The band formed in 1982, which will make my general opinion on their sound seem unfair: almost every band I would draw comparisons to formed several years after IQ, and some of them around the peak of IQ's (and similar bands') popularity. That said, the best way I can describe Frequencyis as a collection of Rush, Porcupine Tree, and Dream Theater on their more mellow or ballad-like songs. Another band I might compare them to would be Frost*, but I guess that makes sense since two of the members of Frost* are also involved in IQ. Some of the instrumental breaks--of which there are plenty--also remind me of Zeroesque's groove-oriented, non-shred sections.

The music is frequently keyboard-driven, or at least with ethereal guitar backings rather than any kind of hard-edged riffing. That's not to say there aren't any aggressive passages--there are several crushing sections in "The Province", and there's a fairly mean groove toward the end of "Riker Skies." "Stronger Than Friction" also has a passage near the end with a Zeroesque-like riff and some harsher-edged vocals that James LaBrie might spout. On the other hand, the CD is mostly overwrought balladry, such as the inane 80s pop intro to "One Fatal Mistake," which could easily be a staple of Adult Contemporary radio. Truth be told, I think it's the vocals and lyrics which most kill this CD for me: I can visualize the singer emoting the words with his full body, but in a manner that falls just short of the acceptable ridiculousness of power metal and so lands closer to cringe-inducing.