Without the drumming of
Phil Collins, who does appear on some of
Brand X's albums,
Masques still maintains a snug, jazzy-prog milieu and comes off clean and tight. Each song has a different beat, speed, and tempo with a satisfying assortment of keyboards and percussion instruments to keep the entire album afloat. Resounding xylophone and chimes outline the music on the seven tracks, with "Earth Dance" and "The Poke" coming up a little bit stronger than the rest. Most notably is the superb musical interplay of all the instruments used, and the way in which they enhance and benefit one another. The progressive rock sound does evolve by way of lengthy guitar passages from
John Goodsall and accelerated keyboard fingering from
Morris Pert, adding spice and vivaciousness while popping up when least expected.
Masques is a firm studio album, and will keep listeners fascinated with the band. ~ Mike DeGagne