AGENESS - SONGS FROM THE LIAR'S LAIR - 2009

I'm surprised to see this latest by Ageness coming by so often in the review section. Pleasantly surprised I might say because I'm a bit of a fan of this band for over a year now but most of the people who review Songs in a Liar's Lair haven't given their earlier albums any attention as far as I can see, at least not by posting a review. And I can tell them, they are worthwhile checking out as well, especially the predecessor Imageness.

Ageness plays neo prog of the most accessible sort I once again notice when hearing this latest release. The songs are very easy to digest and still it's true (neo) prog proven by lengthy songs that are yet way more complex than an average pop song. It's also a bit modern sounding with pretty rough guitar passages (as we know modern neo is heavier than the older style) and shorter more vocally oriented compositions.

This is in a nutshell what Songs in a Liar's Lair is about and by stating abovementioned I don't need to review it song by song anymore. The level of the songs is pretty consistent and quite high without becoming outstanding at any point. I like this album a lot but I don't think it's better than Imageness. The main difference is the top level of that album (Metamorphosis and Sequels) which was higher than the best songs on this album. Imageness was a full four stars to me whilst this is in the end more of a 3,75 case. Still 4 in the end although I would adjust the PA phrase about a four starrating to: Excellent (better: "very nice" in this case) addition to any neo prog collection
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