One of the greatest progressive rock albums of the 1980s
The Wake came out at a time when neo-progressive rock was helping to make bands like Marillion a household name. At at time when Genesis and Yes were experimenting more with electronic music and art rock, IQ were making albums with the same sort of atmosphere and intensity as the very best 70s prog. The Wake is a fantastic, emotional and engaging album that never fails to surprise and delight. The vocals deliver the goods, the guitar work is stellar (and there are some incredibly satisfying solos here), the keyboards are moody and the album, which is divided into two suits separated by a palate cleanser ('Corners') are like flip sides of the same coin. Dark and intense and a must buy for fans of the genre.