OUT OF THE BARNYARD

What do you get when you combine symphonic soundscapes, thundering instrumental passages, a hefty touch of American folk music, and a slightly disturbing pig pseudonym? Fright Pig! Like others have said, I was afraid this pig would be nothing but a bunch of bologna, but this band has completely convinced me that they have a sound that is honey- cured and slow-roasted. In fact, this music is as tender as it is meaty.

Had enough of the puns yet? I sure hope not. No, seriously, I'll stop. Fright Pig is a large group of musicians (I have no idea how many) that have taken the challenge to create something fresh and new in progressive rock. They have gone places where others do not dare to tread, and they have taken normal progressive standards and performed them to the max. First of all, this album is mostly instrumental. About half the tracks are completely instrumental, and some of the others are mostly so. I honestly am kind of disappointed by this, though; as the vocalist has a ton of range and a clear, tone-rich sound that comes from his pesky snout. No squealing, I promise.

On the other hand, I'm glad that the album focuses so much on instrumental passages, for these animals have the chops, the compositional know-how, and the pure gusto to relax you and get your blood pumping at the same time. Keyboards have a huge range of sound, from a creepy carnival style to electronic to blazing piano lines. Simply incredible. Guitars are steel-hard and so ominous at times that I feel I need to duck as they fly overheard. The bass notes are very dark and lend to the overall shadowy feeling, even during the brighter moments. And the drum---THE DRUMS. Holy pork rinds, Batman; I think this may be the best drum performance of the year. This guy has the gull to give us impossibly complex blast beats in a symphonic album---one with squaring-dancingly good times in it, as well. How dare he!! The guy's a genius, and I can't get enough of the drums.

So, don't let the admittedly scary piggy alias drive you away from this masterpiece. With such incredibly composed instrumentals as "Incident at Pembroke" and "Barque at the Lune" and "Presumido", this album just doesn't miss. The vocalist, too, nails his performances, especially on "The Claustrophobia of Time" and "Re_Creation". If the rest of the world wants to eat their swill, so be it. I'll be eating this fine tenderloin. (puns, puns, and more puns) And, no, I have no problem giving a debut album 5 stars.