MUZAK

Being in a prog band and trying to survive. Who will doubt that this requires a lot of enthusiasm? Hence you may list several reasons that will lead into the decision to liquidate your love. I would say loss of inspiration and nonsuccess will occur most frequently. But I can't believe that this applies on this occasion. Unless you reduce it all to the pure commercial aspect maybe, rather inappropriate though considering this music genre. MUZAK is (or was) a highly interesting band from Lucerne, Switzerland, a typical female fronted art prog unity, in some way akin to the likes of Lesoir, The Gathering, Anathema etcetera. Including slight alternative rock leanings this goes for the sound in a similar way. Although their songs are a bit heavier in style overall. Yes, they decided to disband, four years after the release of this album, unfortunately. Something bad, something good anyhow. Don't ask me how it came. I can't remember anymore, but exactly these news finally were the kicking off for me to become aquainted with the band. And so let me immediately express here and there, their first concept album, simply entitled 'I', has plenty to offer, has become indispensable from now on.

Thrilling, just another rounded case, where everything fits, compositions, emotions, melodies, musicianship, and so on, and so on ... while the concept deals with some incalculable experiences when the protagonist is trying to break out of her average life. The band's Prologue starts with acoustic guitars and nicely arranged multi-lingual speech samples. This is interrupted though by a heavier groovy passage, just making it clear what you have to expect furthermore. A Matter Of Time then makes us familiar with Lena Greber's exceptional voice, surely a highlight. Charismatic, comparable to Anneke van Giersbergen maybe for example. Cruel World offers a fascinating trumpet solo that is contributed by Peter Schürli. The fantastic Kaleidoscope runs into the album's culmination point, nearly impossible to dig, so multi-varied, that celestial voice ... I can listen to this track again and again. And then Made It nicely grooves further on. Finally the extended Epilogue is putting a beautiful cherry to the cake. Wow, you've made it! 4.5 stars on the PA scale.