CAPACITOR

'Capacitor' by Cosmograf is one of the truly excellent underground progressive rock albums of the 2010s - this is the fourth album by Robin Armstrong's solo musical project and is a concept record (just like almost any other one in this discography) that focuses on the theme of storing the human spirit, a rather fascinating topic that is developed beautifully through the music, which can be defined as immersive, cinematic, thoughtful and at times incredibly dark, with extensive use of heavy guitars and lush and spacious synths, elevated by the unexpected and suspenseful shifts together with some great melodies. This album also sees some long instrumental passages that either build upon a certain kind of atmosphere or help to break down and finish off a particular song. 'Capacitor' is in any case a tremendously well-executed entry that infects you with its imaginative soundscapes and grim sounds.

The opening track is a strapping instrumental that goes through a few different passages both heavy and electronic that sets an interesting tone for the record. 'The Fear Created' then takes up the drab tones and allows them to transition into the first really cinematic song, this is a really great opener for the record that impresses with the powerful but very crafty arrangements. Of course, this album features mostly longer-format pieces that go beyond the six-minute mark, which is probably the right amount of time needed for each distinct piece to develop rightfully and thoroughly. A more acoustic entry follows in the face of 'The Reaper's Song', which features a really memorable, strong refrain, while 'The Drover' and 'White Car' are perhaps the culmination of the record - these tracks are moody and swaying with great instrumental work, offering some very ominous moments. And while it would be difficult to place the highlight on any track on 'Capacitor', these two would probably come closest. The two final tracks are slightly less diverse than what comes before but maintain the overall gloomy feel and are still quite good. The entire albums is very evocative, at times it might even remind you of some Porcupine Tree deep cuts, but it also works perfectly as a concept album and is by far the most intricate and imaginative Cosmograf studio album.