Ricocher - Quest for the Heartland



1. The Code (5:11) a. Doorway b. Memories 2. Life in Your Mind (5:25) 3. Your Pride (3:18) 4. Quest for the Heartland (8:03)

Total Running Time: 21:57



The Netherlands have somehow turned into a bubbling cauldron of progressive rock activity during these last few years, churning out quality bands at a rate that boggles the mind and defies the laws of logic. Perhaps it's a metamorphosis of various elements in the country's culture, or the inherited tradition from acts such as Focus, but whatever it is, it certainly is attracting a surprising amount of musicians. Among the new batch of Dutch progressive rock artists to jump into the scene is Ricocher, an act that has received kudos from the likes of Martin Orford and Clive Nolan and which, not too long ago, acted as opener for this year's Arena fan convention in Holland.

Not bad, huh? Well, neither is the band's short debut album, Quest for the Heartland. What these guys have achieved, they certainly have earned with what is a highly focused musical approach that is steadfastly locked on to emotionally catchy songwriting and a perfect sense of timing. For lack of a better description, think a mix between IQ and early Marillion rushing headlong into Rush's Signals and producing a palatable cocktail of melodies and choruses with pleasing time signature changes. And if that doesn't sound bad at all, well, it's because it isn't.

With the number of progressive rock bands out there growing constantly and releasing independent material as each day passes by, it has become harder and harder to find new promising acts that release something truly professional in every sense of the word. And Ricocher is one of the exceptions. Quest for the Heartland is an album that not only offers a classy batch of songs to feast one's ears on, but also boosts their strength with a wonderfully crisp production and even goes as far as to top the package with appropriately lush cover art. Simply put, these guys have all bases covered.

The album does have a slight glitch, however, and rather fortunately one that will doubtlessly disappear by the time the band releases its sophomore effort. While Quest for the Heartland is indeed an impressive debut and benefits from mixing a healthy dose of influences into a sound that does not come across as dated, it also features a band that is still on the verge of finding its own identity, and as such is a tad bit too reminiscent of its influences at times. It is obvious, however, that all that the band needs is a soft push in the right direction, and nothing more. A major contender in the future of progressive rock.

-by Marcelo Silveyra

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