelings and never shows up.

Harvest of Souls (IQ, 2004)

Taken from the album "Dark Matter", this long suite is another IQ's track I listen to from time to time and I like each time more. First of all, there are excellent melodies sung by Peter Nicholls with his peculiar and sensitive voice, then the instrumental sections are all enjoyable and each one adds a different point of view to a manifold and touching picture. This suite is divided into six sections, rather diverse in tempo and in mood. The first one, First of The Last, has an early Genesis, liquid background on which it flows with grace.

"Dark Matter" surely is among my favourite albums by IQ.

The following sections liven up the song or take it back a fairy mood, but always change something and enrich the song. The large amount of vintage instruments is another special feature of "Harvest of Souls", but - as I said before - the best thing here is the unpredictable (and still so natural) series of conflicting moods lined up all along the track: nostalgy, anger, sweetness, fear... I feel them all running down my spine!

Frequency (IQ, 2009)

"Frequency" is the opening and title track from IQ's album released in 2009. When I first listened to it and I immediately recognised the fully-IQ syncopated intro, I was somehow deceived and ready to label this track as another average specimen of this band's style. Then the plot of "Frequency" striked me, its themes, changes and progressions paraded and in a feww minutes I was in love with it.

"Frequency" was the tenth studio album by IQ.

True, this track features all the main traits of IQ, but it's so well thought out and so well performed that it shines as one of the brightest stars in contemporary neo-prog sky. Highly dynamic and unpredictable, this is the sort of musical clockwork I like, full of intricate patterns and emotional peaks. That's why once again I'm grateful to IQ.

The Seventh House (IQ, 2000)

I must admit I wasn't especially fond of this song when I first listened to it, back in the year 2000. But it's been constantly growing inside my soul, so that now it is one of my favourite songs by IQ. And that's saying something! It could be because of Peter Nicholl's disarmingly sincere performance, or maybe because of the neat and convincing guitars, or even because of the keyboards short but effective solo... I really don't know, but of that I'm sure: this is a song passing on me a serene, almost supernatural sense of easiness.

"The Seventh House" was the eighth studio album by IQ (including

"Seven Stories into 98") ...and the first one of the 21st Century!

It's strange, isn't it? There's nothing in the lyrics nor in the music itself actually suggesting such a comfortable feeling, nonetheless a great number of fans and occasional listeners tell me they shared my experience. This song seems to be projected toward a higher and clearer sky. All the tempo and theme changes are so natural and so fluid that I sometimes wonder where on Earth IQ members were when they wrote this song...

The Enemy Smacks (IQ, 1983)

One of the founding songs of the neo-prog movement, this track comes from the album "Tales from The Lush Attic" and is  full of energy and sensibility. The intro attack is a powerful image of what I call progressive rock, and Peter Nicholls' leading vocal performance is even stronger than usual. The following instrumental section has a dark mood, based on Tim Esau's and Paul Cook's rythm section. Then the music gets lighter and lighter to show a superb keyboard / guitar interplay. Next stop: the strongest contrast you can imagine, as a slow-tempo, atmospheric sung section is immediately followed by the heaviest part of the song.

IQ in 1983: a good bunch of proggers.

In short, the track goes on through different tempos and well found sounds, lining up a series of inventions and some excellent quotations (a bit of Gilmour, a bit of Wakeman...), but the moving finale seems to me the ultimate reason to love "The Enemy Smacks". Here Nicholls simply wears his inside out, then the whole band offers a full-bodied wall of sound and a perfect example of symphonic rock outro. Definitely, that's enough for me.

The Road of Bones (IQ, 2014)

I really liked IQ's album "The Road of Bones" since I first listened to it. And I think its title track is one of the best songs in it. It's a perfect case of prog rock crescendo, coming out of a dark, scary mood and rising up to a full, energetic wall of sound. Peter Nicholls' voice leads this course, bringing out one of the best vocal performances in the band's history, from the softer tone to the most powerful singing. The rythm section also offers a remarkable contribution, including broken tempos matching with some intriguing Eastern xylophone effects.

 

"The Road of Bones" is IQ's eleventh studio album.

The lyrics are also gloomy, as they provide an inside look on a serial killer's life and feelings. That's why the crescendo here isn't a mere question of style, as it stresses the psycopath's perverse story:



The shadow crossed my face
All the features came to waste
Shallow graves I mark with stones
As I walk for the road of bones.

And when the wall of sound, the distorted guitars, the bombastic keys and all the rest come in, the listener actually sees the man going along his morbid path. Another magic and progressive spell.

Fading Senses (IQ, 1993)

I can't hide my immoderate fondness for IQ's album "Ever", and "Fading Senses" is one of the major reasons of my weakness. I really like the way this track starts, gentle and introspective, with Peter Nicholls' very peculiar voice drawing inner spirals deep in his soul. He knows how to translate in vocal inflections the melancholy contents of the lyrics. The guitar adds some more nostalgy and transparence.

"Ever" was IQ's sixth studio album.

The sadness rules the song, but "Fading Sanses", despite its moderate duration time (some 6 minutes), is divided into two sections (i After All and ii Fading Senses) and the second one brings in an important change both in mood and tempo, so that it gets heavier and faster. The Whole song is full of deep reflections and strong feelings and the sound is neat and even sharp, like flashes of light in the darkness. Definitely a fascinating track. IMHO, of course.

The Last Human Gateway (IQ, 1983)

This 20 minutes epic track, taken from IQ's first official album "Tales from The Lush Attic", was born as a proud embankment against the rising tide of prog detractors of the '80s, pretending that prog was dead and buried forever. A few bands - and IQ were among the most active ones - succeeded in crossing such a difficult ford and if prog's still alive we should thank them too (well, them and us, the progfans). This suite isn't necessarily a five star masterpiece, but it's a precious testimony of those dark and heroic era for progressive rock. "The Last Human Gateway" was like a lantern in a gloomy passage and its tempo changes, its floydian keyboards, its gabriel-esque vocals, all in it sounds like a statement of faith.

Released in 1983, "Tales" was finally remixed in 2013.

That said, the historical value of this song doesn't exclude a musical interest: some of its sections are excellent, like the arcane intro, or the "Ocean" part, introduced by sweet guitars and built on a solid and beautiful melody, or the passionate istrumental section launching the  final reprise of the main theme. Sure, IQ were young and artless then, maybe they forged better songs later in their career, but in this suite there's a boldness and a fondness I still miss in many modern proggers' intricate and intellectual compositions. So, long live IQ and their Human Gateway!

Widow's Peak (IQ, 1985)

Taken from "The Wake" album, this is one of the most inspired and well structured neo-prog songs of the 80s, IMHO. After an atmospheric keyboards driven intro, the track lives on a series of rock gusts where drums and guitars are in the foreground. A slow mid section just prepares the return of the rythm, also thanks to Peter Nicholls' voice. Peter deserves a special mention for his performance on this song, a very difficult one, obliging him to run after the other instruments during the faster passages and to fill the blanks between those rushes with more intimate accents.

"The Wake" was the second album of the band.

He performs both tasks very well. This contributes to the final effect, that's to say a perfectly balanced track, swinging from melody to rythm, increasing the value of each member of the band. The dramatic use of all the instruments, both in slow and fast passages, gives an electric charge to the song, so, please, don't resume that old story of Genesis influence, 'cause I'm listening to a good piece of music and, really, who cares?

The Narrow Margin (IQ, 1997)

Here's the ending suite of IQ's double CD "Subterranea", released in 1997 and followed by a world tour almost entirely dedicated to the live performance of this concept album. It's a 20 minute track written and performed according to the most traditional prog rock standards. Is this a good reason to ignore it? Well, my friends, please let's sit down and talk it over. "The Narrow Margin" is full of musical ideas, well written melodies, creative rythms, amazing changes, good energy, intricate but pleasant plots, and - last but not least - passionate vocals.

 

A movie is being released based on "Subterranea".



Also the lyrics are very interesting and even touching, being this track the conclusion of a story about the abused victim of a cruel behavioural experiment. The leading character reveals here all his inner conflicts and takes a tough decision. So, if this track didn't change rock'n'roll history, we're not authorised by this to underrate a real musical gem as many so called critics do just to cling to more fashionable ways. Music can be good or bad, and this is true for neo-prog as for every other musical genre. This song is good IMHO. Very good (IMHO again). Listen to it without prejudice and let me know.

The Darkest Hour (IQ, 1993)

I adore "Ever", this track's album, I must confess prior to any further notes. I know many IQ's old fans bettere like the '80s albums, but IMHO "Ever" and "Subterranea" keep the same quality standard than "Tales from The Lush Attic" or "The Wake". "The Darkest Hour" is the opening song, an epic and powerful one, including the typical syncopated rhythm that's an IQ's trademark. Peter Nicholls' voice is a little screechy, that's true, but so heartfelt you'll forgive him anything.

IQ in their "Ever" lineup.

As usual John Jowitt's bass guitar works very hard and all is in tune with the mysterious athmosphere the song's title announces, but the tempo changes and the themes weaving prevent any humdrum and draw in many solar glimpses. The lyrics The track's final perfectly introduces the next one, another one of my favs, bat this is another story...