MOTORPSYCHO & STÅLE STORLØKKEN: THE DEATH DEFYING UNICORN

In their endless pursuit to keep trying new things and taking on impossible challenges, Motorpsycho reinvented themselves for the umpteenth time. They teamed up with Stale Storlokken's jazz orchestra to deliver nothing less then an 80 minute double CD filled with catchy alt rock, psychedellica, stoner rock, prog, jazz and a film score to match. Yihaa!

A first thing to note is how well the orchestra blends in. The words 'orchestra' and 'rock album' in one and the same sentence usually send shivers down my spine, not here. The approach is quite unique with orchestral parts that somehow cross over between Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf' and a steaming jazz-brass band (think Jagga Jazzist for instance). The orchestral score mixes perfectly with Motorpsycho's stoner prog. The result is dense, over the top, bombastic and completely out there, but man this orchestra rocks!

The album relies less on Motorpsycho's trademark Sabbath-y riffs. They are still there, but take second place behind the rich orchestral texture and spacey effects. 'The Hollow Lands' is a brilliant example. Some subtle flutes and acoustic guitars add to the Prog feel of the album, which is without doubt their proggiest effort so far. If that point needed further proof then the 16 minute 'Through the Veil' amply delivers as it jams out into a barely contained chaos. 'Doldrums' - 'Into the Gyre' offer some welcome calm after the 25 minute opening storm and conclude an excellent first disk.

On CD2, the calm continues for a while till 'Proteus' catches a groove around minute 4. At this point I would expect the album to look for some kind of closure but it simply keeps going, and not in the right direction as far as I'm concerned. 'Sculls in Limbo' is a fine 2 minute orchestral interlude but this far into the album it simply lulls me in limbo. The slow pace of instrumental 'La Lethe' can't wake me up neither. If anything, these tracks fulfill a self-prophecy, making me feel very close to meeting the eternal sleep indeed. 'Mutiny' is our wake-up call and delivers what Motorpsycho excel at: rock. 'Into the Mystic' reprises the riffs and melodies of the opening track. Nice but not really needed after 80 minutes. We got the idea already.

Adding an orchestra into the rock mold and not ending up being cheesy is worth an award by itself. On top the album boasts quite a number of stellar tracks. But the total listening experience suffers from lengthiness and is a letdown. For me this album takes quite some weeding in it's 3rd quarter ('Lamb Lies Down on Broadway' syndrome?). Great work but I'd rate this one quite below my favorites 'Trust Us', 'In The Fishtank' or 'Heavy Metal Fruit'. Just a bit less would have been a whole lot more. 3.5+