My Old & New Interesting Progressive Bands Thread

 

               Thanks Damo for your kind words  ... and for keeping this thread alive  !

 

 

Halfway 2008 I was asked to join DPRP(the Dutch Progressive Rock Page), I didn't had to think about it for a single second because this was the new progrock challenge I needed, and I am Dutch  and one of the founding members Jerry Van Kooten was a fellow reviewer when we worked at Background Magazine in the Nineties. From the moment I became a DPRP crew member I have written specials about Zomby Woof, the Prog Andaluz and recently DPRP has published my special about ....

 

 

                          ... 101 lesser known and unknown new progrock bands, see:

 

 

                                        http://www.dprp.net/specials/2009_quest/

 

                                                         

 

 

                                                       

 

                          Thanks John, I hope you will find great bands, so many choices

 

                          By the way, did you say Albatros (watch that cover on my guitar)?

 

                                                                     

 

                                            (See: http://www.fotolog.com/psico_albatros/52909371 I deserved

                                                       some ego-gratification after my hard work  )

 

    And John .... for many years the Laser's Edge catalogue was my stairway to Progheaven, hail to Ken

 

 

 

                Thanks for the compliments Paul (I just wanted to switch off my computer but then

                     I noticed your post  ) ! I have never heard of Sunchild, I will check out the link.

 

 

 

 

 

            I would like to end this evening in style with two excellent, pretty overlooked progrock gems:

 

 

 

 

This is an Argentine musical project featuring 10 musicians and focussing on three subjects: an album, an audio-visual show and a multi-media website (still under construction). The story on this concept album is about a person called Virgilio who is walking on the streets of Buenos Aires and lives between sane and insanity. During my first listening session I got more and more excited, this is a very alternating and captivating blend of different styles, from compelling and bombastic with some progmetal climates (evoking Ayreon), powerful Hammond runs and fiery guitar to mellow pieces with classical piano and violin, impressive church-organ intro's or folky oriented songs with acoustic guitar and warm English vocals, what a splendid musical adventure!

- I give you some of the many highlights on this CD. First Darkest Side: it starts compelling and bombastic with heavy guitar riffs, orchestral keyboards, violin and fiery guitar, then a mid- tempo with fluent Hammond runs, wonderful violin-Mellotron and powerful guitar followed by a short mellow part with melancholical violin play and in the end a slow rhythm with sensitive guitar and violin. Then the track Fading Points: lots of shifting moods and great ideas with bombastic interplay between Hammond and heavy guitar, blended with sparkling classical piano and heavy guitar runs, very exciting and dynamic! Another great composition is Urban Battle II: after a church-organ intro the atmosphere is compelling with fat guitar riffs and powerful Hammond waves along fiery guitar runs. The parts with dreamy piano, violin and the distinctive bandoneon turn the music into a very captivating experience. Finally the song Urban Battle III: the climate is bombastic with progmetal hints featuring great keyboard work (church-organ, Hammond, Mellotron) and thundering drums. The final track from this breathtaking album is in Argentine style delivering a tango atmosphere with piano and bandoneon, how beautiful with a very moving, melancholical undertone!

 

That's great news senor NoUnaCabezaDeProg, I am very glad to read that you are delighted about Juan Martin his album Picasso Portraits, it's such a wonderful and adventurous progrock effort, really unique

By the way, I just posted in the Prog Andaluz thread because senor Rosenbach from Mexico had posted in a very pleasant way so for me it's not possible to blend the Prog Andaluz thread with this thread

 

About my 101 New Progrock Bands article (see: http://www.dprp.net/specials/2009_quest/ ) in the Dutch Progressive Rock Page, it's incredible how many positive reactions I have received (lots from Holland but also from Spain to the USA), this means that lots of progheads and symphomaniacs are eager to check out interesting lesser known and unknown new progrock bands but you have to present these bands, that's why I am so determined to write about those bands: these are all amateurs who work very hard, mainly in their free time so they can use some extra support for their often wonderful but overlooked progrock.

 

Good news about Pandora: Progwalhalla Hans (see www.progwalhalla.com ) told me that their stunning debut album is his best selling item, he has just ordered a new bunch of Pandora albums in Italy.

 

 

Senogul announce new album, due February 2009


Also my small contribution to this thread, though it is not very much in line with the rest of the bands in here:

SYLBÀT - Mara

Delicately rocking you

Rock, fusion and Celtic music are on the menu of the French band Sylbàt, which formed in 2006 and has released their first album called Mara in 2008. Bearing a distinct sound, they create an “airy” sort of rock, light-sounding but not light in the effects it has on the listener. Their special fusion sound, with a particular folk/Celtic taste is augmented with a rock attitude (though not a too heavy or dynamic one) that is created by drummer Patrick Boileau and guitarist Hélène Brunet. The special and mostly ethereal sound of Sylbàt can be attributed to the electroharp of Clotilde Trouillaud. It is indeed the instrument that “reigns” here and is the dominant sound here.

10 tracks on the album and while all bear a connection in sound and approach, they all have something to make them distinct from each other, whether it is by the dynamics and intensity (or lack of) or the specific melody they play. The tracks do resemble in the way that they are built, and in the way that they are developed. From a basic concept, melodic line, they are played with and danced around and achieve a higher level of energy, receive an enhanced dose of excitement and are added with more layers and reach a sort of cathartic musical end point, even if a fragile one.

All musicians here are playing very well and the sound is clear and balanced. The album, as I mentioned above, as an “airy” quality, a delicate quality, even when it gets dynamic and reaches heavier notes. There is a well done balanced between the subtlety of the harp and the loudness and more aggressive nature of the guitar as heard on the fifth track Androide. The opposing nature of those two instruments is combined very well not only in the way the song is composed and their playing one around the other, but also in the mix of the album. Transfert is a fabulous track, a very short dynamic melody where Clotilde Trouillaud shows how the electroharp can fit very well in a rock outfit and not only in a folk or classical context. Too bad it is so short and seems as a snippet only and not a full blown track.

Mara is a very enjoyable fusion album that suits very well a relaxed afternoon or early evening. The tunes are mostly peaceful and are beautiful but it does also get more than just that. The album does not lack its share of intricacies, complexities and interesting hooks. A refreshing release; recommended.

EROICA - Hisen The Architect

The name of this band made me think of Beethoven’s 3rd symphony and engaged me to have a listen to their myspace where their entire album was available for streaming. I wasn’t sure what to expect and so was a bit surprised to hear an energetic flow of heavy instrumental rock pouring from the speakers. “This is good”, I said to myself and gave it my full attention up to the end of the stream. As it ended, I immediately played it again; yes, this is one of those albums that made me want to listen to it again right away. Not only did I think it is great music, but the musicianship was as good. Played by the trio of Ben Gram (guitars & effects), Zivi Krieger (bass, lights) and Ben Hoffman (drums, glockenspiel), the album has a rich and full sound and accurately played.

Straddling along the lines of heavy prog-rock and post-rock sounds, Eroica presents an interesting, though not unique, approach at composing intricate and complex pieces of music, filled with dynamics, energy and emotion. Their instrumental brand of rock is heavy and crispy; at times bringing in some post-rock- ish sounds or even a metal-ish attitude, the music seems to be always on the move, as if “looking” where to develop to. It’s not relentless, as there are moments in which the music slows down and gets calmer and even delicate. In the end there’s a good balance of the emotions and intensity the album delivers, making it a well equilibrated listening experience that sits well with me in every situation I listen to it. The balance is also evident in the level of intricacy of the song structure and their various parts; there is movement from simpler patterns and rhythms to more complex and demanding and back again. There is also a good flow between the tracks even when there’s a significant change in the mood (as in the switch from track 4 to 5).

Hisen The Architect is a very impressive debut album by an up and coming band. It’s a great pleasure to listen to this album and I highly anticipate their future recording. In their Myspace page it says: “Eroica aims to please your ears and take you for a ride on their inspirational and triumphant musical roller coaster...” I will attest to that.

TRIBAL LOGIC - Freaky Karma

After the likes of Sendelica, Gdeva and Motherfathers here is another release of a like-minded band, though much more versatile and varied in style. This four-piece band from Chelyabinsk, delivers a fascinating instrumental journey into their musical mind; it goes through different styles and sections, various sounds and moods, shows good musicianship, a cohesive form and an ability to perform well whatever it is that they choose to play.

The first track Detective starts with a spacey-rock and ambient intro and then switches shortly to a jazzy sounding part immediately following it opening the way for the avant-garde influenced section (reminding me somewhat of Roz Vitalis). With all of that in one track (and the same is true for all 4 tracks on this album) the listener gets an enjoyable lengthy instrumental trip as the title suggests.

Their sound is quite mesmerizing and haunting in a slightly eerie but pleasant way. Sounding as if they’re jamming on a pre-conceived theme, the music flows on, as if not going to stop and it incorporates all kinds of styles and sounds (from jazzy rhythms to vintage prog rock sounding keyboards to psychedelic jams to avant-garde sections). The second track Wooden Rain is a good example of the jamming concept; the keyboards and guitar are playing around the main theme with the bass giving a strong and noticeable presence to back them up. This track opens with cool keyboards fooling you to believe this is going to be a 70’s inspired prog-rock song, but it then changes to the aforementioned groovy rhythm and jam. The title of the album is very appropriate here as they do go on a “freakout” with the almost repetitive playing; this could easily serve as chilling music to relax to.

In Freaky Karma there’s a groovy and bouncy rhythm that starts more than a minute into the track. It’s a well done light and jazzy saxophone lead section that then switches to a different segment; a more rock based approach, heavier and more intense with variations and interludes that keep things interesting.

Theoretical Vampiricism has a haunting keyboard theme (organ sound) that both opens and closes this last track in the album. The first segment of this song is in a gorgeous 70’s prog rock inspired symphonic-rock/fusion form; the bass adds a wonderful basis to the sound and the keyboards provide a wonderful “aroma” along with the efficient drumming. Interestingly enough it doesn’t change style as in the other track right away, but after four minutes you can hear that they start to build something else, taking away a bit from the magic and special atmopshere and adding a more jam-like mood (always on the verge but never attaining it). Then at about 7:30 minutes in starts the next section, which flows naturally from the preceding part and which will eventually achieve a minimalistic peak of a solo piano-sounding keyboard which only serves to add to the enchanting feel of this long track. There is much more going about and there’s no use in describing it all. Suffice it to say it’s very well done and this track alone shows very well how flexible this band can be with regards to the sounds they produce and styles they play. Let me just add that the violin and cello that join in later add to the already special experience this tune presents. This is my favourite piece on the album.

Taken together, these four tracks can sound as if played by different bands. The variety here is impressive; but just playing in various ways isn’t enough; indeed there can be too much “noodling” around such as in Wooden Rain. But, they can create elaborate and fascinating melodies; Theoretical Vampiricism is a great example and you’ll find more of those ingredients throughout the lengthy 3 other tracks on this album.

If you’d like a diverse instrumental and experimental album and like long and multi-section tracks, then I suggest listening to these talented guys.

PA rating – 3.75 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

ARANIS - II

It is astonishing what Aranis can accomplish with what seems to be simple music and a lineup of seven musicians. They create music that can be as intense and as powerful as full-fledged rock with a lineup of classical instruments alone. Not only that, but their compositions are as intricate, complex and intriguing as any prog-rock music done by other bands.

One of my first reactions listening to Aranis’ music was that their music sounds like the hybrid of Clint Mansell’s soundtrack for Requiem For A Dream and Yann Tiersen’s soundtrack for Le Fabuleux Destin D’Amelie Poulan. Indeed, this is a valid reference point if one cares to pinpoint the band’s sound. A classical setup that plays music that is as intricate, powerful and poignant as rock (or prog-rock for that matter).

They play with their lovely and catchy tunes, combining the harmonious and melodic with slightly disharmonic tones; they are highly skilled musicians and their playing is not only striking and admirable, it also shows how they must have fun playing since it sounds so… well, playful.

Lovely, compelling and magical, their music captures me, the listener, and at the same time sets me free to wonder in their musical realm, with a guiding instrument, which changes between tracks and within a given track, whether it is the violin, accordion or flute.

Moving, daring and occasionally jovial it is a kind of music I can’t seem to let by unnoticed. Take for instance the tune “Looking Glass” with its wonderful bass playing that sets the tone of the track, the violin and the flute which compete and complement each other, creating tension and resolving it thereafter; the piano then comes in with a lovely solo, introducing “air” into this dense piece; all of the instruments together reach a synergistic effect, such a powerful achievement that I am dumbfounded each time I hear it, bewitched by its beauty and its purity. A brilliant and simple composition that manages to capture the essence of this band in this sole tune and show their whole potential and capabilities. Not only are the tunes beautiful, but the arrangements, the part written for each instrument are such that the potential of each is fulfilled; everyone gets their deserved spotlight, their abilities and ‘usefulness’ reached. Listen to “Kitano” and how each instrument sits well with the others while playing their individual part, mingling perfectly with the others and being well heard over the entire ‘mini-orchestra’.

The tracks on this album vary from the dynamic and fast (“Walk In One’s Sleep”) to the slower brand, more calm and relaxed, yet still as emotional and effective (“Waris”). Their compositions are as dynamic in their structure and intensity as the music is. Going from loud to quiet, from fast and furious to slow and delicate, they cover a wide range of emotions and moods.

Direct, precise and strict, their style can be upfront as in “Turbulentie”; but it is never devoid of emotion and certainly not of passion. Moreover it doesn’t stay that way for the whole piece, as I mention above; the music shifts from climatic to peaceful, from exhilarating to sluggish and sensual. Aranis know very well how to intermingle all these opposing sentiments and atmospheres, make them into a coherent and naturally flowing whole. Nothing sounds forced to me, there is an innate vigor and drive in their music that makes me wish the music would never end. Whether it is in the uplifting segments such as the ‘chorus’ of “Trog”, the gripping theme of “Looking Glass”, the naïve sounding yet elaborate “Lovey-Dovey” or the intensity at the opening of “Kitano” and the ending of “Mythra”. There is always the want for more, the after-taste that begs for more; this is how music should be – compelling you, making you want more, having repeated listening, trying to quench the ‘thirst’.

Playing rock with a classical lineup –this has been said about them (and other contemporaries and country mates such as DAAU). This is a true phrase, but for me it misses the emotional impact that Aranis achieves with their compositions. This album is following in the line of its predecessor and in my opinion is as brilliant if not more. It boils down to a matter of what are the melodies you prefer. Here, there is none that I dislike; each one is wonderful. I absolutely love this album (even more than their first one, but only because I love the tunes here more, no other reason than that). A personal favourite of mine, not just due to its beauty but for all the reasons mentioned above. A must! More than just an excellent addition to my collection.

TIME TRAVELLER - Chapters I & II

Juhani Nisula is a Finnish multi-instrumentalist who I’ve had the pleasure to discover through his Myspace and get to know his entertaining brand of instrumental prog rock. Time Traveller is his project where he writes and arranges all the music. This album called Chapters I & II is the first part in a series of release he envisions. It features multi-part compositions where the keyboards (of various kinds) alternate the lead role with the guitars (all played by juhani); the music flows on uninterrupted, moving from theme to theme, from one temperament to another with each track being distinct from the others by the melody and the instruments that dominate that specific composition. Divided into two chapters, the music is flowing steadily in each of these, advancing naturally from one track to the other, mostly very dynamic and powerful, sometimes blues-like sounding (in rhythm and guitar sound) and at others even a bit of hard-rock like; but mostly the variety, the vast scope and the complexity of this piece as a whole is very rewarding for the prog-rock fan. The variety comes to place as I listen to the music, travelling from heavier segments (track 2) to more peaceful and emotional parts (track 5), from more spacey surroundings (short part in the middle of track 4) to more lush and “symphonic-prog”-like dispositions (middle of track 2), from the more complex type of arrangement to more straightforward rock (middle and ending of track 4, track 5) – all of these are submerged in a rich and enveloping sound. Chapter I is generally less heavy than II (though not by too much) and has a more “old-prog” feel to it, whereas Chapter II is more propulsive (again, generally speaking) and finishes with in a very nice finale that made me wish it would last longer. The occasional use of sound effects adds a special touch to the overall feeling of this album. There are however some moments and melodies which were less appealing to me in their more straightforward approach, more “usual-sounding” guitar lead tunes, but those were not too frequent and I’m sure other listeners will love those. Chapters I & II are a fine instrumental and heavy progressive rock adventure. I’m looking forward to his next release.

CARGO CULT REVIVAL - Snakecharmer 

This album can truly charm snakes

This four piece instrumental band from CT, USA has released so far two albums, of the heavy brand with several underlying elements such as a spacey and psychedelic atmosphere, stoner-rock elements (listen to the last track on Snakecharmer), fusion segments emphasized by the bewitching cello and an overall encompassing and enveloping sound that takes me away while listening to far away places, surrounded by mountains of crushing riffs and deep evoking rhythms and the alternating uplifting or mesmerizing string instrument playing.

The music presents spacey segments and psychedelic elements (“b*****d Son”, “Snakecharmer”), upbeat and energetic melodies (“Divine Machine”), heavy rock with long brooding riffs (“b*****d Son”) and gripping themes (“Snakecharmer”). Their music involved starting with a fixed theme and then veering out from it into new directions, creating exciting new possibilities for it and occasionally coming back to the original idea.

The first track, “Divine Machine”, starts off bouncy and happily with the guitar and electric cello at the front, playing a catchy melody, greatly enhanced by the rest of the lineup. The track has a propulsive rhythm to it, hard to not be gripped by. “Divine Machine” links uninterrupted and very naturally into the second piece, “Whiskey and Hookers”, creating a great flow to the album as a whole. It continues with a lighthearted theme that seems to carry on the mood of the melody in the previous track. It does rock, however, as it gets heavier at parts with crunchy riffs surrounded by cello-fronting moments with its delightful charming and happy sound. This alternation between serious and heavy to more lighthearted and fun is another aspect of Cargo Cult Revival’s special sound.

The title track, “Snakecharmer”, is a 38 minute piece. At its core lies a simple slow spacey droning theme with long and heavy guitar riffs, that is the basis for the explorations and different directions the music takes off from and keeps coming back to. The “take-offs” plunge into more dynamic and quicker terrains, very different from one another; this creates the epic proportions of this track, as you get a variety of musical excursions all interconnected by this core theme. The “excursion” at around 26 minutes and the last one beginning at 30 minutes into the track are beautiful and catchy, hypnotic and even mesmerizing. The last one is the pinnacle of the album with the power it presents and the effect it has on me the listener; a simple, yet evocative melody and dominant line. Well worth the long way it took to get there. This part can indeed charm even snakes as the title of the piece says.

“b*****d Son” closes the album with a noisy, heavy, psychedelic dirty sound, which is moderate in pace but nonetheless energetic and powerful. Though I would prefer ending the album with the title track and not this one, it does fit as a closer as it manages to clear off a bit the effect of the long and hypnotic title track with its more crude and simplistic approach. This is a fun tune with its sludgy sound and the cello part mingles in effortlessly.

Snakecharmer is a highly enjoyable album, recommended if you like instrumental pieces, with a sense of adventure and an experimental edge. Looking forward to more from this band.

RATIONAL DIET - At Work

In 2007 this Belarusian ensemble released their s/t album through Altr0ck and it was one of my favourites of that year and a great album overall. Their quirky style, inspired by classical composers such as Stravinsky and Ives to experimental and progressive rock groups such as Univers Zero has won me over and I was highly anticipating their next effort. Little did I know that it would turn out to be such a brilliant album, which shows a progression from their previous output, going into new direction, trying and experimenting with new routes and possibilities.

The lineup consists of a basic rock unit of guitar, bass, keyboards and drums along with a classical lineup of saxophone, bassoon, cello, violin and piano, giving them a range of opportunities to create a wide musical “palate” of sounds. There are also female vocals on some tracks.

9 tracks and songs are in here, mostly short, or not too long, with a charming atmosphere, beautiful melodies which are surprisingly catchy and at times sound like Stravinsky gone electric. The music is always changing, there is constant experimentation, but not for experimentation’s sake, but to find more ways for the music to advance and achieve another effect, another point in its route of progression, another beautiful peak. The music, while at times can seem chaotic, is always under control, always meticulously performed and orchestrated. The brilliant parts, such as in Pukhow, where the piano seems at times to go berserk, are beautifully in line with the music, gorgeously arranged to lead the music onward, brilliantly composed to sound both out of line and in line with the rest of the band. A track like Dear Kontrabandist evokes the intensity and accuracy of Univers Zero with the madness and oddness of Le Silo. The zany saxophone goes wild while the rest of the lineup is punctually playing allowing its rogue member to express himself. The piano is the basis for this song, giving excellent bouncy and catchy rhythm. The vocals which might evoke a Magma-ian chant fit perfectly with the music. Even the very short tracks like Wet Moss have more meat and power to them than a lot of epic length tracks on other progressive rock albums. Those could and probably should have been longer as they contain great ideas that could be expanded. But if you take Wet Moss together with The Mourners, which is another short track, you might get that exactly. On Closed Case, there is a Miriodor-ian feel, as the saxophone paves the way forcefully with a highly dynamic rhythm section backing it. Then they make way for a calmer yet eerie section where the bassoon, whose sound I love, makes abrupt appearances with the strong section along with the piano creating the spooky and quirky feeling that dominates this part. The alternation between aggressive and passive is another appealing feature in this piece. Ariel’s Last Dream is a violin lead track, more peaceful in nature, but still full of dynamics and passion and fabulous musicianship (as the entire album is). Horse Enemy is yet another gem here, with more Univers Zero and Present influence (at times a Univers Zero and Present on amphetamines), but not only these bands. Also, by now giving those references seems to not do justice to Rational Diet as this is their own sound. Condemned, the centerpiece of this release, is the longest on the album (almost 11 minutes) and is dominated by the “classical” side of the band, with great rhythm provided by the drums, which fit flawlessly with the whole sound and aided by the angry guitar riff as well. There are segments here where the music becomes furious and seems to overflow the speakers and then scatter all over and you hear the various instruments playing chaotically, as if looking there way back to the original path. It is very well orchestrated and so well played that I could think there’s no score here at all and they’re just randomly playing (they might be, who knows?). They then proceed to assemble all the pieces back together and carry on in their original path and the music gets more and more energetic, becomes more and more forceful and insistent and moves forward in a very “cubic” structured manner to the crescendo-like ending. The ending track On Tuesdays is a more peaceful song, with a nice keyboards playing pattern. It goes on cyclically and maintains the same level to the end and it is probably the only track here which remains constant and doesn’t evolve (aside from the sax joining in for a few blurred fuzzy improve-like lines towards the end).

Their music splendidly combines the intensity of rock with the beauty and appealing nature of a classical lineup. The mix of the two as Rational Diet does it is simply astounding. The words Chamber Rock are probably the best description for this music, since they do exactly that. The music they create is diverse, taking from many influences, and will appeal to fans of the aforementioned bands above and fans of this style of music overall. The musicianship is spectacular as is the development of each track and the beauty of each theme presented on all the pieces on the album. The album also presents their manner of being succinct and to the point and not to overdo and prolong segments or whole tracks that do not need it. They do not fall into the needless trap of creating long pieces that tire the listener and for no reason. Knowing how to create an appealing piece of music is an art, and knowing how to not ruin it (by over-doing it) is the other side of this coin. Rational Diet seem to know this “secret”. This album, to me, puts the band on the top of today’s active bands in this scene. This album is one of the best I’ve heard this year and is quickly becoming an all-time favourite. Get it!

FUN MACHINE - Sonnenhuhn

New Jersey based band that seem to not take life too seriously, or at least with much humour. This is also evident in their music, but listen carefully to realize how much effort, work and emotion has been put into it.

Crazy to a certain extent, Fun Machine “produces” music which is, well… fun! Diverse in their output, this band plays dynamic and upbeat music, quite uplifting in its mood, filled with intricacies, small quirkiness and with changes as the songs go on. There is a sense of humour in their music, as well as a driving force that keeps the music’s fast pace and changes as the tracks move on. In the noisy fast parts I started thinking of The Cardiacs; not to say they have the same sound (though it may serve as a minor reference) but in the spirit of the music, in its intensity. I was also reminded of Make A Rising and their special brand of avant-rock mingled with pop elements and Shining’s and The Mars Volta’s super intense and noisy music.

Fun Machine’s music is accessible and catchy. It sounds familiar and yet new and refreshing. It is well played, cleverly composed and a delight to listen to. It is the little intricacies in the songs that add a special flavour to them, make them even more appealing than their basic ideas. Also, the effective interplay of guitar and keyboards, the effects that each one does, provides a wide range of sounds and evoke many different emotions – from aggressive to nostalgic, from sensual to appeasing to sleepy. The sound is very coherent and tight; the complex parts are meticulously done and are a delight to listen to. They do not, however, only focus on making complex and intricate music, but on beautiful and attractive and memorable melodies. Their music writing is very successful in this sense. This is what caught me from first listen, despite the complexity of the songs and the lengths of some. The magic is achieved by efficiently combining those two attributes in their music.

A highly enjoyable album, refreshing and familiar at the same time (at least to me); Recommended, particularly if you like any of the band’s mentioned above and also if you like quirky and hyper active complex rock.

OCTOBER EQUUS - Charybdis

October Equus are battling a sea monster

The third album by October Equus, released in 2008 is named after Charybdis, daughter of Gaia and Poseidon that was turned into a sea monster by Zeus. If one looks at the title of the tracks on the album, he’ll notice that mythological and nautical themes are at use here. This album was released through the RAIG label, who has been delivering intriguing and captivating experimental and avant- rock albums in the last years. It is therefore very fitting that Spanish band October Equus release their album through this label as this is a spectacular example of boundary breaking rock.

Starting in your face with the first track Architeuthis Dux, the band mixes great zeuhlish and symphonic elements in the form of heavy thumping rhythm and rich and lush keyboards sound, respectively. This tune and most others in the album carry a feel of atonality, a whimsy approach and a “typical” RIO- esque and to lesser extent zeuhl-ish characteristics reminiscent of the way other avant-rock and chamber rock bands play (the music and sound of Univers Zero, Far Corner and Yugen come to mind among others). There are also a jazzy element woven into this mix and all of these together make this a fantastic and thrilling album. The opening track in particular is a great example of that with its high energy level and even bombastic quality.

Strong jazzy and zeuhl-ish feel and elements are present in the second track Frozen Sea as well. Composed of a slow and somewhat sludgy, dirty sound and rhythm yet powerful, this track portrays well how, much like the short fast segment in its midst that quickly dissipates back to the original sluggish pace, a sea can shift from being stormy and agitated to being frozen and still.

This album seems to be more daring, more bombastic in approach than its predecessor, keeping in the same path, but expanding on it, making their sound broader, fuller, richer and much more appealing even. There’s an orchestral feel in the album that was not there in the previous s/t album from 2006. However, like in their previous album, the Univers Zero universe of sound seem to still function as a source of inspiration, as a guiding element, though, as I mentioned above, they expand on it, adding new elements to their overall sound to have it more majestic-like; with the orchestration aspect, the chamber-rock feel with the fusion elements and the use of zeuhl-ish pounding rhythms and energy, the band achieves a new level, a new construction of style and sound and make this album better than previous efforts. This album not only mixes styles wonderfully, it sounds as rich and plentiful as the number of influences it encompasses. There is terrific musicianship here, and you can clearly hear all the instruments, and make out how wonderful the play is. For instance the gorgeous keyboards in Architeuthis Dux, the powerful bass in Fata Morgana and the enchanting saxophone in the title track, Charybdis. A good example of how the band works together very well is given with the brilliant chaotic track Forgotten Sirens with its entrancing rhythm. This album puts emphasis on both attractive tunes and on various moods and atmospheres it creates; in this aspect there’s a good balance as some tracks focus more on one (Architeuthis Dux and Trylobites with their relative catchiness) while others on the latter (the appropriately named Abyssal for instance, which focuses on creating a chilling atmosphere).

With 11 tracks culminating at around 46 minutes, this is not an exhausting listen at all and in fact could have used perhaps a few more minutes. In fact, the closing track, Helgoland, could have been prolonged and given a better closure, which as it is feels to me a bit missed.

As I was listening to this album, I got to think about Panzerpappa and their album Koralrevens Klagesang. I did so because like October Equus, Panzerpappa too got much of their influence and inspiration (as I hear it) from (among others) Univers Zero and their ilk of chamber and avant-rock. But, if Panzerpappa took that influence into their particular niche of positive and frisky style creating thus their own sound, October Equus in this album do a similar thing, only in a different direction, building a niche of their own.

An excellent release, even better than their previous splendid effort, this will please fans of the aforementioned styles and bands, and music enthusiasts who like the idea of mingling those influences together to form an OE sound.

Get it!

CHRONICLES OF ISRAFEL,THE - Starborn,Tome I

Dominic Cifarelli, guitarist of the now defunct Montreal band Pulse Ultra, is the man behind the Chronicles Of Israfel project. He starts his solo output with the album Starborn, Tome I, which is a very good heavy/progressive metal release; rich and varied, this piece goes on to cover various moods and styles, from aggressive and fast to slower and emotional yet still powerful and heavy. A concept album revolving around the figure named Israfel which as I’ve read is on a self-discovery journey and goes through various hardships; it is not the only figure in the story as every musician on the album portrays a different character in the story. As I have a legal digital download version of the album I can’t tell you much more about that concept and so can only expand on the musical side, which is the main issue anyway.

As said above, the music is quite varied in styles and moods. I can spot similarities in style to bands such as Pain Of Salvation and Dream Theatre, but not in a clone-like manner. The musicianship is of very high level, accurate and efficient, contributing to the rich and enveloping sound of the album. The 3 first tracks which comprise the three parts of the title track are mostly instrumental and provide a compelling introduction to the album, theme and music. It then moves on to songs with each providing melodic and heavy experiences with fitting vocals (clear, dominant and a little rasp at times). All instruments are well heard (good mix) and represented on the album and the combination of the guitar and keyboards part creates a well balanced multi-layered edge to the songs. The songs are not only thrilling and gripping but complex in their arrangements and intricacies. They also flow very well from one to the next, assisting in the creating the feeling of a continuous storyline.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this release, not having heard of this project before getting the album. However, I must say that this has been a splendid and most satisfying discovery and it’s a great listening experience. Greatly recommended to all those who love melodic progressive metal especially in the form of concept albums.

TIGROVA MAST - Tigrova Mast

Madly creative in the Mr. Bungle and Estradasphere fashion, writing short and packed energetic short tracks that intermingle and flow almost uninterrupted, this album is a fantastic avant-rock pill filled with electronic effects and experimentations that add to the enjoyment I make out of listening to it. This Croatian Trio mingles styles and sounds from (avant-)rock, to electronic to punk, to eastern/Arabic music and other sorts of folk and even all of them together; they do this with only a handful of tools, yet the resulting sound is very effective and convincing. Being a trio, makes all instruments “visible” to the ear and indeed each musician here performs very well; the bass stands out in particular. The tracks being mostly short, I don’t even feel most of the time when they switch or move on as it almost all of the time flows naturally from one to the next. The band members refer to themselves as Gut (bass), Heart (drums) and Brain (keyboards). Indeed the bass playing is raw, aggressive and in-your-face sort of way. The drums seem to be all over the place, filled with passion yet under control. The microkorg is precise and punctual, almost pre-meditated and is a good contrast to the sound of the other two instruments.

What I love about this album is its intensity, the wise use of the instruments as well as the well crafted melodies; they manage to develop both the technical aspect as well as the composition side. The end result is very compelling to my ears. The sound of the keyboards is great; it is very distinct and is used wisely for the different purposes and adjusts itself to each track’s style.

Again, the RAIG label manages to release another fascinating experimental/avant-rock album by a group that deserves the attention. To think this is the first album makes me look forward eagerly to their next album.

To sum this up, what a ride! Frenzy would be a good description… Recommended to fans of everything avant-rock, Ruins, Estradasphere, Mr. Bugnle, experimental rock with electronics and all that is innovative and creative.

MAKE A RISING - Infinite Ellipse And Head With Open Fontanel

Music that words can’t describe

This is a sentence I come across often when listening, writing or talking about the bands and musicians I listen to. Not only is it hard (or almost impossible) to pinpoint then into specific genres (one will almost always not be enough) but to actually describe what they play is a daunting task for me. And this is before I said anything about it being good or bad. In this case, it’s very good. It’s even brilliant! This album has many of what I adore about music. It’s refreshing, original, varied, interchanging, dynamic, explorative and experimental. It’s all that, plus well played, well structured and appealing melodies. That’s it, you can stop reading here and go listen to their music on their website and myspace and listen for yourselves. Or you can continue to read on if you want to know more.

But to come back to the issue, if there ever was a band I couldn’t write easily about, describing their sound and style, Make A Rising would be it. A band that has come to create a sound of their own, which while making some references to other bands, is quite unique and very original in their approach and in their musical output. Filled with contrasts and twists, it is music that I love to listen to as it’s filled with fun – not fun in the sense of goofy or humoristic music but fun in the sense that I feel uplifted listening to it. I am at a loss for words to describe their music; it is music to nicely fit under one tag, no style to apply to describe the myriad of sounds that appear in their albums. Make A Rising create not only a cross- genre approach, but also a great mixing of all of those into something that is rarely, if at all heard.

If asked what other bands come in mind when listening to them, again I find myself at odds; there are no immediate comparisons, but there are certain smaller pieces that I can find similarities to the likes of Time Of Orchis (vocals), Pochakaite Malko (use of folkish-elements and the building of an original and quirky style), Kayo Dot (the atmosphere on some of the songs), Cerebus Shoal (in the oddness and quirkiness of other songs) and even Sleepytime Gorilla Museum (some more theatrical side and also heavy riffing parts). There are other comparisons to be made, but the main point would be that all those references are for specific smaller parts in their music and when looking at it as a whole, they have a great sound of their own.

This being their second album, Make A Rising progresses on from their previous album both in production and in compositional style; the latter is built on what was done in the first album and going on from that point onwards. This album, much like the previous one is made up of songs which flow naturally one to the next, while each one has its own distinct identity. The style and rhythm varies between each song and also within the songs. Not only are those different styles mixing together wonderfully, but they’re done very well. The variety also comes into play in the instrumentation that includes apart from the usual rock repertoire, piano, accordion, saxflute, trumpet, cello, marimba, flute, clarinet and violin. This is well heard in the special theatrical and, for lack of a better word, ethnic sound. There are songs, like “Woodsong Pt. 1”, that have the classical instruments playing alone, adding another great facet to their sound repertoire. The continuation of this track in “Bradford’s Big Boatride” is even better as they electrify the previous part, achieving what is to me their best song here; here they create what is a fascinating and excellent mix of most of the sounds appearing on their album, vocals harmonies, great guitar riffing, classical instruments giving their emphasis, brilliant and catchy chorus, fantastic composition overall combining the best of all they do throughout the album. There is so much going on this a bit longer than 4 minute song that it’s such a joy to listen to. They could practically build a small concept on those 4 minutes alone.

What I particularly like is the contradiction they create with their heavy and complex parts and the quieter parts. It is less used here than their previous album. Their use of the classical instruments in both placements and making them suited to those is also very well done. Listen to how the violin is used in both settings. I also am in love with the complex and abrupt changes of rhythm and style, combining them effortlessly. This album also sees them showing their noise-making and improvisation skills (“How’s ‘bout A Love Supreme”), very well done, and I think they should expand on that as well in the future releases.

The band here shows how skilled they are, and how varied are their influences. They also show that they know how to take a previous achievement (their first release) and improve on it. I have great expectations from their next release based on this.

I feel I haven’t done justice to this wonderful album in my review. If at all I feel I’ve diminished their achievement with my mumblings. This is a fabulous album, one that is already on the top of my favourite albums for this year and is quickly becoming a personal favourite, regardless f year.

More than just 4 stars.

BIRDS AND BUILDINGS - Bantam To Behemoth

A Cyclic Adventure

Last year (2007) Dan Britton said he is starting yet another project called Birds and Buildings that will release an album in 2008. After being very enthusiastic about his other bands, Cerebus Effect (CE) and Deluge Grander (DG) I was highly anticipating this one. He was also very kind to send me this album for reviewing.

Unlike its name, the album does not go from Bantam to Behemoth, but rather starts as a Behemoth and stays as such during the whole of it.

Starting with a high energy rhythm reminiscing of zeuhl, this album goes straight to business. This first track is mesmerizing, passionate and exhilarating. However, there a great deal of variety in this album and you will experience many different sounds, styles and atmospheres before the end of this more than one hour long album. But fear not, this zeuhlish element will come again later on in the album (6, 8).

As rich sounding as the previous albums; as complex and well structured and composed; as varied and enjoyable – this album shows again what a fantastic composer Dan Britton is. I can’t imagine him doing something I will dislike.

The music here shifts and covers many different styles, from the aforementioned zeuhl to jazz and rock; it also covers many grounds in terms of mood – from fast, intense and even nervous to the calm and peaceful; and always beautiful and thrilling.

I hear this album as a mixing of the intensity and style of Cerebus Effect and the grandiosity and epic- ness of Deluge Grander – the sound here is in a way a mixing of the two to create something new.

There are places where the CE sound if very dominant and visible like in parts of the first track Birds Flying Into Buildings and the third track Tunguska. The edgy and frisky keyboards sound pierces through making again allusion to the Canterbury sound. The effect is enhanced by the addition of a saxophone culminating in a marvelous sound painting.

In addition to the music being gorgeous and enthralling, the musicianship here is top notch. Whether it’s the great sax, flute and clarinet playing, the enthusiastic and dynamic drumming (two different drummers on different tracks) and the always captivating keyboards, all is done very well, and always manages to convey the emotions and mental images efficiently.

Speaking of those, listening to the album while studying the art work raised some questions in my mind which I will ask Dan about, but before that let me mention the awesome layout of the album.

The art work inside the album is captivating and as the press notes say, each 3 tracks create a small trilogy each and those 3 trilogies are also intertwined and form a closed circle. This is noticeable in the music which seems to flow from one track to the next and each consecutive track seems to carry some element or pattern from its previous.

This cyclic feature is also portrayed in the inside art work which seem to adjust to the track titles so that each picture depicts one track; the art work is a continuous piece, like the music and it ends where it began (although not exactly if you look carefully) and thus closes the circle. Those pictures can be seen in the Myspace website of the band.

Now back to one of the questions I mentioned, is the appearance of the words Miranda and Spark as mountains in the paintings (think mount Rushmore). Miranda may allude to The Solitude of Miranda the last track from the DG album, August in the Urals. The acoustic guitar reminiscent of a Spanish style in the track Yucatan 65: The Agitation of the Mass might also refer to that track as it had a Flamenco styled guitar playing.

All this only strengthens the mixing I mentioned in the beginning, of the two previous bands sounds – that of DG and that of CE – into one coherent sound that makes up B&B.

Lastly, much like August in the Urals there is much to absorb here. Not only are the tracks long, but the abundance of elements and styles combined with the structure makes it an album to be listened to well several times until one can safely say he knows and understands it.

This album is recommended to those who liked the previous Dan Britton projects as well as to people who like an amalgam of styles and bands like Panzerpappa.

Moreover, this album is highly recommended to all those who want spice in their music, creativity, variety, sophistication, thrill and excitement.

In other words, go get this album!

I will post more later, unless Erik thinks this kind of music is too offensive... ;-)