C.O.D. PERFORMANCE

At a 'quick and easy' three tracks, I knew I could get this one reviewed by the end of the beginning of the morning. I jest, of course. I suppose the biggest joke is that this was going to be, in all likelihood, some very dense Avant-prog... I guess it's hard to believe, generally speaking, to have an R.I.O. release with only guitar, vocals and percussion (this amounting to no more than light clicks and kickdrum), but here we are. Super minimalistic. But they certainly make it work.

"Love Scorn" starts off low and slow, comparable to the darkest that '60s Psychedelia had had to offer then. And dark indeed. And such a unique use of guitar itself! I assume (possibly only then) they tuned one of them down extremely low to accomplish this weird, alien 'cello'. It's in the latter half that guitar soloing jumps out of the minimal expanse of guitar and simple clicks (at times what sounds like just the simple hit of a closed hi-hat). It may remind of FRIPP. And following this first sketch of electric guitar is an intense battle, fierce and eerie.

The tracks get exponentially longer, from 9 and a half minutes to just under 15 all the way to 25 minutes. And with that, "Alone - Part One" heads off in beautiful, again not unlike KC (though latter days Crimson via the aid of BELEW), overlapping guitar melody. Around the midway point, this falls away to something heavier. The heaviest percussion they had introduced to us up to this point (as with said 'battle' on "Love Scorn") is merely intense, reverb'd out kickdrum. "Part One" was well performed, but so minimal, I'm not sure I'd recommend it.

"Alone - Part Two" kicks off with something a little more intriguing. The rhythm is slightly off-kilter and the guitar just goes. They once again, I assume, because it seems clearer here using octave pedal, have the dark, muddy 'bass guitar'. Like I suggest, much more satisfactory than the first part. Unsurprisingly still moody and gloomy. Minimal or not, actually quite a lot happens within the first 3 minutes! Vocals are finally introduced around minute 11. Sort of classical and creepy, reminiscent to me of Sophisti-Pop lounge lizards? Again falling away, minute 18 introduces a queer, creeping section. Worth a listen if you have the time.

Overall, well performed, at times genuinely very interesting, but not to appeal to even your average RIO fan half the time. I nearly gave it a 2.

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