LIVE AT DANFEST

Oh yes, to listen to live albums is an exquisite human experience that I love, mostly when it comes to bands I like a lot and are not easy to me to watch on stage because of geographic issues, though I always keep my fingers crossed so maybe one day I happen to be in front of them. Well, Zopp is a band I loved since I discovered them back in pandemics, with their debut self-titled album that immediately caught my attention due to their delicious Canterbury-oriented progressive rock sound. Then in 2023 'Dominion' saw the light and my interest kept intact, I was quite satisfied with what mastermind Ryan Stevenson and co. were offering; and fortunately, in 2024 they released this great live album which, according to their info at Bandcamp, was just the second time they played together onstage.

Here they offer five songs and a total time of 42 minutes. Of course, we as music lovers always want more, however, I think these minutes are totally worth it and also, show the exquisite quality of the musicians, who gathered together for rehearsals only five months prior to this show.

The first song is 'You', taken from their second full-lenght album; a fourteen-minute bliss of Canterbury sound in which the organ plays a highly important role for the sound's success, however, it does not work alone, because the job done by Moneta on drums, Lucas on guitars, and Raynor on bass and syths is magnificent, crafting the song and its different passages; but I'd also want to point out the job made by Milne with his sax and flute, because the nuances it produces make us go to heaven, of course, adding some jazzy textures to this prog rock sound which might be liked by people who love its symphonic side. What I like a lot about them is the fact that despite having an evident vintage essence, they sound is so alive, vivid and contemporary, I mean, it sounds fresh, not old-fashioned at all. This is a great journey, I'm telling you.

'Before the Light' was the only song played here taken from their debut album, which I understand since they were promoting their most recent, however, I think is important to also deliver earlier sounds, more if this was only the second time Zopp performed on stage. This song goes faster, its sound is more explosive, it suddenly feel like running haha, the organ and drums work together while a raw bass deliver its addictive notes. The music shows different changes, going a bit slower then, introducing a great guitar work, and letting us know that Stevenson is really a mastermind if we consider he composed and played almost everything on the studio version, and this time he wonderfully transmitted to the musicians the essence of Zopp. Of course, when the songs finish, the crowd show their love with the deserved claps.

From their latest studio album, they chose the shorter, soft and relaxing 'Uppmärksamhet' as the concert's belly button, which might work as a breath of fresh air, or maybe as a kind of interlude where flute, organ, drums and strings embrace us. Then, they surprise us with an unreleased track whose title is 'Perspektiv', which is a great four- minute instrumental passage full of beautiful mellotron textures, first as lead and then as background; keyboards here and there in both a soft and bombastic way, dynamic drums that play prog and jazz, hypnotic bass lines, wonderful guitar tunes. I like how they dared to deliver a song that the audience had never listened to before.

This amazing live experience finishes with the majestic 'Toxicity', which makes sense to me since it is the song that also closes their latest studio album. A vertiginous Canterbury-esque beginning in which vocals appear in the very first minute creating a very attractive sound that is also closer to some classic rock tunes. The return of the saxophone here is delicious, playing sometimes at unison with guitars and drums. A tasty track that naturally flows, offering several changes in mood and sound, but always keeping their essential sound, though. Just to write a reference, the names of Hatfield and the North or National Health might come to your mind while listening to this amazing song, and in fact, while listening to the wonderful sound of Zopp in both, studio and onstage.

I cross my fingers wishing I could see them in concert sometime in the future, but if that is not possible, at least I have this great experience that I can listen anytime I desire to do it. Congratulations to Zopp on this great release!

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