PSYCHOSOLSTICE

Here's another interesting Polish progrock from the last two decades, named Pinkroom. It's a duo featuring Mariusz Boniecki (guitar, vocals, keyboards and samples) and Marcin Kledzik (drums and percussion), with the additional bass player Kacper Ostrowski and guest musicians on vocals, cello and 'guitar noise'. Pinkroom have released two albums: Psychosolstice in 2009 and Unloved Toy in 2014, this review is about their debut CD.

Their music is a pretty emotional experience, I am sure the band members have sublimated a wide range of emotions and feelings into the Pinkroom sound, from despair and loneliness to anger to aggression. I often notice a lot of tension in the music, very captivating and compelling! Listening to this album bands like Porcupine Tree and Riverside come to my mind in the mellow parts. And in the more heavy parts I think about King Crimson, in my opinion their main source of inspiration.

Twanging guitar in the intricate first track Path Of Dying Truth : sensational break with mindblowing contrast between the heavy guitar riffs and the soaring violin-Mellotron.

More twanging guitar in Moodroom v. 2 : wonderful cello and short but powerful trumpet sound.

A biting electric Fripperian guitar in the alternating Quietus, from swinging to propulsive.

And especially the fiery and aggressive sound in Stonegarden (propulsive guitar and drums and fiery guitar leads) and Days Which Should Not Be (great tension and beautiful conclusion with violin).

In the other five tracks Pinkroom also succeed to keep my full attention and to surprise me, often by sudden changing climates: from dreamy and sultry to heavy and aggressive with harder-edged guitar work ( reminding me of Metallica) and a thunderous rhythm-section. Like from the dreamy Curse (with soaring keyboards, all sorts of sounds and fragile piano play) to the next song 2am that blew me away (featuring exciting rock guitar and powerful drum beats). And after the heavy and bombastic eruptions in Days Which Should Not Be, you can enjoy the mellow Floydian-like ballad Recognized with fine acoustic rhythm guitar and warm vocals. Frequently the tracks are blended with samples and distorted vocals and instruments, this adds an extra, a bit psychedelic and hypnotizing dimension to the Pinkroom sound.

If you are up to compelling progrock with Heavy Prog and some prog metal elements, this is an album to discover.