Druid

Here's another acclaimed YES-oriented progrock band named DRUID with Neil Brewer on bass guitar, Andrew McCrorie-Shand on keyboards, Cedric Sharpley on drums and percussion and 'Dane' on guitar and vocals. In '75 they released their debut-LP "Towards the Sun" and a year later a second album entitled "Fluid Druid". Their first effort is their best: fluent and melodic songs, layered with Mellotron, often in combination with sensitive electric guitarwork. The echoes from YES are obvious: lots of vocal harmonies, a Chris SQUIRE-like bass, WAKEMANesque keyboards and even the high-pitched vocals like Jon ANDERSON. But DRUID plays less complex and virtuosic, their pleasant sound appeals to me, more than the 24-carat YES-clone STARCASTLE. The second LP entitled "Fluid Druid" is in the vein of their first but less mature, as if the band is a bit running out of ideas. Nonetheless it's a nice album.