TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN

I came across American prog band Odin's Court some years ago, reviewing both their third and fourth albums. Fast forward to 2015 and I was contacted by multi-instrumentalist Matt Brookins who asked if I would like to review their new album, which was their seventh. I explained that I was currently working on a book and that it would take some time for it to be reviewed as I was going to finish that before I started reviewing again. He said that he was absolutely fine with it, but neither of us expected it to take three years! The rest of the band are Rick Pierpont (guitar and backing vocals and Dimetrius LaFavors (vocals), while Matt provides guitars, keyboards, vocals, bass, drums, mandolin, banjo, harmonica, mountain dulcimer (plus there are a few guests).

This is the first of their albums that I have heard with LaFavors on vocals (although he was on the two albums previous to this, which I haven't come across), and he is a stellar singer. At times he reminds me of Brad Delp, and has plenty of power to back it up. Behind him there is a band that moves easily between melodic hard rock, prog rock and prog metal, with some wonderful guitars and riffs. This is a concept album dealing with ideas and questions relating to the universe, and the album is divided into three sections. The first twelve songs are in many ways leading us up to the final "Box of Dice (Does God Play?) which is an epic of more than seventeen minutes long.

This is complex music, that often has relatively simplistic lead guitar, and the combination of these two musical elements with those soaring vocals makes compelling listening. There are times when the drums aren't all that they could be, and others where they are far more powerful, and I think a full-time human driving the band through would have had a definite positive impact. I can see fans of Dream Theater getting a great deal from this, and I love the complex staccato riffs that are used to great dynamic effect. If you haven't' come across them before this, then you really should.