Johan Oloffson
I got the Sonic Origami album four days ago and after listening at least ten times and I can't help being a little disappointed. Most of the songs are catchy, but there are few really creative, original songs (no Love in Silence here) . The overall impresssion is OK, but a bit too much of commercial pop.

BETWEEN TWO WORLDS: A very good opener for the album. Especially the middle part is great and none of it should be left off (who said that?) The follower I HEAR VOICES is a good tune, but still missing intensity somehow. More a filler type of song. PERFECT LITTLE HEART has a good riff ( am I the only one to think so? ) but otherwise it's lightweight, non-creative 90's pop. Heep does the right thing by putting an acoustic ballad after this, but unfortunately HEARTLESS LAND is one of the most pathetic Heep songs ever done. "Every day it's getting closer to your sweet surrender" - blöh, makes me want to throw up. By this point the opening feeling is totally gone and the album begins to get boring. ONLY THE YOUNG and IN THE MOMENT are OK songs, fit well on the album, don't lower it but don't raise it neither. With QUESTION the comeback begins. Again a whimpy ballad but with much better melody. CHANGE is a rather strange song and one of my favourites. The way it re-uses the melody from Question is excellent and the two songs make a beautiful team. More of this, guys! SHELTER FROM THE RAIN: Excellent ballad. Reminds me a bit of Dire Straits' Fade to Black. EVERYTHING IN LIFE is indeed very similar to some 80's Heep songs and sounds mostly like a mixture of these with nothing really new added, except the guitar intro which is very good. ACROSS THE MILES was one of my initial favourites. Sounds a bit like Bruce Springsteen (I love him). Much better as single than Heartless Land. Commercial in a good way. FEELS LIKE is rather usual type of song, but sounds good. The best "filler" on the album, beats Only the young and In the Moment. THE GOLDEN PALACE: The orchestration is good and I think Heep should do more tracks like this. The Whoo-ooh-oohs get a little boring but this song has nevertheless potential of being a classic. Obviously the band feels that this kind of album is right for them now and perhaps that's what they are best doing at his moment. I wish however that they would change direction and make more original, interesting and exciting music which they really are capable of, as Sea of Light proves, because I don't think SO will be remembered as a classic Heep album in 20 years, sadly. As this line-up looks stable I'm really looking forward to future releases and concerts, first of all in London 22/10. I would love to hear The Hanging Tree, but I don't think I will.