Sphinx iQ 2

Released in September 1997, Subterranea was quickly hailed by most progressive rock critics as a masterpiece and became one of the very few "classic" albums this style brought forth in 1990s. The two-CD, 103-minute concept album is indeed IQ's strongest effort and would even eclipse The Wake, if it weren't for the historical significance of the 1985 LP. An obscure story of subterranean beings, life-and-death chase, and initiatory quest packed with metaphorical implications, Subterranea, as a concept, is typical Peter Nicholls; all lyrics remain vague, only suggesting emotions and bits of plot, but to phenomenal results. The easy comparison would be Genesis' The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway and, yes, there is something of that in here, but the meaning of this album is even more cryptic…

This IQ album is a re-recorded version of their cassette-album debut "Seven Stories Into Eight" which was released back in 1982. Due to the poor sound quality of the original, they re-recorded this in 1998. When compared to their other work, this is less emotional and more complex progressive rock with less vocals. Usually IQ sounds more or less like Marillion and Genesis in their progressive rock years. But as this album is slightly different when compared to other IQ releases. Maybe you could have an idea how this sounds if you imagine a softer version of Dream Theater.

The Road of Bones is a studio album by the British neo-progressive band IQ, released in 2014. It peaked at number 36 in Germany. It's the first album to feature Neil Durant on keyboards and it marks the return of original members Paul Cook on drums and Tim Esau on bass, the latter appearing on an IQ album for the first time since 1989. IQ are a British neo-progressive rock band founded by Mike Holmes and Martin Orford in 1981 following the dissolution of their original band The Lens. Although the band have never enjoyed major commercial success and had several line up changes, IQ have built up a loyal following over the years and are still active as of 2019, currently with the original recording lineup (with the exception of Orford). In 2011, IQ performed a series of concerts in the UK and Europe celebrating their 30th anniversary.

2 CD set recorded live at the Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany on January 24th, 2020. After the incredible reaction to the recent live stream of our ’Show of Resistance’ concert we’ve decided to make it available in a limited edition double CD format as part of the Archive Collection series. The double CD includes all 2 hours and 15 minutes of music from the video and comes in a 6 panel digi file (not digipak - no plastic used!) with a 4 page booklet and introduction text by Peter Nicholls.

Even IQ's most dedicated fans don't expect the group to top its third-period crowning achievement, Subterranea, but does Dark Matter ever get close! This album makes The Seventh House (IQ's previous album, released three years earlier) appear very, very average. The melodies are catchier and more moving, the writing stronger, the arrangements more varied. The album's strength mostly resides in the 24-minute closing epic, "Harvest of Souls," surely IQ's best epic song, arguably their best song, period. After the oblique meanders of the cluttered "The Narrow Margin" (from Subterranea, that album's weaker point), "Harvest of Souls" offers a much clearer structure, a generous number of memorable themes, and a dark political subtext referring to American politics post-9/11.

Even IQ's most dedicated fans don't expect the group to top its third-period crowning achievement, Subterranea, but does Dark Matter ever get close! This album makes The Seventh House (IQ's previous album, released three years earlier) appear very, very average. The melodies are catchier and more moving, the writing stronger, the arrangements more varied. The album's strength mostly resides in the 24-minute closing epic, "Harvest of Souls," surely IQ's best epic song, arguably their best song, period. After the oblique meanders of the cluttered "The Narrow Margin" (from Subterranea, that album's weaker point), "Harvest of Souls" offers a much clearer structure, a generous number of memorable themes, and a dark political subtext referring to American politics post-9/11.

‘Ever’ the hugely popular IQ album that saw the return of Peter Nicholls to the fold in the early nineties is now 25 years young! To mark this occasion GEP are releasing a special ‘definitive’ 3 disc edition of the album with a 2018 remix by Mike Holmes. Presented in a 4 panel digipak format with a 40 page booklet, the package includes extra material on the first disc, along with newly recorded live versions of the whole album on disc 2. Disc 3 (DVD) contains a surround sound mix of the studio album plus a surround mix of the live material, along with over 2 hours of ‘further listening’ files comprising album demos, studio outtakes rehearsal tapes and unused ideas. All in all disc 3 contains nearly 4 hours of music. The 40 page booklet is packed with lots of contemporary photos, stories and memories from the time and features contributions from all the band members of 1992.

27 years after their debut album UK veterans IQ show that they are still a band with the capabilities to create solid albums. This 2009 release is quite listenable, and the influences that have served IQ well in the past (including Yes, Pink Floyd, and pre-1980s Genesis) continue to serve them well on Frequency. This is, for the most part, a very moody album, but it is also very accessible - and appealing tracks such as "One Fatal Mistake," "Closer," "Stronger Than Friction," and "Life Support" are easy to absorb even if one isn't a seasoned prog rock listener. It should be noted that IQ have had their share of personnel changes along the way; on Frequency, their 2009 lineup consists of Peter Nicholls on lead vocals, Michael Holmes on guitar, John Jowitt on bass, Mark Westworth on keyboards, and Andy Edwards on drums.

Even though Tales From the Lush Attic was IQ's first LP, the band had self-released a cassette in October 1982 entitled Seven Stories Into Eight. Recorded on a domestic four-track machine, this collection of songs shows the band in its formative months, as members were trying to agree on the musical direction they wanted to follow. The cassette was sold at shows and via mail order until 1984, when it was deleted. Each copy was packaged with handmade artwork by singer Peter Nicholls. The album opens with "Capital Letters (In Surgical Spirit Land)," an atypical high-octane fusion number à la Brand X or National Health.

When considering the "strict" period of neo-prog (i.e., the 1980s), The Wake is definitely a classic. Together with Marillion's first LPs, it helped define what neo-progressive was and generated dozens of sound-alike albums by as many bands in the U.K. and worldwide. While IQ would top The Wake with the 1997 two-CD set Subterranea (stronger compositions, stronger musicianship), the former remains the band's true classic, a must-have for anyone remotely interested in progressive rock from the 1980s. The third album by the band, it took a more pop approach than Tales From the Lush Attic; there was no 20-minute epic track and songs were rather simple in terms of structure.