IQ - The Seventh House



1. The wrong side of weird (12:24); 2. Erosion (5:43); 3. The Seventh House (14:23); 4. Zero Hour (6:57); 5. Shooting Angels (7:24); 6. Guiding Light (9:58)

Total Running Time: 56:49



Perhaps one of the most interesting questions circling through those well imbued with the trappings of the progressive rock scene of recent years was whether or not there would be life for IQ after its gargantuan opus, Subterranea. After all, the band went into hiatus for three years after that and only showed intermittent signs of life through sporadic shows, releases related to the aforementioned album, and keyboardist Martin Orford's recent solo album. Ok, ok, I'll shut up and tell you. There IS life after Subterranea. Massive amounts of it. With The Seventh House, IQ has once again released an intelligent collection of songs that soars through its beautiful atmospheres of intertwined instrumentation. And the truth is, one couldn't expect less from such a world-class ensemble.

After the first lush melodies of "The Wrong Side of Weird" from Orford slide graciously downwards, it becomes crystal clear that one is about to be subjected to an unforgettable display of clever songwriting, which becomes even more evident after the song takes off with a playful rhythm that is driven forward by John Jowitt's dynamic bass playing. From there on, the song dances through a maze of sonic pleasantries before delving into awesome syncopated grooves and diving into menacingly crushing paranoia, above which singer Peter Nicholls adopts the guise of hope, confusion, and fear with equal ease. Perhaps the only problem to be found within it is the fact that it makes it impossible for yours truly to describe the brilliant journey that it delineates. Same goes for the album's other epic, "The Seventh House," which glides tranquilly by means of gorgeous guitar melodies and harmonic passages before passing on to a vigorous 6/8 - 3/4 segment that is so compelling in nature that one can't help but rewind the song to that captivating movement at every chance after Orford's deftly textured passage (you'll know which one I'm talking about as soon as you hear it) is over.

The album does have its weak moments, however. The otherwise gratifyingly ominous "Erosion" starts off with an awfully boring (and fortunately short!) introduction before going into gigantic riffs of heavy grandeur, and the enticing pop-like melodies of "Zero Hour" lose their charm gradually during the following instrumental section, which comes across as sort of a second-rate Kenny G (or perhaps a first-rate Kenny G; I can't really tell because Kenny G has always been pretty second-rate to me anyways) because of Tony Wright's soporiferous saxophone. These are but diminutive blemishes on a stellar record, however, as Wright immediately redeems himself with beautiful sax touches on "Shooting Angels," the album's most accessible track in its pleasant march and touching melodies, and "Guiding Light" closes the voyage in a hopeful mood after delivering its insightful lyrics by means of a unique IQ approach. Let's hope we don't have to wait another three years for the next album.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

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