HAMBURGER FISH & FRIED CHICKEN CHIPS

The sixth Mutiny in Jonestown studio album is a very odd collection of songs. A few were recorded prior to the sessions that produced the previous album, "The False Hollow Phantoms of Beauty" but didn't fit into the Lovecraft theme so were set aside. I'm going to change hats now from that of a hopefully objective reviewer to the man behind Mutiny in Jonestown. During the recording of that album, I suffered serious arm injuries requiring surgery so there was a very real possibility that Mutiny in Jonestown would not be releasing any further albums. Luckily after months of therapy and hard work Mutiny in Jonestown was able to pick up where it left off. The album really comes together and finds a rhythm a little less than halfway in with 6 of those latter songs completing the compilation album, "Anthology I (1988 - 1992)" available on BandCamp. Two more of these songs, "Haunted" and "Ghost Ship" are included on the compilation, "The Witching Hour" also available on BandCamp. Let's first focus on the songs not on the compilations.

The album opener, "Sad Angel" is most notable for the synthesizer/guitar duets in between the vocal sections and the ending. The next two actually flow together with the instrumental "Burn" setting up the shrieking anger of "Heroes". The next few songs explore different subjects and musical environments. Notable is the improvised piece, "12 Years From Now" where I enlisted the musical talents of my young niece who had been playing flute for a couple years at school. Here, she plays a crazy solo on a very strange instrument brand new at the time, a midi saxophone.

"Sand and Fire" and "Please Come Back" were both recorded immediately prior to surgery and during the time that several doctors said I'd never play guitar again. Because of the injuries, I had to drastically adapt and change my style of guitar soloing. Gone is the super fast shredding style found on so many of the bands songs prior to this album. In its place is a more processed approach that relied on delay and other effects to fill the space necessary for an interesting solo. Synthesizer solos also are more prevalent to help fill the space.

"Starve for Me" was the first post surgery song that relied on the new guitar approach I described above. The slowing down of the guitar solos and increase of synthesizer prominence had an overall positive effect on the music and became a new stylistic foundation for the band to build on. "Happy Birthday from Jonestown" is a short spoken intro announcing the following song "Haunted" was being recorded on the 5th anniversary of the formation of the band. "Haunted" also really took that new restrained guitar style and perfected it, not adventurously prog but one of the best 4 minute Mutiny in Jonestown rock songs ever. "To the Moon" took the new style and put it back in a 6 + minute long spacey prog context. The remaining 2 songs, "Mt Olympus" and "GOP" were both more rock than prog but again showed the band working within the new style.

The album is available on BandCamp but without 3 of the pieces in which I don't own the copyright ("Jupiter's Makeup", "Again", and "Corona"). Theses are all short songs ranging from 1:27 to 3:01 so their absence doesn't negatively effect the flow of the album. Since this album is a bit of a hybrid between prog, experimental, and what I like to call rock-prog, I'm giving this one 3 stars.

Several songs there sound similar to others i found did sound better. But since there are many, we can chose, and there are more than interesting tracks. The distorted instrumental Burn is happily found after calm Sad Angel. Another 12 Years From Now reminds me frippertonics I enjoy most. Refreshing synth arpeggios in Is There Really is almost one of those great "earworm" songs. An a Aha fan since my youth, I have a very special soft spot for Starve For Me where Dennis' singing strikingly reminds me of Morten Harket's. Even Aha tried hard to get back to songs that have that power, and I don't think they succeed 100% ! Songs like Ghost Ship and GOP (even more!) are difficult to forget, the guy fits those songs craftfully into my ears !

So definitely not just a good album, it has a lot to offer, NO it's not as common as hamburger fish & fried chicken chips !!