MOTORPSYCHO & STÅLE STORLØKKEN: THE DEATH DEFYING UNICORN

After being disappointed with their previous album "Heavy Metal Fruit" I really had no intention of getting this. Enter Todd who sent me an audio clip and I was sold. Now i'm not a big fan of double albums or concept albums but this double concept recording is incredible. Just to be clear there are always exceptions to the norm as I do have some amazing double albums and concept records, and i'd certainly include this with those. The story here is about a young man who gets caught poaching and his punishment is to be sent off in a ship which turns out to be worse than death. Lots of orchestration in this one too and i'm not usually into that but again they make it work perfectly. Easy to see why this made the Collaborator's top five for 2012. This is a very cinematic recording that really does take you on a journey. The TRONDHEIM JAZZ ORCHESTRA is fantastic and I like the heavy sections as well. Also there is a seventies vibe with those flute / mellotron-like sounds.

Disc one starts off with "Out Of The Woods" which is just over 2 1/2 minutes of experimentation as the horns and other sounds come and go. It's very orchestral later on here in this intro track. Guitar late as it blends into "The Hollow Lands" and drums also join in in this intense piece. It settles after 2 minutes and we get vocals for the first time. There's those mellotron flute-like sounds. It builds with growly bass and pounding drums as the vocals become more passionate. Man this is so good. Excellent instrumental section after 3 1/2 minutes too. Check out the raw guitar here. Vocals are back around 6 minutes. This has to be a top three track. "Through The Veil" opens with strange sounds like percussion really and some horns honking. This is the 16 minute epic of the first disc. It kicks in just before 2 minutes. Hell yeah it does ! Vocals follow and they sound great. We get an instrumental section before 4 minutes with horns, violin, drums and more. Vocals are back a minute later. A change before 6 minutes and this is catchy and instrumental. A calm before 9 minutes but it doesn't last long. Vocals and that ealier sound return 10 1/2 minutes in. A calm 2 minutes later with some interesting vocals. It kicks in again a minute later before settling back again with some cool guitar expressions. "Doldrums" begins with orchestration that is laid back but not for long. This sounds really good like a soundtrack for a movie. "Into The Gyre" opens with strings. The vocals a minute in are reserved. It starts to build 4 minutes in until they are kicking it hard. The guitar is on fire before 6 1/2 minutes ! This insanity lasts for a minute then we get a calm. Organ joins in late followed by some haunting atmosphere. "Flotsam" is the 1 1/2 minute conclusion to disc one and it's a melancholic, helpless sounding way to end it.

Disc two starts with "Oh, Proteus-A Prayer". More melancholy as the vocals come in singing "All is broken...our ship has sunk in the deep forever". This is sad with violins. It then sounds like a horror movie before 3 minutes as the vocals stop briefly. They return with more passion including louder orchestration. "Skulls In Limbo" is a short piece that is haunting throughout. It blends into "La Lethe". It starts to build some until it becomes powerful before 2 minutes and continues throughout. "Oh, Proteus-A Lament" is only a minute long and it's where the vocals return with lots of orchestration. "Sharks" has these fragile vocals as he describes the futility of his situation. Death is near. Some bombast before 6 minutes to the end. "Mutiny !" hits the ground running with the vocals and drums standing out but there is a full sound here. Man this is such a great track. A calm before 8 minutes to the end. "Into The Mystic" ends the album in style. A nice heavy intro as the guitar cries out. So good ! The violin is slicing it up. Vocals join in before 2 1/2 minutes. Love when it calms down with mellotron-like flute 3 1/2 minutes in. It picks back up with vocals. The last three minutes are instrumental.A top three track.

I am just so impressed with this recording. This is what Prog is all about and these guys have nailed it with "The Death Defying Unicorn". In my top five for 2012.