CLAUSTROPHOBIA

Claustrophobia is the 3rd CD release of the German-British formation Eyesberg and a clear step forward. The band has planned a lot and presented a complex, multi-layered and coherent album. Based on an idea by singer Melcolm Shuttleworth, who always wanted to make a concept album, Eyesberg spreads the life and work of the Dutch painter Vincent van Gogh lyrically and musically in 8 songs between 3 and 11 minutes (playing time approx. 48 min). The texts are psychograms of a tormented, constricted soul. From the claustrophobic childhood to the breaks in his biography, the hospital stays, the self-mutilation up to his suicide, a unified story is told and musically perfectly implemented. In keeping with the textual context, the music is darker and harder than what Eyesberg is used to up to now. Heavy mellotron chords by keyboardist Norbert Podien and elegiac-hymnic guitar medodies by Georg Alfter merge into a complex, dense and compelling sound that can be assigned to the melodious-symphonic (nucleus-) prog. The music is clearly based on the sound of the analogue 70s, instead of polyphonic synthesizers there is plenty of Hammond and Mellotron to be heard. The trio was again profitably supported by drummer Jimmy Keegan (ex-Spocks Beard), who also perfected the production with mix and mastering. And then the band surprises with the addition of backing vocals by Emma Edingloh, which gives the album an additional special note. The design and color of the cover and booklet match the Van Gogh concept theme. Guitarist Georg Alfter has also done the artwork and creates yellow-orange fields and blue-gloomy caves with strong, bright colors. All in all, a beautiful and exciting album that comes very close to the ideal of a "Gesamtkunstwerk" (4.5 stars).

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