SPHERE

Monkey3 is a band I found though PA lists by other contributors. While all of their catalog is strong, I would argue that Sphere is their master work. I have introduced this album to a number of friends and have typically described it as Pink Floyd and Russian Circles combined. (Russian Circles live that is, a phenomenal experience highly recommended for all prog fans). Keys play a prominent place, unlike most post-rock. There are plenty of heavy guitars but always they serve a central vision of atmosphere, mood, and transporting the listener to a specific mental space.

There are clear allusions in tonality to 70's space rock in the keyboards and delay guitars, but the patience and slow builds do allude to post-rock songwriting. There is a fair share of guitar soloing which starts firmly in Gilmore territory but adds some flashes of slightly shred-y elements that add to intensity and do not seem showy. The rhythmic intensity is also modern, more intense than classic era psych.

While most listeners will be familiar with the elements here, this is by far the best modern interpretation of those sounds I've heard in a long time. While there are many Floyd imitators out there, this band has used their elements and added enough modern ideas to create their own sound. Most importantly, the work connects and communicates, serving the purpose I seek most - creating a blissful evening with good headphones where one can immerse themself in a music that will take them to a unique headspace.

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