Any new group could see conjuring up associations with Edgar Allen Poe as a "pretentious" menu for disaster. Nevertheless, within a few minutes of listening to House of Usher's debut release, I was convinced that this ensemble has something substantial to offer. Not since Marillion's classic album Brave has there been such a prime example of a good vocal oriented concept album. Possibly the best new prog vocalist for this year, Aaron Letrick has characteristics comparable to the intensity level of Eddy Vedder (Pearl Jam) mixed with the delivery of Burton Cummings (The Guess Who). He seems to have an innate empathy which supports (rather than cuts across) a heavily arranged style of music. The band itself has been active in the local Michigan scene and has even surfaced on (gasp!) VH1 as a house band for a charity last fall as well as appear on an upcoming ELP tribute album. Guitarist Michael Allen Moore is a flashy player under control for the duration of the disc. His acoustic flamenco sketch, "Timneh," is a short piece, which recalls Nancy Wilson's own acoustic work, or Steve Hackett's solo recordings. The overall song structures on the album are not as instrumentally advanced as other neo-troglodytes, but it's not to the detriment of the songs or arrangements. A few of the showcase pieces include "Bewildered Serenity," a powerful ballad and "Obsession," which is one of the more challenging tracks using an echoey voice intro. The closing two-part track features a French language recitation leading into a blistering lead guitar over a driving clavinet keyboard setting. Some choice stuff from these boys in Detroit: What is in the water over there? Consider Body of Mind to be on your "Hot Adds" list for new prog albums of 1999.
-Jeff Melton