Given the band’s name, I naturally expected some kind of Genesis clone, or at the very least, gentle pastoral symphonic rock. However, Trespass sound nothing like Genesis. Instead, the band opts for a kind of jazzy symphonic rock that’s sort of like UK or perhaps early Minimum Vital. I believe the band hails from Switzerland and In Haze of Time is their debut release. Comprised of three members and largely composed by keyboardist Gil Stein, In Haze of Time consists of seven tracks with many exciting instrumental passages and uplifting musical themes.
At their best, the band offers up some really melodic music with just a hint of medievalism to mix things up. Unfortunately, Trespass includes some maddeningly bad English lyrics that threaten to undermine everything they do so well. For example, on the eight minute opener, "Creatures of the Night": “And in the nights/You were dressed for sexual war And tried/To search a victim for your pride/’Cause in those dungeons of the love/You’re cheaper than those things which you deny”. It gets even worse. After a relatively neat Canterbury inspired instrumental passage during the track "City Lights", we get lyrics like: “City lights, city lights, city light makes me turn on you/makes me turn on you”. Thankfully, tracks five and six are instrumental and nicely played. But then the album ends with "The Mad House Blues", again with a slightly Canterbury sound but with the inclusion of honky-tonk style piano playing. And the lyrics…apparently they touch on insanity, but the goofiness that gets in the way of their English makes the song seem at odds with its relatively serious subject matter. Trespass has some real potential. They are very good musicians and I truly enjoy listening to them on that level. However, I think they should either sing in their native tongue or forgo the lyrics altogether. Having said all that, In Haze of Time is a respectable debut and perhaps time will see them get better.
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