Let's make this straight and simple before we go any further. You surely clicked on this link due to one of these two reasons: either you were simply curious to find out if the guys at Progfreaks have a screw or two loose, or you expected to be introduced to what is possibly a great band awaiting to be discovered (…and if you actually knew Collage, congrats, you are one of the few visitors that actually has a clue of who I am talking about; a true prog connoisseur). At this very moment, you are surely wondering who the hell this band is and what on Earth it's doing holding a spot on the Hall-Of-Fame section and…well, let's start by trying to get some of those thoughts straightened out. First of all, just because a band is unknown to you doesn't mean that it's uncapable of delivering a great album that surpasses all other works made by commonly known prog acts. Music should be criticized and taken for what it is and not judged by the trajectory, past achievements, or portrayed image of a band. Each album is a new start; a whole new artistic piece that stands alone before trial. So while every prog-rock fan is understandably asking, "Do these guys deserve to be here?," I am assuring you, they do.

"Heroes Cry"- As soon as the first song from this amazing album begins, we are handled a heavy dose of what Collage is all about. The intro's huge intensity, based on an orchestral arrangement that pounds away in an odd-time signature, foretells the stressful message that's found within the song. The drums follow it accentuating every note, and everything quickly develops from there, with the vocal melody flowing gracefully. The song surprisingly mellows down during the pre-chorus and chorus, giving us a warm feeling after the impact created by the intro, but we are later thrown back again to the dark mood and stressful melodies. In this song, one can really appreciate the number of layers that create the huge atmospheric feeling, mainly by the way the keyboards complement the song on the background with dark atmospheres. Moreover, the orchestral arrangement keeps coming back and forth during the song, swinging it up and down through several moods. After all the vocal melodies, the music smoothes out and takes us again through a wall of sound that is now backing up a lead melody, which is led most of the time by the electric guitar. The sound achieved by the band is huge, but this section really shines in representing the song's mood, especially with the perfectly matched sound of the guitar and keyboards.

"In Your Eyes"- As "Heroes Cry" reaches its ending, the last notes blend naturally with the "In Your Eyes" intro, smoothing out the transition between songs. One could even say that they are immensely linked and should be listened to as a whole. "In Your Eyes" is a more relaxed song that moves around a dark atmospheric feeling during the intro, but then changes to a more lively and friendlier sound. The chorus is unbelievable; it develops in between changing moods and really captivates our attention due to all these shifting melodies. Moreover, as in "Heroes Cry," I love the way the guitar and keyboards complement each other during the whole song, in which the guitar basically moves around sustained notes and helps create layers instead of taking the lead. Instead of having some instruments backing up a leading one, the members of Collage choose to really work in a joint effort and exchange melodies back and forth around layers. These characteristics are, in fact, what makes up the big sound achieved by the band. Well, the song goes on moving in between several moods and taking the listener all around the place… personally, I think it's another great song.

"Lovely Day"- It starts out with a quite happy melody as opposed to the previous tracks, and quite obviously so…just read the damn name of the song… of course it's supposed to be happy. Well anyways, they do a fine job at capturing the feeling that was intended for the track, with the lyrics and music strongly tied up as one. The chorus is great and gives a big lift to the song, standing out from the rest of it, although the verses flow very nicely too. In a concluding kind of way, it's a piece about being glad of being alive.

"Living In The Moonlight"- Okay, I admit it, it's one of my favorite songs. The all-around melody is simply beautiful, and the mood that the band creates is amazing. The intro builds up immediately and quickly pulls us in, taking us through a spacey and moody atmosphere that flows smoothly through countless instrumental layers. As the song reaches the middle section, a guitar solo glides gracefully with a powerful melody. Then, as the solo reaches its end, the last notes lift the song immensely and let all the emotions burst out majestically, making the mood grow even stronger yet. The lyrics, with their respective vocal melody, are also worthy of mention, as they embrace every aspect of the song and carefully detail a romance in a clear and starry night in a metaphorical way.

"The Blues"- Finally we reach the fast-tempo rock song. "The Blues" breaks out with a distorted guitar melody and some drastic but swift arrangements that set the landscape for the lyrics. This song is a true prog piece consisting of several time signature changes, unexpected turns, great solos, and overall excellent musicianship that will surely please most of you prog-aficionados. Staying true to its style, however, Collage still maintains that flowing smooth melody throughout most of the verses and manages to polish the tempo changes so that the average listener will barely notice them. As the song develops, the vocals are left behind and some huge instrumental passages take center stage to finally give an ending to the piece.

"Wings In The Night"- Starting out with a mellow arpeggio, this song is basically a contradiction of the previous track. Initially, the vocal melody is the only traceable guideline for the development of the song, with just a few instruments on the background creating an atmosphere for the vocals to flourish in. After some verses, the music leaves behind the relaxed feel and adopts a more upbeat approach, but the true turnaround happens when we reach the glorious chorus line that simply takes the song through a majestic and unexpected territory. This piece also musically flows through endless tempo changes with amazing solos and melodies, extending itself to eleven minutes of length.

"Moonshine"- An awkward drumbeat introduces the track to the listener as a backing rhythm structure resembling U2's "Where The Streets Have No Name" develops, but a few seconds later, we break through into well-known Collage territory. We go through endless dynamics within the different musical passages, with the song relaxing and stressing out from time to time. The synths and sustained guitar tones are household trademarks by now. Moreover, melodies come in and out every now and then, embellishing every last bit of the song. Once again, the song almost reaches a length of twelve minutes.

"War Is Over"- "War Is Over" is written on the same page as "Lovely Day" is. There's a beautiful melody throughout the entire piece with a great leading vocal line. As opposed to the previous three songs, we don't find many intertwined changes throughout the piece but a few basic tempo changes instead, with the purpose in mind being transmitting a clear and straight message with the song's mood and lyrics. This is probably the only song that refuses to explore the endless musical layers that are a trademark of the band, shining right through with a basic rhythm structure instead and never getting lost in the usual sea of atmospheric passages.

Clearly enough, one of the main reasons that got you interested in prog-rock (in other words, its main appeal) was getting away from all the shallow, uncreative, and tedious music offered by the mainstream and finding an alternative to the ever-growing market. If you think that it's actually been a while since you last heard of any new worthy bands, don't look any further. This band and this album are your sure remedy.

-by Javier Elizondo