Album Review

Saga's Silent Knight was released just prior to the Canadian quintet's breakthrough album Worlds Apart. Drawing inspiration from Rush, Genesis, and other '70s progressive rock artists, Saga distills their influences through fairly concise song structures that never sound too indulgent -- sort of like what Asia was doing around the same time (but better). Still, there's plenty of evidence of the group's virtuosity here. Although Silent Knight sounds dated, and even a little quaint at times (due in part to the production), Saga would improve its sound and material immeasurably on the next couple of albums.