Original language: German
Reviews by: Jürgen Wissing @
The Lukas Tower Band (LTB) from the Munich scene has been around for 25 years now, and Albedo is something like an “anniversary gift,” enriched with live video clips, a slideshow of the band’s history, photos, and an interview with the band’s leader, Wolfgang Fastenmeier. Very thoughtfully put together and well organized, it is professionally presented – good German virtues shine through.
Musically, the CD covers a fairly wide stylistic range. As a listener, I can’t shake the feeling that there’s an attempt to demonstrate the band’s versatility “at all costs,” combined with a presentation of the individual skills of the singer and musicians. Unfortunately, it remains unclear which genre LTB would fit into, or at least, where they feel most comfortable. Thus, the diversity becomes a curse, because it becomes evident that they apparently don’t want to be pigeonholed. LTB seems to want to do everything right, be flexible, and be suitable for all tastes – is that another German virtue?
There’s potential, no doubt. But it seems that they are unable to capture their strengths “on record.” Much of it feels forced, and at least for prog rock fans, it’s too tame, too folk-influenced, too controlled, too precise – it should “take off,” but it doesn’t, well, pretty German, after all.
The rearranged Celtic traditionals don’t sound particularly original, drums and bass play quietly, only once do they grab attention, in “Rajah,” with oriental rhythms. Of course, it’s all technically cleanly played; but that only meets the demands of a solid amateur combo – in some places, it lacks a juicy creative touch – creativity is not something we Germans are known for too often…
The vocals of Angela Maier present some difficulties for me. Sometimes her slightly “dramatic” voice fits well, but at other times, it doesn’t fit at all. It becomes completely out of place in the Arabic (or Hebrew?) sung track “Rajah,” which feels like a foreign body in the overall picture.
Lyrically, much of it moves in the realm of old sagas, legends, and myths, which fits more with folk-influenced musical elements than with prog/rock. The lyrics sometimes sound a bit clumsy, but this is likely due to the medieval spirit of the time, as the lyrics are stylistically reminiscent of Thomas Moore, William Blake, and others.
Despite all the criticism, the album has its interesting sides; in the second half, it becomes a bit rockier. Highlighting tracks include “Strange Ways,” where a somewhat cheekier guitar adds accents, and “Lunatic Boy,” which has a touch of jazz. The latter track strongly resembles “The Doors,” with the basic theme of the Hammond organ almost seeming to be lifted directly from “Riders on the Storm” – not exactly a sign of great creativity. In the tracks “Medley” and “La Bastide Set,” there are commendable, successful passages, mostly instrumental, featuring appealing flute and violin playing.
Conclusion: LTB aims to please with a versatile repertoire and thereby ensures that there are a number of “mixed results” on Albedo. They do many things right, but unfortunately, they can’t score points with that. Those who admit to being fans of female vocals in a folk setting should give it a listen – and will probably rate it better.