Outer Limits - Outer Mania (1989)

The fourth album from this Japanese band.

The band was a quintet with a lineup of violin, guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and vocals.

Outer Limits albums is not the easiest albums to review as they tend to criss-cross many genres. I think Eclectic Prog is their rightful home and genre.

Outer Mania is another album that fits that mould. The album starts with the straight forward song Marionette's Lament. A really good song.

The album then goes very eclectic with a lot of influences. Everything from symphonic prog and fusion to zeuhl. Yes, the final part of this album is in the zeuhl mould with some Japanese avant-garde in the vein of Ruins also thrown into this mix.

The violin is everywhere on this fifty minutes long album. So much that this album is a violin dominated album.

The music is not easy listening at all and demands the full attention & more from the listener. Bit it is a good altbum throughout from one of the best Japanese prog rock bands.

3 points