These days, the British neo-prog institution IQ is releasing its twelfth studio work. "Resistance", a double album with several longtracks, combines all the strengths of the band and illustrates the high relevance it still has after almost 40 years of existence.
The threat of a No-Deal-Brexit in Great Britain and the threat of climate change was again underlined by the heat records of this summer - developments that also do not leave IQ guitarist Mike Holmes and singer Peter Nicholls untouched. In the eclipsed interview they talked about the need not to bow to adverse circumstances and the role of politics in their music.
eclipsed: "Resistance" is a double album. Unlike their predecessor "The Road Of Bones", whose second CD contains songs that didn't make it onto the regular album, this time it's a coherent work, isn't it?
Mike Holmes: Yeah, right. We had a lot of material left on "The Road Of Bones" that we didn't want to leave unused. So we continued to work on it and released it as a bonus. With "Resistance" it was different: the whole thing felt much more coherent from the beginning. Nevertheless, for a long time the idea stood in the room to do it the same way as the predecessor. But the more we developed the songs, the more difficult it became to decide what to put on the "main album". At some point it was clear that it had to be a double album.
eclipsed: But unlike "Subterranea" it is not a concept album?
Holmes: No, it doesn't have a narrative thread that runs through the songs. But the songs are thematically connected. I can't speak so well about the lyrics, after all they come from Peter, but based on the music, the cover and the many conversations within the band I would say that it's about all those crazy things happening in the world right now. Especially this frightening story about climate change. All this went through my head when I wrote the music.
Peter Nicholls: What my texts have in common is ultimately the time in which they were written. They're an expression of the phase of life I'm in right now. Therefore there is a red thread, but no concrete narrative thread as in "Subterranea". If the album is based on a theme, it's that you can't give in to the pressure and not give up, even if it doesn't look so good for you at the moment. The title refers to a deep introspection to find the strength to rebel against the circumstances. There are autobiographical elements: I had some bad experiences in the last years and at some point I was at a point where I said to myself: Stop! It's time to strike back.
eclipsed: You've probably been inspired by everything that's been going on in Britain lately?
Holmes: Yes, I am very worried about what has happened in the last few days! To push ahead with a no deal brexit, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced a day before the talks that he would send Parliament on a prolonged break; note] I'm sure at some point people will look back and say, "What the hell have they done! As you can see, right-wing extremist groups are gaining more and more influence.
