THE DIFFERENCE MACHINE

With this album Big Big Train climbed another rung in his escalade to that received widespread acclaim with his next album. It is important to note that The Difference Machine, his fifth album and the last with vocalist Sean Filkins, owes nothing to his successor. Actually this album is the band's most multifaceted.

Why "multifaceted"? Well, here the band is not limited to absorb influences from Genesis (found with more emphasis on the next album), but you can find echoes of other past giants as Yes, Pink Floyd and VdGG. There are even influences from alternative circuit bands like Radiohead, but (fortunately) are few. The important thing is that above all the band can print your sound.

The Difference Machine is a concept album whose story is about the death of a man, an event linked to the explosion of a star in a distant galaxy. This is the starting point for a story that covers topics such as communication failure, death, loss, grief and chaos theory (at least that's what Wikipedia says about this album). In fact, the album starts in a very chaotic, without the typical beauty of the music of BBG and that made ​​me take a few spins to really appreciate it. But all I can say now is that the first two songs are the highlight of the album! In fact, if the album will later metal instruments(trumpets, horns and more) contributing to its rich atmosphere here we see a powerful sax led by Tony Wright that really enriches the music offered here! He can not only create dreamy passages but also become dissonant and experimental moments(a clear influence of the VdGG David Jackson). In addition we have the viola that brings a melancholy mood for the album (besides being responsible for the implementation of its main theme) and the participation of more than special figures: Dave Meros and Nick D'Virgilio (Spock's Beard both) on bass and drums respectively (Virgilio, what will be the official drummer of the band also sings here in the backing vocals) and Pete Trewavas (Marillion) on bass too.

In short, all I can say that this is a great album, which it gives a vague idea of what's to come. And believe me, the best is yet to come!

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