GDEVA/KROBAK SPLIT

I have always been fond of Russian Psychedelic scene, and by saying "scene" I mean mostly two bands, GDEVA and VESPERO. While VESPERO were busy with their new record to be released Spring 2009, I dropped two lines to GDEVA guys, proposing them a collaboration, which later turned into this split. GDEVA's track is jam-based, but more structured and much more groovy and intense, than anything you could hear on their debut CD. Mine...I beg pardon, KROBAK's one is an old blueprint from 2007, reworked and re-recorded, based on single riff, but the result is far from being boring, he-he. Cover logo is made by Avis, a friend of mine who sings in a thrash-metal band, and the girl on the cover is my ex from 2009. There are some CD-Rs I've made for friends, but you can download this release for free (as any other KROBAK release), if you follow the link in album's credits here on PA. Enjoy and share your thoughts!

Great Russian & Ukrainian split!

Probably I have said this before, but our fellow collaborator Igor (aka prog-jester) is a very talented and busy musician whose music can please different people with different tastes. I really like his Krobak project, so I've been following it for some time. He has made some splits with other bands, the one with Somnolent which I already reviewed was not really my cup of tea, but now, things have changed. I have to thank the Igor itself because you just have to send him a message if you want to listen to his music, and he kindly answers.

So as I read from his review he wrote to these Russian guys named Gdeva, proposing them a collaboration that turned into this split, which was released in 2009 and which contains just one song per project, I mean one from the psychedelic Russian band Gdeva, and one from the experimental post rock one from Ukraine Krobak.

The first is the one from Russia, it is called "Kleti Quatro" and it is a 22-minute instrumental song. It is a complete trip with psychedelic tendencies that will take you to another galaxy, the first moments can be repetitive but that make me addicted to the sound. While the seconds are passing there are new noises, new elements and trippy effects, the bass lines are great and that drums make an extraordinary work, also worth mentioning are the guitar effects, creating a complete freaky atmosphere, where you can close your eyes and let the music take you to another place. There are moments that remind me to Pink Floyd's psych moments, like a performance on Pompeii. Later some claps sound and the song completely changes, this time it again reminds me to Pink Floyd, now I believe the Echoes influence is quite obvious. Minutes later the song returns to that psychedelic Gdeva's sound, and it is great.

The other song performed by Krobak is named "Marching for the Freedom we Have Lost", a 13-minute piece full of excellent elements that I enjoy so much, actually this is not my favorite Krobak song but I believe it perfectly fits in this split, though the music between both projects is pretty different. The introduction is like some soldiers marching, some seconds later a soft guitar sound appears but the march does not disappear until a minute later where there is an explosion. When the song restarts a new guitar sound appears, while the previous one still sounds now as background. The march returns in some sudden moments, sometimes they are far but sometimes so near. There is again a little change, drums and that guitar keeps sounding. The melancholic and emotional post rock feeling makes its apparition and creates a beautiful, maybe repetitive but great atmosphere.

My thoughts about this split contrasts with the ones about the Somnolent split. This time I really enjoyed listening to both songs, both different styles, both talented projects gathered together in this great split. You can here kill two birds in one shot, and have a good time listening to psychedelic-post rock. My final grade is 4 stars.

Enjoy it!