Interesting that I've recently listened to - and reviewed - both Tako's second album and Solaris' debut, because In Spe sounds like a direct cross between the two. So once again we have a symphonic fusion album from communist era Eastern Europe. The songwriting here is splendid, as is the execution. Melodies are first and foremost, with some hair raising electric guitar and synthesizer breaks, of the kind you get when listening to classic early 70s Genesis or Camel. Wonderful flute as well. The majority of the album is instrumental, save 'Antidolorosum'. On this latter track I was reminded of the Estonian trailblazing group Mess. In other parts I do hear a certain classical symphonic background as one would hear on Horizont's Summer in Town for example. Even though Glasnost had yet to happen, the ice was thawing on the fringes of the empire, and In Spe was torching it away from the underground. One of the best albums of its type. Mandatory.
I didn't know until obtaining an original myself (in 2026), that the original cover was different. The familiar one (at the top) was also pressed near the same time. Guessing the above was for Estonia and the one on the right for Russia proper. No idea if that's right though.
Ownership:
1983 Melodiya (LP). The cover is backwards!
1999 Eesti Raadio (CD). Sturdy three panel digipak.
1996 (LP acquired); 2000 (CD acquired); 6/1/18 (review)
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