Dawn

Since we last left Eloy, the band had added a second guitarist, Detlev Schwaar, for 1975's Power And The Passion. The sprawling concept album displayed a marked progression from the band's previous efforts; their writing was more demonstrative, and Manfred Wieczorke's use of synthesizers added considerable texture. But despite the success of the album in their native Germany, problems with management led to the band's breakup, with founding member Wieczorke joining German hard rockers Jane. Undeterred, Frank Bornemann formed a new band with bassist Klaus-Peter Matziol, drummer (and lyricist) Jürgen Rosenthal and keyboardist Detlev Schmidtchen. The British influences so prevalent in their earlier work had by now dissolved into the signature Eloy sound; Dawn represents a considerable step forward in their more prosaic adaptation of symphonic rock. Tracks like "The Sun-Song" or "The Midnight-Fight" also indicate the band's reliably spirited performance. Matziol produces a powerful bass sound, while Rosenthal is an accomplished drummer. Originally hired as a guitarist, Schmidtchen is less successful at keyboards; they mostly sound monochromatic, even when augmented by strings. Nevertheless, the album was a huge success in Germany, selling over 150,000 copies. Eloy would refine the same formula on their next album, Ocean, and again the following year on Silent Cries And Mighty Echoes—and the more symphonic (and musically akin to mid-70s Pink Floyd) their sound became, the more success they garnered. After a live album in 1979, Bornemann would again repopulate the band with new blood, as they continued well into the 80s, yet musically drifted dangerously close to heavy metal. However, Colours, released in 1980, is regarded as their last epic progressive work.