SKYMIND

The heaviness that is prominant throughout this album reminds me of SHINING's "Grindstone" record and also the band SLEEPYTIME GORILLA MUSEUM. All three bands are quite unique and different from one another, yet I could see how a fan of one of those bands would like the other two as well. The heaviness is contrasted well with lots of acoustic stringed instruments for a more dramatic affect. Oh yeah, this is a concept album(don't ask me what it's about) even though the lyrics are in English.

"Skymind" opens with someone trying to find a station on their radio, it also ends the same way. A steady drum beat is joined by violin and heavy riffs.The rhythm section is very explosive throughout this disc. Vocals before 3 minutes go from a whisper to a shout. Solo violin before piano joins in. Vocals are back with riffs. It's building. Some great guitar before xylophone comes in. These themes are repeated. "Yellow Garden" opens with piano, then drums and violin come in suddenly. Vocals arrive as it calms back down. Lots of tempo changes on this one. It goes from very heavy and bombastic to almost a whisper at times. "Blind Child" builds slowly as piano and violin create an almost waltz-like rhythm. The song builds and collapses until 2 1/2 minutes in when female vocals arrive. She also plays flute on this one.

"The Purple Queen's Lips" hits the ground running as the guitar trades solos with the violin until the flute comes in. Bass is prominant as vocals arrive. Guitar and violin continue to duke it out. Some nice angular guitar before a scorching solo 2 1/2 minutes in. A good heavy soundscape follows. More great guitar after 4 minutes. Processed vocals and violin after 5 minutes.Blistering guitar 2 minutes later and also 8 1/2 minutes in. Lots of violin to end it. "The Egg-Shaped Moon" opens with a heaviness that comes and goes. Some nice bass lines a minute in as violin and then vocals join in. Check out the drumming 3 1/2 minutes in. It calms right down after 5 minutes. The heaviness is back a minute later but not for long. Vocals return 8 minutes in. "Stratus" opens with a spacey calm with different sounds coming and going until guitar comes in heavily at 2 minutes. A nice heavy rhythm follows. It calms down with violin and percussion as drums also join in. Guitar arrives 7 minutes in. It settles down as vocals arrive 9 minutes in. The tempo then starts to pick back up as tempo changes continue. I really like the last three songs on this album the best.

This didn't wow me like I thought it would. Perhaps because i'm not a huge fan of the violin, but I love those heavy guitar passages and there's lots of them. Of the 3 bands I mentioned earlier SHINING has impressed me the most.