LIND

Here we have the fifth album from Andy Lind (The Ancestry Program), the second in a trilogy. He provides drums, guitars, bass, keyboards, vocals, programming and has brought in a series of guests to assist him in fulfilling his ambition including Gary Husband, Steve Hunt, Kalle Wallner, Marek Arnold and many more. There are six additional singers, all taking lead vocals on just one track, and it is actually only keyboard player Steve Hunt (Allan Holdsworth) who gets to play on more than one track as he gets three. Musically this is jagged and eclectic as Andy guides them through JRF, RIO, Symphonic and even some Neo, but one quickly realises this is all about the performances as opposed to the musicality.

Yes, there are some incredible players involved who produce wonderfully complex and complicated parts, but while one can at times think of Zappa it does not contain either the purpose or direction, and there is a real risk of the listener being beaten into submission by the intricacy of the arrangements which appear to have little purpose apart from showing just how clever everyone is. The album is dramatically diverse, but the only reason is to show just how many styles are at his command as opposed to there being a reason for moving in the different directions. The first time I played it I was sure I would warm to it with repeated playing, but the more I have listened to it the more I have come to the opinion that it is very clever indeed but I have no idea who the audience is, apart from me obviously not being one of them. Cleverly played and nicely produced I know there will be many clamouring this to be a masterpiece, but I am not one of them.

LIND 4th opus.

"Wounded Knees" electro synth, reverberated, throbbing vocals, syncopated rhythm; air heavy, jazzy, the base is melodic, nervous; vocals on Devin TOWNSEND and TOTO, on musical paradoxes; captivating and offbeat with a complex fusional drift, far from the bold sound of THE ANCESTRY PROGRAM. "Lost Words" surprising between rhythmic jazzy avant-garde passages and soaring atmospheric sounds; we find a djent hit associated with that of Robert FRIPP, hilarious like Marek's sax on it. "This Dream" extends the crimsonian sound on one side with the jazzy sound on the other; the distant voice you will have to get used to; like, a TOWNSEND-ZAPPA merger; the electro piano comes at the end with a characteristic jazzy ambiance.

"A Third Ear Conversation" continues with keyboards that restore a fat sound; the hit is his trademark and takes the hypnotic tune on a metronomic slope; avant-garde for those who adore the master ZAPPA; its versatile sound, a bit fragmented and even disturbing, of an impoverished FLOWER KINGS. "Redesign" as the epic track giving guests musical time; Lind still plays drums, bass, guitar and keyboard; a structured jazz-prog fusion disorder which flows into a much more sustained crescendo in the last third and a hypnotic bass; hard and almost pure prog drenched in jazz, a jazzy ersatz of KING CRIMSON.

"Another Try" has the particularity of having Marco from SYLVAN with his calm voice, his unique climbs and instrumental escapades all forming into a hilarious MASSIVE ATTACK; multi-drawer keyboard parts bewitch or repel you to see. "One Million Ways" dynamic base with the drums in the background bringing together the electro sounds; repetition emerges; the end of 10 seconds more pleasant. "Comfort Zone" with a fat riff that dusts the ears; the voice always invasive; the guitar allows you to breathe even if the jazzy TOWNSEND sensation is there: an impassable wall; a haven of peace the guitar at this moment with a final Japanese dark-wave riff which is relieving.

"Move On Gently" with Caro yes a feminine voice and not doctored; we breathe a little, the jazzy atmosphere becomes electric and can recall ANAID or AQ&F on a crazy Zeuhl basis. "Trapped in Haze" for the last song; we start to close our ears and suddenly stop: it's not over, a slow growl yes why not and a solo from Kalle; the monolithic, captivating synth allows this metallic space which was a little lacking on the rest of the album and gives it more depth, a good TOWNSEND encore there.

LIND poses a singular universe as strange as the 'thing' on the cover; a wild experiment; a sound that uses calm moments to bring warmth, sustained moments to calm raw dissonances. For fans of SUPER MASSIVE BLACK HOLES, UNIVERSE ZERO and especially THINKING PLAGUE and master ZAPPA.