RORSCHACH'S CONUNDRUM

A rarity on the modern American prog scene: an authentic Canterbury prog album with more than a passing resemblance with Hatfield and the North. The similarities of the music and vocals to Hatfield & The North are so uncanny, that one is led to ask whether the album is a mere clone, i.e. the work of a simple homage band or whether it represents an artistically valid effort that happens to borrow the sound and language of one excellent Canterbury band of the past. The answer for me is: Bad Alchemy has assimilated this major influence, and what we hear on this album is in my view a valid and excellent artistic extension, not a mere variation on already traveled roads. Of course, it is clear that this 'Rorschach' s Conundrum' is more than a ... Rorschach's test that would surreptitiously and unintentionally evoke the music of Hatfield and the like: the 'conundrum' here is not in whether this band accidentally sounds like a classic Canterbury band of the 70s - their music IS definitely à la Canterbury and à la Hatfield -, but whether we should dismiss their effort as a mere homage.

I let myself be swayed by the music: one so rarely hears new, truly canonical Canterbury music with excellent compositions and performances that my attitude is to be grateful that modern bands care to thrive along these veins of inspiration and deliver new music that faithfully recreates so well the 'feel' and texture of a band as superb as Hatfield & the North. Moreover, since we are unlikely to witness new musical creations from the original bands (and especially Hatfield and the North, whose last release is a live album recorded in 1990: the band has occasionally reunited for punctual occasions in the recent past, but there's no sign that they will record any new material), let's say that we are blessed that somebody can fill up the void created by the lack of bands as iconic, brilliant and distinctive as Hatfield and the North, National Health or Egg.

Bad Alchemy debuts with an album tinged with modern progressive rock touches like the female vocals and some of the guitar soloes and Canterbury Scene. The work is undoubtedly influenced/inspired by Hatfield and The North with one tune being a reference to a H&N song that was released on The Rotters Club remaster.

Prelude to Pandemonium is just a little opener.

The Wooden Box starts with female vocals then adds guitar arpeggios/male vocals then rolls with that for some time. Eventually, the song patters out with some light percussion sounds and quiet muttering vocals then some more singing plus marimba. Closing the song is some ambience.

Track three starts like track one but doesn't end after one minute. Rather you get piano and somewhat deep male vocals. This is subsumed by a different vocal section. Classical esque instrumental happens then some earlier singing returns. The song just kind of ends after this, never building up to anything in its 8 minutes.

The next three tracks are a suite that sound like something that could have been condensed into 3~ minutes and used as an interlude, not an eight minute long song.

The last two songs are like track 2/3 but more Canterbury Sceneish due to the male singer presenting what seems to be a light British accent.

Overall this is a pretty mediocre album in my opinion that is outdone by their following album. If one wishes to try Bad Alchemy I wouldn't recommend this one first. Finally one of my biggest issues with this band is their songs sound like someone butchered them in editing, removing whole tracks because each section has a very thin instrumentation. When one instrument enters another is taken out which frankly gets predictable and annoying as nothing is properly developed. There is also a strong spacey vibe due to the frequent appearance of sections with pretty much nothing happening. It's not bad but it certainly isn't good.