OMEGA

I don't think we can call THE CANCER CONSPIRACY a metal album, but more of a post- rock/math/heavy prog one. With that in mind, the album has some metallic elements here and there that could give validity to its inclusion in the exp/post-metal genre.

The music here is absolutely terrific. Eight instrumental pieces, with the first and the last one connected via thematic similarities, that flow from beginning to end with ease, smoothly. It's music that's easy to digest, but that delivers a lot of interesting elements for the mind to analyze and get lost in. The band's obvious influences are classic giants like KING CRIMSON, RUSH, PINK FLOYD, but also more contemporary outfits like PORCUPINE TREE or even post-rock groups. The music goes from the atmospheric to the violent without breaking a sweat, this violence never really getting extreme (this is NOT metal and the metal elements are never extreme). Some psychedelia, some jamming, some spacey moments, passages of pure ambience, but also moments of jazz and fusion. this album has it all.

The musicians are what makes this opus what it is. The guitars are excellent, always creating melody and textures, never taking the easy way out. Keys are used to great atmospheric effect; the bass is playful, never limited to simple harmony; the drums are just outstanding, with style, with very unique patterns, with ghost notes and fantastic fills and always keeping rhythm exactly where it should be. Add some well played sax and winds to the mix and you got the recipe for great music.

The album is instrumental, and the pieces are most of the times written in regular song structure, but the place of the voice has been taken by all the other instruments. There's no need for vocals, this is how this music's supposed to be.

An excellent album that doesn't reach perfection with my rating as I think there are a couple of weaker instrumental pieces that make the already-too-short 36-minute album a less than totally gratifying experience. It's just too short a time to allow for weaker songs. I would say that, if the album was a little bit longer, I'd have forgiven it its minor imprefections and grant it 5 stars. But it's too short. And such good music leaves me craving for more (sadly, from a band that is no more.)