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Biography
IQ was one of the
defining and best bands of the neo-progressive rock movement
in the early 80s. Like many of their contemporaries, they
combined the omnipresent Genesis influence with a hard-edged
and powerful sound. There is a perception of 80s progressive
as being somewhat streamlined and watered down for popular acceptance,
and there definitely is some truth to that. However, what
made IQ distinctive, and better than their peers, was an unparalled
complexity, depth of composition and tremendous individual virtuosity
that truly carried the torch of progressive music into the 80s.
There first two
proper albums, Tales From The Lush Attic and The Wake
are among the very finest progressive rock albums released
in that decade. IQ is also one of the few bands that I
know of that managed to save themselves from the brink of musical
inconsequence and actually returned to creating vital progressive
rock after extended flirtation with commercial music through
the latter 80s. Even the best progressive bands either
broke up (Gentle Giant), continued to suck (Genesis), or tried
unsuccesfully to pull off such a return to form (Yes).
However, IQ's most recent recordings Ever and the double-album,
Subterranea, are considered by many of their fans to
be even better than their seminal early 80s work.
- Greg Northrup [2001]
 Tales
From The Lush Attic (1983)
IQ's debut is
the perfect bridge between the classic symphonic sound of the
70s, and the more straight ahead 80s neo-prog. As with most
neo bands, the omnipresent Genesis influence is evident, yet
IQ is able to stand above the pale imitators and forge a solid
sound all their own. They assault the listener with a strong
sense of melody, complex hard rock and plenty of emotion to
create an emotional sound. Unlike their contemporaries,
IQ has a great sense of song writing, and is able to create
long "epic" pieces without sounding contrived. The best example
of this would be "The Last Human Gateway", a 20 minute piece
composed of smaller passages that move seamlessly into each
other. My one complaint with this song is the nonsensical
first full minute of silence before the first keyboard melody
is heard, which is quite unnecessary and annoying.
Another element
that sets the band apart from their neo-prog brethren is that
they were extremely competent musicians who were able to create
complex pieces in the vein of early Genesis, but without the
commonly watered down approach. They were essentially
the punks of the prog world (take a peek at some pictures of
the band from this period) who threw a hard edged rock sound
into the symphonic mix. Martin Orford's use of both digital
keys, synths and mellotron produce a unique amalgamation and
perfectly bridge 70s and 80s prog, with particularly strong
use of the mellotron chorus that helps the pieces to their emotional
climax.
All tracks of
the album proper are excellent, and showcase the band's ability
to carry the listener through an assaulting journey of symphonic
rock, with few moments to relax between the fury of emotional
playing, and the powerful vocals of Peter Nicholls, whose representational
lyrics carry us through a lyrical odyssey. Just like any
great album, it leaves you wanting more.
- Mike Prete [December 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 The
Wake (1985)
The Wake
sees IQ continuing
down the path of dark symphonic neo-prog, while starting to
incorporate new elements into their sound without forsaking
their roots. However, this album certainly sounds much
more like a product of the 80s than it's predecessor. Taking
the dark emotion of Tales From The Lush Attic one step
further, The Wake is considered by many fans to be IQ's
crowning achievement. I tend to prefer the previous
album for its consistency compared to this one. There are a
few moments where the band starts to drift down the commercial
path.
"Corners"
is typical 80s cheese, with drum machines and pseudo-reggae
vibe, along with sitar that never ceases to make me cringe.
"The Thousand Days" on the other hand combines progressive rock
with pop leanings to much better effect. The standout pieces
here are the epic "Outer Limits" and "Widow's Peak", the best
of IQ with the fierce energy the band is used to displaying
along with their excellent sense of melody, composition and
dynamics. Of particular note here is the bonus track "Dans Le
Parc Du Chateau Noir", which is just as strong as any other
piece on the album and begs one to ask the question of why it
was not included on the album and only released as a single.
This is
another strong effort from the leading band of the neo-prog
genre, and is easily recommended to fans of the first album,
or of the band's latter renaissance. Easily recommended.
- Mike
Prete [December 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 Ever
(1993)
IQ's 1993
album Ever is often regarded as one of, if not the
best, neo-progressive album of all time. While that
certainly qualifies as a somewhat dubious distinction, IQ
are genuinely head and shoulders above the pack as far as
power, complexity, grit and sheer songwriting ability.
IQ were one of the first wave neo-progressive groups back
in the early 80s, along with Marillion, Pendragon and Pallas,
and released a neo-masterpiece with their debut, Tales
from the Lush Attic. That album, in my opinion,
still stands as the single greatest achievement of the entire
subgenre. After their second album, The Wake,
lead vocalist Peter Nicholls departed, and the band proceeded
to release a series of AOR-ish stinkers throughout the remainder
of the decade. That is, until 1993. Ever
features the reintroduction of vocalist Peter Nicholls,
and a return on the part of IQ to their classic progressive
past. It's certainly a triumphant return at that,
and surpasses even The Wake as the rightful successor
to the classic Tales...
In comparison
to their earlier stuff, the band sounds much more refined
and mature. There is less of the raw, punk-ish naiveté
of their first two albums. The sound is much more
streamlined, production-wise as well as compositionally.
The band's Genesis influences are certainly still prominent,
especially with the return of Nicholls. Still, his
voice is less rough than it used to be, sounding more trained
and mature, fitting in with the seemingly more professional
approach from the band as whole. The band's sound
is still quite accessible, and like most neo, places a huge
emphasis on melody along with a hard-driving, rockish rhythmic
feel. Highlights include "The Darkest Hour", which
contains some utterly superb passages, as well as the epic
"Further Away", certainly one of the most complex pieces
they've ever done. Other songs don't excite me as
much, particularly "Out of Nowhere", which is pretty much
just a straight ahead rocker.
Ever
easily makes the legions of amateurish neo bands, content
to subsist on laughable cliché, look like absolute
saps. While certainly not the most original album
in the world, it really doesn't seem to matter with IQ.
One doesn't get an intentionally derivative vibe from them
at all. Any Genesis similarities seem incidental and
are actually pulled off well enough to render to point moot.
Ever easily stands as one of the four or five best
neo-progressive albums ever, surpassed only by Marillion's
early work and their own Tales from the Lush Attic.
- Greg Northrup
[August 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 Subterranea
(1997)
A sprawling
double concept album spanning over one hundred minuets,
Subterranea is often lauded by many to be either
one of IQ's finest moments, or somewhat of a disappointment
in not having enough punch over its extended length. In
the grand tradition of long concept albums like The Lamb
Lies Down On Broadway, there is quite a lot of material
to absorb here, while also following a lyrical concept (and
a somewhat obtuse one at that). Continuing upon the same
musical path of their previous release, Ever, this
is a much more refined and polished work, and at times coming
off somewhat sterile. The dark and epic symphonic pieces
could easily benefit from a little more bite.
The compositions
seem as if they were designed more to propel the story line
along, rather to stand out on their own, and at times can
sound somewhat indistinct if not following the lyrics. As
I don't always pay attention to them, I can sometimes find
my attention drifting during the many atmospheric passages
that buffer the vocals. Although there are times where an
instrumental bit will come to the fore and start to pick
things up, as is the case with the short ending piece to
disc 1, "State of Mine". Some of the longer pieces also
work better on their own, such as the title track and "Failsafe",
which both emphasize the elements that have made IQ successful:
a solid dynamic mixture of driving rhythms and riffs, and
keyboard breaks that always shift and turn with out losing
their epic feeling. The epic "The Narrow Margin" that ends
the album takes all of these into account, providing a great
climax to the album.
The sheer
length of the album seems to be a stumbling block for many,
including myself. While there are some classic IQ moments,
the overall product is weighed down by pieces that serve
to advance the story rather than add to the musical content.
For those looking to check out recent IQ material, a more
concise album such as Ever or The Seventh House
would be more palatable before tackling Subterranea.
- Mike Prete
[March 2002]
 The
Lost Attic (1999)
A collection
of rare tracks recorded between 1983 and 1999, The Lost
Attic brings together bits and pieces of the band's
history that never made it on an album proper for one reason
or another, some previously unreleased altogether. Pieces
such as "Wintertell", "Hollow Afternoon" and "Barbell Is
In" date from the earliest formation of the band, "The Bold
Grenadier" and "Fascination" with Paul Menel on vocals,
while the majority of the other pieces were recorded during
the nineties. The excellent packaging contains a detailed
booklet, with information on each song, plus commentary
from the band explaining the origin of each piece.
"N.T.O.C.
(Resistance)" is a prime outtake from the Ever period,
originally released on an SI compilation disc. Instrumentally
driving and furious, with powerful vocals, this is IQ at
their best. The real standouts of the album are the three
closing tracks taken from a 1984 BBC radio session. Dripping
with raw power and emotion, these tracks show the band at
their live peak. The version of "Widow's Peak" would easily
eclipse it's album counterpart, if not for the only very
good sound quality here.
As can be
expected from a collection of this nature, not everything
here is a winner. Some pieces are just demos, and others
just aren't as strong as the material on the albums. For
the most part though, there is a wealth of interesting pieces
for the established IQ fan, but I wouldn't suggest this
as an introduction to the band. -
Mike Prete [December 2001]
Click
Here for Tracklist and Lineup Info
 The
Seventh House (2000)
IQ have always
possessed a great sense of dynamics which has aided in their
ability to write extended pieces that flow effortlessly.
The Seventh House wastes no time in putting this
theory to the test, opening with the epic "The Wrong Side
of Weird" which flows through different tempos and moods.
From the outset, you can tell you're in for something a
little different on this album, with the rock content heavier
than before. With Martin Orford spending time writing his
solo album, Mike Holmes and John Jowitt handled the majority
of the writing duties for this album, and have left their
more heavy handed stamp on the compositions.
The Seventh
House harkens back to 1993s Ever, showing the
band's more mature and polished compositions. As always,
there is no shortage of great melodies or frenetic passages
that will have the listener flailing along playing some
sort of air instrument. The title track brings all these
elements together in the perfect package, opening with a
beautiful ballad backed by the additional texture of acoustic
guitar, segueing into crunching guitars and great instrumental
sections, alternating with Nicholls' strong delivery of
his oblique lyrics and stories. "Guiding Light" is a standout
track in similar fashion, but with a stronger presence from
Orford. If
you have heard IQ before, then you know what to expect here:
solid melodic progressive, with no shortage of rock.
- Mike Prete
[December 2001]
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