11:11

I really don´t understand. Reinaldo Jose, the bass player, songwriter and mastermind behind this band kindly asked me to write a review of their most recent work, 11:11. They even sent me their record and I have been listening to it for several weeks. I had great expectations since I did love their debut (2010s The Gigsaw). The problem here is that their newest release has very little that reminds me of their powerful, varied and eclectic start. Recorded in a period of almost 7 years (2014 to 2021) it is hard to believe that this double concept album had to turned out to be so disappointing. No, it is not bad. It is just sedated: it lacks energy and drive. It´s pleasant enough, it has good melodies, but that´s all. No highlights, no surprises and very little variations.

After repeated listenings I found nice subtle moments that I suppose were to be expected, especially the dual male/female vocals and a few guitar solos, but the songwriting is below par when compared to their other work. I tried very hard to see their point and find why the music here is what it is and ultimately this album failed to capture my imagination. The production really sucks, I get the feeling of hearing something from the 60s, and I find it difficult to believe that this is the same band that gave us The Jigsaw. I understand that a concept album has a storyline that makes the music go to a certain direction and I suppose it makes some sense if you´re following the narrative closely, but to me it still it seems to go on and on with nothing really exciting to make it more palatable. Even long tracks like Do What You Will (over 7 minutes) and Breakthrough Listen (11) are not epics, but simply songs that overstay their welcome.

Conclusion: I really hope this band will come up with something that really does justice to their talent and skill in the future. This one, unfortunately, does not, I´m afraid. I´ll rate it 3 stars for all their work and good melodies, but it should be something between 2 and 2,5 stars.