Broers & Klazinga -
Second Thoughts


(CD 2024, 64:37, Icon Recordings)

The tracks:
  1- Prelude - Sons Of Gods(2:12)
  2- Wait For Sleep(8:52)
  3- Countess Grif(2:48)
  4- The Mirror(5:04)
  5- Forgotten(6:14)
  6- No One Left To Blame(4:14)
  7- Delusional(10:11)
  8- The Test Of Time(7:00)
  9- Shame(4:07)
10- Read Me(7:49)
11- Iconoclast(6:06)

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In 2021 I wrote a review for Burdens Of The Mind (2012, see review), the debut album made by Broers & Klazinga. It was done for a different website at the time, so not the review you can read on the Background Magazine website. I ended it with the words "What a splendid debut album, what's NEXT?!" so I was very curious about this new album. Well, it's the NEXT level, I am impressed!

First Jacob Broers and Gerben Klazinga have delivered an awesome Vintage Keyboard Heaven sound on this new album: from brassy 'Keith Emerson Fanfare For The Common Man' synthesizer runs in Prelude, and lots of 'Tony Banks Mellotron choirs' to'Rick Wakeman Minimoog' flights in Shame and Iconoclast, wow, what a thrill.

Then the guitar by the very talented Mark Bogert (known from his Magoria project and a tour with Arena): when he joined Knight Area he added an often metallic flavor, but here on Second Thoughts his sound is often more close to David Gilmour, Andy Latimer and Steve Rothery, from sensitive to howling. But also harder-edged like fat guitar riffs in Prelude and heavy work in the classical inspired Shame, exciting Delusional and catchy Forgotten, wow.

And "last but not least" the lead vocals, mainly sung by new Broers & Klazinga member Mark Smit (once Queen cover band Miracle), like 'other Mark' also ex-Knight Area. I remember his first performances with Knight Area, early 2004, he immediately impressed me but here on Second Thoughts he stuns me even more, what an excellent voice. The one moment tender in the mellow parts, the other moment powerful in the bombastic eruptions. Apart from Mark Smit, the vocals are also delivered by Nadine Bogert-Pruim, the wife of Mark Bogert. Solo in the varied and dynamic track The Mirror, and duo vocals in the catchy Forgotten, what a wonderful and crystal clear but also wide ranged voice.

Now about the 11 often dynamic compositions on this new Broers & Klazinga album. Despite the obvious echoes from 76-77 Genesis, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Fish era Marillion and early Kayak the band is developing a 'trademark Broers & Klazinga sound': lots of tension between the mellow and mid-tempo songs and parts, with bombastic outbursts, loaded with Mellotron choirs and moving guitar runs, topped with Moog Taurus bass pedals and synthesizer flights, and backed by a fluent rhythm-section (all done by mister G. Klazinga, in Prelude he sounds like Cozy Powell). The 'wow' factor is frequent, especially in Wait For Sleep (Mark Bogert shines), No One Left To Blame, the epic highlight Delusional (top notch Dutch symphonic rock), The Test Of Time, Read Me and the final track Iconoclast (what a glorious synthesizer - and majestic Mellotron sound).

This new Broers & Klazinga effort contains international quality, highly recommended, especially for symphomaniacs!

**** Erik Neuteboom (edited by Dave Smith)

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