Bill Marshall Ankh

Some Vangelis fans might have heard of Bill before as he developed and built his Direct device. They might not have known however that he is a very talented musician and composer in his own right. Many of the tracks here such as 'Cairo', 'Giza', and 'Valley of the Kings' are highly rhythmic foot tapers and some such as 'Mastab-Blaster' and the title track could even be said to be heavy, the latter with some great guitar work. Throughout the album is very melodic with some tunes that can actually be hummed. It is a very accessible album that will probably have great appeal both within EM circles and beyond. Your friends might even like it! Sort of like a combination of Mark Shreeve, Andy Pickford and Bekki Williams but with a resultant sound that is certainly his own. A new slant on the 'Brit Synth' sound.

The calmer moments such as 'Nile Felucca', 'The Road Ahead', 'For You' and 'A New Beginning' are just as stunning and some still have a relaxed rhythmic quality about them. Then we have tracks that combine power and delicate melody such as 'The Pulse', 'The End of Times' and 'Building on a Dream'. An album that should have something for just about everyone but at the same time avoids the trap of liking some of it and disliking others. I can't think of anything about this album that could possibly offend fans of British EM. (DL)

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