Subterranea is a progressive rock album by the band IQ that delivers an interesting sci fi story along with a nice collection of songs, and should be of interest to genre fans.
What Is It?
This concept album by the band IQ follows a man who has been part of an experiment all of his life and who has been kept from contact from the outside world. He escapes (or is let loose) and suddenly finds himself in a world that he does not understand. He spends some time with homeless people on the streets and then he is taken in by a religious cult that sees him as easy prey. He is unwilling to join their group, though, and he goes on to meet a woman named Maya and enters into a romantic relationship with her. She is mysteriously taken away, and he discovers that he has been watched since he came into the outside world. He kills the man who has been following him, but he comes to realize that he is part of an experiment and that there are others like him. He gathers them together and they return to the place that they were held captive to take revenge, but they find themselves caught in a building that is set on fire. The others are unwilling to try to escape, and they perish in the fire. (Do spoiler warnings count for album summaries?) The main character survives and confronts his captor, but ultimately he decides to return to isolation because that is a more more peaceful existence and an environment he understands.
Artist: IQ
Original Release: 1997
Original Track Listing:
Disc 1
“Overture” 4:38
“Provider” 1:36
“Subterranea” 5:53
“Sleepless Incidental” 6:23
“Failsafe” 8:57
“Speak My Name” 3:35
“Tunnel Vision” 7:24
“Infernal Chorus” 5:10
“King of Fools” 2:02
“The Sense in Sanity” 4:48
“State of Mine” 1:59
Disc 2
“Laid Low” 1:29
“Breathtaker” 6:04
“Capricorn” 5:16
“The Other Side” 2:22
“Unsolid Ground” 5:04
“Somewhere in Time” 7:11
“High Waters” 2:43
“The Narrow Margin” 20:00
Legacy:
Subterranea is not an album that has received much attention beyond hardcore progressive rock fans, but it offers an interesting and at times heart-wrenching story with sci fi elements, and it also delivers an enjoyable collection of songs.
A Closer Look:
IQ is a progressive rock band that got its start in 1981 at a time when the neo-Prog movement was at its infancy in Britain and other European countries. These groups were following the lead of the progressive/art rock groups that made a mark in the late ’60s and early-to-mid ’70s though who faded from popularity by the late ’70s when Punk Rock and New Wave started to dominate the music scene. IQ draws heavily from the style Genesis made popular along with some traces of Yes and Pink Floyd, and they have proven their staying power, still putting out albums into the 21st century. They never developed a large following outside of the prog rock circles, but they steadily built their audience and catalog of music with 1997’s Subterranea considered a highpoint of their first twenty years.
While the band had some sci fi and fantasy themes in some of their earlier songs, that was not necessarily a main focus, and Subterranea represented a bold move for the group. It delivers an epic tale across two discs that explores themes of isolation and its impacts on individuals while also offering some social commentary on the broader world. Its story has plenty of ambiguity, leaving the final interpretation up to the listener, but that is not uncommon for tales that are told through the medium of music. Some may consider it a rock opera (it does have the requisite overture), and it does venture into some of the grandiose territory expected from that type of production.
Musically, the album is quite accomplished, delivering some of the complexity expected from the prog rock genre but still offering some catchy tunes that would play well on the radio (though this one did not get much attention from radio stations even though it might have appealed to the followers of the alt rock movement that was popular in the mid-to-late ’90s). Fans of bands like Genesis and Yes would certainly enjoy Subterranea (and other offerings from IQ), but the music is accessible enough that a broader audience could enjoy the album as well. Add in the rather fascinating sci fi-inflected tale it delivers, and you have an album that sci fi fans should definitely seek out.
The Story Continues:
IQ has done a full-on performance of the album in concert with multi-media and costume changes by lead singer Peter Nicholls which acts as an enhancement of the story, and you can watch that on YouTube. In addition, a 2015 independent film was produced based on the story of the album. It does not follow the source material directly, diverging from the main storyline and attempting to provide more of an explanation of why the main character was held captive. And the ending of the film was not particularly satisfying, though it did seem to be setting up for sequel. However, the movie did not receive much attention and it is mostly forgotten now, so it appears unlikely that any planned sequel will ever happen. It is still a decent film in its own right, and you can stream it for free (with adds) on Tubi TV.
Interesting Facts:
Subterranea is the fictional name for the vast underground land from Marvel Comics that is the home of the Mole Man, Tyrannus, the Lava Men and others. This is no indication that IQ borrowed the name from that source, though.
The soundtrack to the 2015 Subterranea film borrowed some musical themes from the original album, but it also had some new music and it was released as a Mike Holmes solo album.
Where Can You Listen To It?
The album is available as an audio CD and on MP3, but I do not see a vinyl version of it currently available. There is a vinyal release of the concert, but it has gone out of print.
