OF NATURAL HISTORY

After purchasing the debut album there was no way to avoid purchasing the follow-up release as well and, in retrospect, it was well worth it!

Sleepytime Gorilla Museum basically improved their music formula by pushing things a notch or maybe even two. All the elements have come together nicely and the result is quite staggering indeed! I feel that the sample track The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion, available on this site, might give the wrong impression of this record because most of the other tracks here are mellow in comparison to it. But that doesn't mean that it's the only highlight that Of Natural History has to offer!

The 11 minute The Freedom Club is my personal favorite composition while Cockroach takes a form of an ode to the pesky insect. Still, don't expect anything else than pure Avant-garde rock à la Sleepytime Gorilla Museum from this album since this is exactly what you're going to get from this performance.

...Of Natural History is an excellent follow-up to the ground work that was set by Grand Opening And Closing and it feels like this band can almost do no wrong no matter the direction they decide to pursue with their future releases. Blunt and simply, an excellent addition to any prog rock music collection with a sign of the things to come!

***** star songs: The Donkey-Headed Adversary Of Humanity Opens The Discussion (6:01) FC: The Freedom Club (10:48) The Creature (6:00) Gunday's Child (6:56) Cockroach (2:12)

*** star songs: A Hymn To The Morning Star (5:40) Phthisis (3:44) Bring Back The Apocalypse (4:10) The 17-Year Cicada (3:41) What Shall We Do Without Us? (2:38) Babydoctor (13:59)

*** star songs: Hiddentrack (5:56)

Total Rating: 4,36