NIMRODEL

Almuadem, they certainly are the pioneers of a new genre! Everybody that has heard this album seems to agree with me on that. This, sadly for the general public, is where the similarities end. Almuadem have been praised as geniuses, as modern philosophers and as innovators of a new style of music branded as Hyper-Sensibility. Hyper-Sensibility must be the technical term for misguided, ambient noodling. That is all this album is, and to the trained ear that is all one will ever find.

Where have all of these 5 star reviews come from? What kind of level must I stoop to in order to find enjoyment inside this rambling and snooze-worthy piece of music? Where in fact IS the music? These are just some of the many questions you will have after you play this album for the first time. However, unlike most other albums, these questions will not be answered in a multitude of listens, after which it is necessary to just give in and find something else.

After all of my ranting, it is important that I make a note of the band's epic track, Dial D For Dream. This is a very good insert into the album, I must admit. This track alone tacks an extra half star onto the side of my rating. Very nice smooth bass lines pulsate throughout the tune, and this is the first and only evidence I can hear of anything resembling Hyper-Sensibility, whatever that rubbish may be. The album's closer, Airam Atir also has some strong points, most notably the guitar tones at the close of the song.

Compare Almuadem to The Egyptian Kings? I would have none of it! The Kings compel me and drive me to listen deeper, investigate further. If you want some great earthy space rock, try 35007 or The Egyptian Kings on for size.

1.5 stars, rounded up. Happy New Years.