THREE SIDES TO EVERY STORY

As has probably been made clear through numerous of my reviews by this point, I'm not really the biggest fan of a lot of instrumental prog, I generally enjoy if it's just one song on an album, but pure instrumental prog, especially of this variety, when it's quite close to metal, just leaves me bored. As this album proves however, it's not always the case, as in the three tracks present here, I very rarely felt disinterested, each track having its own distinct style and exceptional musicianship, not to mention quite a bit of charm in certain places. While far from a revolutionary album, there's no doubt that it's definitely a fun one.

Zigu Zigu, while the shortest track by a considerable margin, is nonetheless great, the frenetic intro perfectly seeting up a powerful impression that sticks around. The track is more or less a collection of incredible riffs played in succession with solos over the top, fairly standard in instrumental prog, but the quality of these riffs combined with how tightly everything is played definitely has it stick out, especially with the consistently great bass playing that has hints of Dream Theater and even some Muse all over it, particular sections of it sounding strikingly similar to Stockholm Syndrome. To cement this song as a great, fun one, the spoken word section at the end asking whether or not this now counts as a song because of having this section is generally amusing and tongue in cheek, adding some additional charm to this great track. Notwatch is considerably more chilled out, with the sound of summer running strongly through it, a quality that I found equally admirable in Starving Daughters' Strange Valleys. While the first osng focused a lot on technicality and catchiness, this one goes for a far more tonally focused approach, much more prominent in atmosphere. While the song occasionally picks up in volume or power, it continuously returns to the same riff in order to maintain a wonderfully calm, peaceful tone, despite the drum freakouts in the background. I can't say that I wholly enjoy the middle section when everything dies down and the vocals come in, as I find it to meander too much, but the gradual buildup into a much darker, heavier section of the track is executed well, and the rest of the track to continue changing up the atmosphere in an interesting fashion.

While Zigu Zigu had a lot of focus on technicality, and Notwatch focused more on tone and atmosphere, A Christmas Postcard from Kim definitely looks more into varying musical intensity, once again to great effect. This track sounds the most like prog metal by a considerable margin, with far heavier and faster guitar and drum work all throughout, making for an excellent continuation to the direction in which Notwatch was beginning to head. The operatic vocals combined with the exotically tinged riff duringaround the 6 minute mark is great, especially with the way it then continues to build from there, adding additional voices and showing great interplay in order to create part of a track which while not fast, is nonetheless an intense experience. As the song further slows, the vocals continue, this time feeling fragmented and unnatural, definitely a combination of the deadpan delivery and bizarre vocal manipulation creating a robotic, futuristic atmosphere, something that remains consistent throughout the rest of the track, and is a contributing factor to it being my personal favourite.

While not extremely groundbreaking, this album is undoubtedly an enjoyable one, varied throughout the three tracks, with each one truly feeling progressive regardless, shfting through various styles and approaches without ever feeling hamfisted in the process. I found this a very worthwhile listening experience, the tracks being long, yet highly dynamic, and often quirky without becoming overbearingly so. At the very least, this album has convinced me to go back and check out this band's previous couple of albums.

Best tracks: All of them

Weakest tracks: None of them

Verdict: A fun, mostly instrumental prog album that often teeters on the edge of metal. Definitely an enjoyable and accessible listen for those who enjoy instrumental prog, and probably one that I'd recommend to those looking for a gateway into it as well, as it is considerably more varied than a lot of other instrumental prog albums I've heard.