The Vow's first CD came out in June 2001 on the French prog rock label Musea. To put it bluntly,
Another World has no significant trait. The music falls completely into the neo-prog genre and is even closer to prog-pop groups like Big Big Train and Jadis than, say, IQ. Holger Götz's vocals lack honesty to be moving. This group of two (Götz also handles keyboards and is helped by Ralf Link on guitars and bass) records in multiple takes and uses programmed drums. The resulting cold and sterilized sound doesn't help to give this record character. The opening track, the 12-minute "Eclipse of the Sun," is the album's highlight and would make a strong artistic statement if it were a little shorter. The problem is that after this emotive piece (almost piano-and-vocals only) the Vow is unable to pull a similar rabbit out of its hat. "3 Minutes for You" is so directly aimed at a loved one the listener gets the impression the song is not really for him too. "Stony-Broke" also has its moments, but that's about it. The simplicity of the songs allows no occasion for either musician to show if they have any chops.
Another World is as generic prog rock as it can get. ~ François Couture