First of all, it’s always a little bizarre to use the term "progressive” for a genre that uses no elements that came after the mid-Seventies. Even if this makes Deluge Grander a derivative band, their shameless crossovering of everything complex from eons ago allows them to still build a niche of their own. Where their debut started with a glorious half hour epic but then lost steam in the second half, The Form Of The Good manages to distribute its qualities more evenly this time. Starting with the five minute short Before The Common Era, the band uses this track to warm themselves up. Slower in mood than their general material, it is also the only song that comes with some vocals. Things heat up with the fourteen minute running The Tree Factory where Deluge Grander offer everything for which I have loved them in the past, and then some more. The many guest musicians on classical instruments provide a more classical orientation, but the down-to-earth production makes sure that the overall grittiness always prevails. Common Era Caveman is a little shorter, before Aggrandizement with its nearly twenty minutes is the undisputed heart-piece on this record. The eight minute title track closes another unforgettable chapter in the musical insanity of Dan Britton and his cohorts.

Don’t expect me to describe the songs in details, because in this case, it’s really true that writing about music is like dancing to architecture. Deluge Grander play symphonic progressive rock that sounds like an unsigned band from the Seventies. The vast keyboard tapestries are not unlike what Yes did in their best times, minus the vocals. The classical influences remind me a little of Mahavishnu Orchestra. Magma could well be used for the drama and pathos of it all. Canterbury says hello with its playful spirit. Combine all these different faces of prog, and Deluge Grander once again triumph with an over-ambitious masterpiece that can only polarise. Those who like their music complex and unexpected will discover new elements every time they listen to The Form Of The Good, but if you hate prog anyway, then Deluge Grander will definitely be your nemesis.

Considering that the band did everything themselves, from composing to recording to producing to publishing, the whole endeavour deserves even more respect. The Form Of The Good never sounds as clean as your run-of-the-mill prog productions, but that’s another part of where it is getting its charm. Its totally unpretentious, direct sound makes Deluge Grander a band that sounds more alive than any other artist in the genre. Prog fans who don’t check this out will have missed one of the great classics to come!