The mini album Reflections of the Dutch band Splinter has not gone unnoticed in prog-minded Europe. The young band even got the opportunity to support The John Hayes Project and the Karmakanic gig in The Netherlands. Reflections was released more than a year ago and ever since I laid my hands on a copy I have been waiting for the official debut album. So when I received Devil’s Jigsaw I figured that the time of waiting was over. Wrong! Devil’s Jigsaw is a self produced compilation album of songs from the Reflections period and won’t be available in the shops. As a matter of fact, the album was intentionally never meant to be released at all. Apart from some solos, the entire thing was recorded in one single take. Taking this fact in mind the sound of the disc is absolutely astonishing.

You could compare the vibes on the album to the Meet The Flower Kings recordings. Live and pure but this time without any audience. The result makes you wonder why the hell so much time and money is spent on extreme productions often resulting in a sterile and clinically dead sound. The music is very much in the vein of the stuff on Reflections; unpolished progressive rock with the so called Spock’s Beard philosophy. The thing I admire most is the international sound of the band. I’m not kidding when I say that this band has got what it takes to gain world fame ... within the prog scene that is. You can buy this album on the band’s website www.splinterprog.com, trust me when I say that this will probably be the best 10 Euros you’ll spend on music in 2004.