Flame Dream-Out In The Dark (1981)

In the 1980s, among the hundred or so progressive rock or art rock bands, few adhered to the avant-garde philosophy of the 1970s. However, several dozen maintained the germinal spirit of the genre's beginnings in the late 1960s. One of these was Flame Dream, a Swiss band that drew from the classic symphonic rock of Yes and Genesis during their golden age. Their style, driven by Ronald Ruckstuhl's keyboards, clearly displays these influences but with an added accessibility for modern audiences. The addition of wind instruments like the flute and saxophone broadens their musical palette, making them much more than mere imitators. Formed in 1977 in Lucerne, they released five superb albums over ten years, highly regarded today by proghead fans. "Out In The Dark", released in 1981, was the third album by this Swiss band, comprised of Roland Ruckstuhl (keyboards and synthesizers), Peter Wolf (wind instruments and vocals), Urs Hochuli (bass and vocals), Peter Furrer (drums), and Dale Hauskins (guitar). Tracks like "Wintertime Nights", "Nocturnal Flight", and "Strange Meeting", with their vintage Genesis influence, along with the elaborate instrumental "Kaleidoscope", make up a work that both revived and maintained a musical essence that seemed somewhat outdated in the early 1980s.