A Saga record is like a bottle of wine. When you buy a specific wine
you know "almost" the taste it has, what you should eat with
it.
Here with this new Saga, House Of Cards, you know what to expect
before pressing the play button; you know it is going to rock (not too
much), that some progressive elements will be there, that solos are
done by keyboards (guitar is of course not the mainstream instrument)
and of course that this type of metal is quiet (progressive but not
too technical fortunately).
First two songs (God Knows & The Runaway) are excellent
... actually to good compare to the rest. The Runaway should
have been placed farthest in order to give more equilibrium to the overall.
Don't worry, the following 9 songs are not bad, they are simply one
level below first two songs, which are typical Saga songs ("sounding"
like nobody else).
After many plays there is a band that comes to my mind, being dissimulated
behind Saga's sound and this band is Queen. Yes, Saga sounds like Queen
and even though this House Of Cards is not their best album,
it will pleased their die-hard fans. Always There and Once
in a Lifetime are also good song and highlight a perfect production.
Nothing to say about the sound, it is crystal clear.
For fans of Ruch, Marillion or Queen, check this one and if you don't
know Saga, listen carefully before, because this band sounds like no
other bands. They have created their own sound (from the very beginning
back in the 80's) and lots of prog' bands recognize today that Saga
has been for them an huge source of inspiration. Not their best shot
... but a great respect for this cult rock band.