GAZPACHO

With its promising first half, where the album ebbs and flows between more intense moments and episodes of elevated suspense, where the melancholic notes lavishly punctuate the compositions, and the vocals offer a sense of engulfing embrace in the presentation of the stories told, the second half seems to attempt a replication of all the great highlights of what preceded the first couple of songs, but in an even less upbeat manner, which ultimately leads to their dissolution into the album's structure, making up for what I would personally consider the more forgettable half. The album generally moves away from the heavier tones of past releases like 'Night' or 'Tick Tock', which are usually referenced as the band's strongest output. 'Soyuz' is a good album and a fine listen if one seeks a more melancholy-ridden jab of art rock.

Gazpacho: A rather bizarre alternative progressive rock band. Taking heavy influence from Radiohead, Coldplay and various alternative rock bands, this Norway-based collective has always looked to trade instrumental prowess for an emphasis on melodies and ambience. All across their discography, their sound has remained pretty much the same, but it's only expected that some works are going to be more brilliant than others, and in this review we're talking about the absolute best, Night.

Upon first glance, Night has Gazpacho venture into uncharted territories: Long, majestic songs clocking over 13 minutes, transitions between tracks and a single cohesive topic. Think of the album as one song segmented for easier listening than a collection of tracks. The album opens up with the long, hypnotizing Dream Of Stone, a colossal 17 minute song featuring multiple motifs that will be reprised later in the album as well as the introduction of the album's sound to the listener. Guitar, drum and bass work is utilized in unison, working together to relax the listener into a cold, vast landscape. Meanwhile, the vocals provide melodies and verses for the listener to cling on to, stopping the track from being too abstract. As an opener, it does a fantastic job at submerging the listener into the Lofi, tranquil vibe of the record. The song transitions into Chequered Light Buildings, a track mostly there to serve as a more digestible song as well as a bridge between two epics, with a slightly folkier sound to smooth the transition into the next track.

Upside Down is what I would consider the first juggernaut of the album quality-wise. This song trades the length of Dream Of Stone for a more concise, nearly ten minutes long adventure. Soaring between the repetitive hypnotizing beats of Dream Of Stone, and folkier use of guitar and flute, not a second feels wasted. The song closes with a sole flute and keyboard, and the aura it creates is simply indescribable. Coming after this serene track comes Valerie's Friend, which has a purpose similar to Chequered Light Buildings: Working as a bridge and transition between epics. With that said, however, I have to give the edge to Valerie's Friend in terms of quality since it has a more defined and distinguishable personality, while being able to create a transition between Upside Down and the closer without sacrificing itself too much.

This adventure all leads to the closer, and the single best Gazpacho song to date: Massive Illusion, The best way to describe this track is "unbelievably good". Massive Illusion ties the whole concept up, bringing up motifs from before with its own twists to keep it fresh. All while slowly building up towards a melancholic, emotional ending where each band member does its part in climaxing the album. But perhaps my favorite part of this song is what comes after this section. One could expect that the band would close the record loudly since the album was relatively tranquil the whole way through, but right at the last moment, a violin-piano duet takes the bombastic music away from the listener and makes it focus on a nostalgic, almost saddening play between two instruments. This segment is the only part that is in a different BPM to the rest of the album, further increasing its uniqueness and impact on the album. Once this duet is done, we are accompanied by fading city ambient noises until the album ends.

While it's true that Gazpacho may have overplayed their style a little, and newer records appear to be taking inspiration and ideas from their previous albums, Night was the one that started it all. While their first three were enjoyable, it was in Night where they would become Gazpacho. I personally don't see flaws in this album, it flows seamlessly from start to finish without feeling forced or fake, but with emotion and passion. One of the best Alternative Rock/Crossover Prog albums one could own. Very well deserving of five stars.

It's generally relatively soft and mellow, but that's contrasted with it's heavy moments. This album drips with atmosphere. While I find some of their earlier stuff a bit droning and depressing, I don't find that here. Not to say that there aren't sad moments, but they don't control the album. The music itself has enough variety to keep one's attention. It may get slow but it never gets boring.

Only five tracks, but like a lot of prog, two of them are extremely long. My only complaint is the nature of the vocals. Ohme isn't a bad singer, but I'm not a huge fan of the Radiohead-like vocal style. But everything else shines through, and it makes a great listen. 4 stars.

The strongest part of the album is the first track, "I've Been Walking" (Part 1). The music and vocals are less restrained here, more interesting, more variation, more mix of hard and soft. It's a very good song, with some fantastic piano and and violin sections, and the vocals are much more crisp than on the rest of the album. Had the rest of the album been of similar quality, it would have earned four stars. As it is, though, a very solid three.

Fortunately, Gazpacho are a creative bunch and decided to make the best out of the situation, by recording a show, documented on Fireworking at St Croix, which was a cross between a proper live event and a sort of "behind the scenes" documentary of their rehearsals. The band played a show that was streamed online to the homes of fans, but choreographed as if Gazpacho were playing during one of their rehearsal meetings. So, no big fake light show, no crazy stage antics (not that Gazpacho are renowned for this!), just simple music, played in an intimate setting that offers glimpses into the band's activities away from the limelight.

The concept is certainly interesting, even more so given that the LP captures the band's latest album Fireworker in its entirety (plus a handful of songs from their 2009 masterpiece Tick Tock and "Substitute for Murder" from Gazpacho's second LP). Fireworker is a difficult album, even impenetrable at times, that indulges in the band's cerebral, yet emotive approach to progressive rock and post-rock, with long-form compositions that ebb and flow incessantly, constantly mutate and swell up to big, cathartic climaxes. The intimate setting of the band's rehearsal space is a perfect match to the album's brooding atmosphere, in a way that a regular live show may have risked not to fully capture. The small imperfections of live music further enhance the emotional, at times painfully raw, motif of the album, which is exalted by the heavy distortion of Jon Arne Vilbo's guitar, the small cracks in Jan Henrik Ohme's voice, or the added emphasis on Kristian Torp's bold basslines.

At the same time, it is hard not to miss the energy and electrical atmosphere that runs through the stage when a band plays live in front of a crowd. Vibes are perhaps excessively sedated on this record, which can be especially taxing when combined with the cerebral and difficult nature of the material from Fireworker.

Ultimately, I view Fireworking at St Croix more as an "augmented studio album" than a proper "live album". If you loved Fireworker and want to listen to it in an edgier context than its original studio recording, this album is for you. If you are instead looking for an album that properly captures the live essence of Gazpacho, you'd be better advised to turn to their 2010's A Night at Loreley or 2011's London albums.

This album has been a bit of an obsession as of late, and one that I am surprised I didn't listen to much in compared to say Night or Tick Tock, because this album is so good.

Every Gazpacho album is, in some way, a concept album, and this is no exception. Unlike the dreamy loose tales of Night, or the more narrative driven story of Tick Tock, Fireworker takes a more Lovecraftian approach with its story, being about a omniscient monster that is willing to propagate in the minds of everyone and everything around it, kinda like, say, The Radiance from Hollow Knight. The creature on the cover (which I absolutely love) may be this monster, since it is huge and otherworldly, covered in harsh shadows with glowing red eyes. It is a monster that, in some shape, is in our minds at any moment, scraping away rationalism and disgust of our actions to try and justify them whether they are big or small. This conceptual narrative drives the album forward, making this one of the biggest sounding albums the band has created.

Musically, I find this to be one of the most interesting and memorable albums the band has released. The biggest moments on this album are definitely the two big epics, the first and last songs of Space Cowboy and Sapien. I absolutely love Space Cowboy as a song. The band isn't unfamiliar with these big and winding epics, heck they made an album that was practically one big epic, but I think Space Cowboy might be the most prolific song the band has ever made. Strong heavy chords, winding orchestral bits and pieces, a choir, and a giant-winding feeling that persists throughout. To say it isn't an amazing song is an understatement, because it is also when the band started to test new waters. Gazpacho is not really a heavy band, per say. They have heavy concepts and lyrics that invoke thought, but sonically they are as hard hitting as a soft blanket. Here, though, through the Lovecraftian concept, they test out more Prog metal methods with heavy guitar chords, very tight drumming, and singing that isn't your typical lush affair. This is probably their most gritty album yet, and I am all for it. It has some mud and dirt on it, and judging from its 2020 release, it was made at the right time when pretty much everyone was getting their minds fireworked. Sapien is also really good, being very moody and somber, carrying the last remaining weight of the album up its own steps in a glorious fashion.

The songs in between, Hourglass, Fireworker, and Antique, whilst being a lot shorter, are also really good. Sure, not as good as the two big epics, but they still get the job done. Fireworker is my favorite of these three. Such a powerful song from the band that doesn't waste anytime, getting right into the chase with very grandiose melodies and poetry that creates for an incredible, but short experience. The only problem I have with these songs is that they are so short, which makes their quick ends feel bittersweet, but I can definitely see them as a much needed bridge from the heavy Space Cowboy to the moody Sapien. Their purpose should be counted for.

I think this is the band's best musical endeavor since March Of Ghosts in 2012, since before this release, Demon, Molok, and Soyuz were very greatly made, but never really reaching the highs many other albums before has. This album shows the band still got it in them to create an amazing Prog rock album featuring their distinct, but ever so changing sounds. I find myself coming back to these songs over and over again when I have an itch for them, no matter the time of day. It really is one of the band's best works in a long while.

If you haven't heard it by now, do yourself a favor and listen to it. Not only will you get your worth of good music, you'll also be experiencing a really well made record that deserves your attention. It is an album you play at the middle of the night and let it wash all over you. It is an album that deserves all the attention it can get for you to embrace every last nanometer of sound. This, Night, and Tick Tock are the best Gazpacho albums by far to me, and this Norwegian band of misfits are some of the best Progheads I have heard.

Gazpacho is a contemporary progressive rock group from the early 2000s. Formed by Jan-Henrik Ohme, Jon-Arne Vilbo, and Thomas Andersen they take a page from the popular, more Radioheadesque art rock of the time, however with their spin on the whole style that is most closely related to Neo progressive rock. Their name comes from the Marillion song off of their Afraid of Sunlight album. At this point in their career they had released 3 albums, Brave, When Earth Lets Go, and Firebird. During this period they experimented and improved on their melancholic sound, utilizing alternative rock atmospheres that allowed them to create a unique, inspired sound. Since their conception they have always been a progressive rock band, however, they never fully smothered deep dished themselves in the bread, sauce, cheese, and grease of the progressive rock pizza. That was until 2007 when the band had created their 50+ minute conceptual piece. This was an album where they fully delved into the concept of dreams, creating one giant song in the process, however, they split it into 5 different songs that all fit together.

Unlike most albums that do something similar to this in the vein where it is one song that is split up (IE Colors or Tower of Silence) where I genuinely feel like each part intertwines in such a way that it makes every part feel essential for the listening experience. However, the fact each part is separated allows this album to never get boring, which I feel is one of the biggest hurdles any band making this kind of album has to go through. It may be one long song but I do not feel as though I ever get bored near the end, or that some parts do not mesh well with others, which were some of my complaints for stuff like Dopesmoker or Mirror Reaper.

The sounds on this album are something to behold. Everything around each part has a consistent theme and leitmotifs that you can notice, which I think is a good thing. I am a sucker for this kind of thing, especially when it comes to leitmotifs. Heck one of my favorite video games is packed brim with leitmotifs, and when it applies to a progressive rock context I am always happy. It is like a fun spotting game where after each song you can have a new motif to search for. While in most cases this would be boring, in the grand scale of the piece these motifs happen fairly rarely, however they happen often enough to fit every piece to this dreamy puzzle. Not only that but the main contributor to this album's greatness is the instrumentation. I just love how it perfectly captures the feelings of dreams and nighttime. The energy that resonates from this album speaks home to the feeling of being in a dream. The strums of the guitar, the drumming, and Ohme's vocal works on this album are the cream of the crop. Speaking of Ohme, his singing is downright beautiful. I cannot express how truly lovely they can get, sometimes to where I feel like he turns into a completely different singer.

Not only is the instrumentation excellent, but so is the emotion that drips off this album. Everything here feels melancholic, and where in some cases I feel like the band is missing out on something greater if they expressed more emotions on the emotional spectrum in their music, I feel like here it works well, since what is the night without the lack of light? The night is the darkest time of each 24 hours, because of this it is befitting for the band to be more melancholic.

What is more melancholic is the entire concept of this piece, which is of course about dreams. While the lyrics feel more like a story about something coming to an end, it is actually about where dreams end and reality begins. It is not simply about dreams as in something our brain conjures up when we sleep, it is about what happens when the dream ends. Where do all those little brain characters go and so forth? Each part does contribute to this narrative in some way, with Dream of Stone and Upside Down being about a blind prince who gets engulfed by the sun; Chequered Light Buildings is about growing so high to go to space; Valerie's Friends is about a girl named Valerie having a nightmare about going to a dangerous party; Massive Illusion being about how dreams end. All such have that intrinsically implemented inconsolable nature the band always loves to pull.

For a progressive rock epic, not only is this a masterpiece, there truly is no other album like it in the grand sea of albums. For anyone who loves that atmospheric, melancholy progressive rock from bands like Marillion, The Pineapple Thief, or even Pink Floyd, this album deserves its highs in spades. An amazing modern progressive rock record deserves its five stars.

One thing that made this different was the choir that comes and goes on that 19 1/2 minute opener "Space Cowboy" and the next track "Hourglass". There is nothing in the liner notes that even mentions them let alone gives a credit. That opener is a long one and a little too sparse at times. It did get surprisingly heavy after 9 minutes. "Hourglass" is close to being ballad-like with the piano and vocals but then the choir replaces the vocals followed by the choirs being replaced by violin. I don't like the title track. Just a little too commercial sounding and the drums sound bad. "Antique" is another relaxed tune with vocals and atmosphere although we get some brief power after 5 minutes. "Sapien" ends it and again mellow stuff but with brief outbursts that come and go. There's vocals and not much else after 11 minutes before picking up some late without vocals.

Man this was so hard to get through but I'm at least thankful that I own "Night" a very special recording. This one went over my head.

'Space Cowboy' is the 1st of the five titles of 'Fireworker' starting this unique live with the reverberating voice à la Lana Del Rey, the electric violin and the majestic choirs coming to give an overwhelming musical sensation, the grip of the hovering departure, the finish on an Oldfield tinged with 'Carmina Burana'. 'Hourglass' recalls the bewitchment of Michael's violin and his plaintive tune, 'Fireworker' on Jon's idyllic voice, depressed, melancholy and beautiful; Robert with his pads bringing a tribal atmosphere on his acoustic drums, magnified on 'Antique' where the electronics come forward with hypnotic loops. 'Sapien' concludes this set with an intense gothic title, filled with musical waves; the live becomes indecent we have the impression that they play only for us; that spatial voice-over sequence still gives me chills; the piano à la Japan adds to it, the slide guitar settles on an arid, icy tempo. 'Substitute for Murder' for the beginning of the encore, title of 'When Earth Lets Go' to warm up a little before attacking the two 'The Walk Part I and II' with the oriental break and 'Winter Is Never' from the album 'Tick Tock' for a final hymn to their unique sound.

Gazpacho therefore staged itself in the raw state giving itself without correction, the expanded stream is remixed in 5.1, CD, Blu-Ray, LP and DVD available with more than 2 hours of bonuses, videos, an interview and a 2019 concert; a concert film from a rehearsal, raw formwork; a stunning rehearsal, a unique pandemic studio concert, an intense, dreamlike and simply majestic album. Gazpacho has done well by revisiting its latest album and adding a few reminder titles to allow us to immerse ourselves in their inimitable sound space.

Night is truly an astonishing work. Gazpacho managed to handle emotion and soul with strength and professionalism flawlessly in their fourth, and most critically acclaimed, album. Featuring five tracks that flow from one to the other and have very different song lengths, this work's main objective is to set the listener into a trance of emotions.

Dream Of Stone is the first, and longest, track of the album. It has a repetitive guitar line that sets you in the album's mood, and Ohme's vocals help give the track a memorable melody that will stick with you. Chequered Light Buildings is a beautiful interlude that works as a bridge between Dream Of Stone and Upside Down, it has an amazing chorus.

Upside Down is probably the best track of the album, it has heavy Radiohead influence with a hint of Coldplay, it has a soulful guitar solo around the middle and the ending has some amazing and chill-worthy violin work. Valerie's Friend is yet another bridge, this time between Upside Down and Massive Illusion. It's my least favorite track from the album, but it still accomplishes its purpose.

Massive Illusion is the other track that passes the ten minute mark, and it truly ends the album with a high note. The ending to be specific, is without a doubt the best section of the album. Very emotional and mellow, Massive Illusion manages its purpose flawlessly.

Night is without a doubt my favorite album by Gazpacho, and one of my favorite modern prog albums. I truly recommend this to anyone who likes emotional prog. Five Stars.