Progarchives, the progressive rock ultimate discography
Naxatras - V CD (album) cover

V

Naxatras

 

Psychedelic/Space Rock

3.98 | 12 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

BrufordFreak like
4 stars High-quality, very well-produced Psychedelic/Space Rock from Thessaloniki, Greece.

1. "Celestial Gaze" (5:05) sounds like something in between ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, THE BUGGLES and Depeche Mode. Even the reverb-drenched vocal sounds like something straight out of I Robot. I don't really want to like it but I do! A lot! Nice guitar work in the end section. (9.125/10)

2. "Spacekeeper" (5:09) okay; rendered dull by some fairly standard (Ozric) ideas and sounds. (8.75/10)

3. "Numenia" (5:09) with some Entwistle bass thrown in for good measure. The singing (and lyrics) are a bit underwhelming (and lazy) but the music is infectious. I love the Middle Easterns flutes and melody lines thrown into the instrumental mid-section. The second half sees the band ramping things up--as if shifting into a third gear for a Krautrock jam. Nice! A top three song to be sure. (9.125/10) 4. "Utopian Structures" (5:29) I love the Ozrics-like space-jungle noises filling space over and between the syncopated space-funk bass 'n' drums. Weird to have a long pause at the 2:30 mark, but then wah-reverb guitars set up a different motif for the second half. Cool percussive accents striking within the electronic weave of guitars and synths. All instrumental, this one even has a little Magick Brother & Mystic Sister feel to it. Another top three (9.125/10)

5. "Breathing Fire" (5:17) a fairly weak, fickle song that starts off sounding as if it's trying to be a funky jazz-rock fusion tune before turning into more of a four-chord classic rock tune for the next minute. At 2:09 it then turns down a more exciting, proggy side street before coming to a stop to watch a busy street from the trappings of a Krautrock Kosmicshe flashback. (8.66667/10)

6. "Legion" (4:51) middling; no more singing, please. Some if the modern trance-world synth work is cool but much of the song feels as if it's just waiting for something or someone else to come and rescue them from the mire of the tar pits. (8.75/10)

7. "Sand Halo" (6:01) solid and spacey (and I Robot APP again--especially the electric piano work) but those reverb vocals are so unnecessary. Nice guitar solo but I just love the more spacious groove sections. (8.875/10)

8. "The Citadel (5:55) not enough development--though the "full" PURE REASON REVOLUTION-like second half is better. (8.875/10)

Total Time 42:56

I really like the clarity in the mixes of these songs--and the imaging of the overall soundscapes; the sound on the album as a whole is very well, very thoughtfully, very intelligently engineered. This may be one of the best Psych/Space albums I've heard in a while. Yes, there's a bit of an Ozric Tentacles vibe here but the soundscapes are so much more dimensional, at least hemi-spherical. I also occasionally find myself thinking of Barcelona's Magick Brother & Mystic Sister while listening to this album.

B/four stars; an excellent modern collection of Space Rock and Krautrock- influenced Psychedelic Rock songs. A band to continue watching for the flashes of pure brilliance.

BrufordFreak | 4/5 |

MEMBERS LOGIN ZONE

As a registered member (register here if not), you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums.

You are not logged, please complete authentication before continuing (use forum credentials).

Forum user
Forum password

Social review comments

Review related links

Copyright Prog Archives, All rights reserved. | Legal Notice | Privacy Policy | Advertise | RSS + syndications

Other sites in the MAC network: JazzMusicArchives.com — jazz music reviews and archives | MetalMusicArchives.com — metal music reviews and archives

Donate monthly and keep PA fast-loading and ad-free forever.