Japanese Progressive Rock presented by DamoX

Japanese psych prog is not an area I am accustomed to but this is a dynamic release from the foxy Japanese girls known as Angel'in Heavy Syrup. The first thing about this band that hits me between the eyes is the twin guitar work of Mine Nakao and Fusao Toda. These ladies can really play, and it is a ferociously original spacey atmosphere that they generate. A fusion of tripping freakout chaos and quiet meditative ambience. This is backed by accomplished bass from Mineko Itakura and a constant rhythmic section with Tomoko Takakura's percussion, who also excels on flute.

The tracks are very odd and extremely diverse beginning with 'First Love' featuring the vocals of Minekoma and a vibrant fuzzed guitar sound. The drumming is fast and frantic at times building tension that is then released with melancholy harmonious passages of gentle guitar work. There is a trance like psychedelic noise that grips the ear as this motorvates along. A great start. This track features on the 2002 compilation, "The Best of Angel'in Heavy Syrup", as does the last track, 'Fate'.

'A Series Of Water Mind ~ Rubens And The Cathedral' is a strong composition with huge splashes of phased guitars and frenetic basslines. There are very melodic lead riffs that are angular and encased in odd time sig patterns. The angelic harmonious vocalisations are pretty, ethereal and ghostly with haunting elegance. It builds to a darker tone at 2:40 with ascending and descending 'ahs' and 'ohs'. This is one of my favourites on the album and it really grows on you.

'Voyage' is a 7:39 exploration of fastidious guitar work and massive drum patterns. The bassline is wonderful, an incessant rhythm is maintained underneath wah wah pedal effects, very psychedelic. Cymbal crashes fracture the tranquillity, like waves of volcano lava over a lush, green meadow. The high pitched pulchritudinous angelic vocals are spine chilling; she sings with imperfect almost whispered intonation, a breathy sugar sweet sensuality oozes through and coats the dark psychscape with bright rays of light.

'Adios In Those Days' is a fast tempo spaced out work, with huge dollops of pitchy guitars and sonic staggered vibrations. Mine's Japanese vocals return as another instrument, augmenting the sound and raising it to a level of beauty. Her vocals echo in the distance with a high octave range and emotional depth. There is an effective lead break toward the end that has melodic energy and swells with string bends and picking. Great track and another highlight.

'Space Conquest' is a short burst of sound with screaming fuzzed guitars that fuse into a freakout of noise, with spacey effects and no time signature. The free form style is gripping and then it settles in to Hawkwind territory with guitar slices and cymbal crashdowns. The instrumental works as a pleasant transition point to the next excellent track. It builds to a crescendo and suddenly ends.

'Fate' wraps things up with a mini epic that clocks in at 11 minutes. The music soars along a stream of polyrhythmic jagged guitar chord structures. A rhythm guitar strums while lead psych melodies trill with remarkable organic fluency. The confidence of the music is stunning, the ladies just blast away without a care what others may or may not think, and the result is an original progressive work of art. The instrumental becomes repetitious for a time until at 3:40 the high octave vocals chime in, just in time to maintain interest. It is like Renaissance meets Hawkwind in a sense. Those space rock metrical shifts and soprano vocals make strange bedfellows. At 8:10 the guitars become aggressive and hypnotic motifs lock in with estranged singing that returns again. At 10 minutes the vocals are more angst ridden, crying out, and then the guitars take over with dominant trilling and speed picking. This is the best track on the album. I am just in awe that these ladies have produced such a sound and a consistent style that is purely their own. Taste and see for yourself; this is compelling space rock.

First I couldn't make friends with the vocals but in the meantime I'm really convinced. After all they fit - it belongs to their unique outfit. Stylistically this is quite varied. You will find some more hippie trippy oriented songs like the starting First Love or the cosmic Space Conquest where Adios in those days is a more heavily tempered one. The extended Fate units several elements represented on the album finally - possibly concipated as the ultimate essence.

It's worth it to concentrate on Mine Nakao's and Fusao Toda's guitar work. And this applies to the wonderful Voyage in a special way. This is not only an outstanding exemplar of mellow space rock. The second part also shows a twin guitar sound in the vein of jamming southern rock bands such as The Allman Brothers Band. Now this leads to one short conclusion in the end: recommended!

My first impression ... they CANNOT taste noisy like most of Alchemy, but their guitar solos should be much influenced by Jerry Garcia or Duane Allman - that is, improvised whacked-out floating guitar trippin'.

Indeed, this album exerted undoubted tragedy that fragile Angel would fold her wings. Fusao and Mine's guitar flexibility is very fantastic. Such a fuzzy, garagey, shoegazey guitar could shoot very dreamy, dramatic work. In the first track First Love their guitar could be fully exploded. And Mineko's (a bit cheesy but) powerless plaintive hoarse voices could make this tragedy deeper and undergrounder. A Series Of Water Mind ~ Rubens And The Cathedral suite follows as another tragedy ... Mineko's faint chorus can impress us faithfully. With Mine and Fusao's bubbling guitar we can go on a trip into full of canned syrup ... very sweet and very painful. Next Voyage - the first part is one of typical Space Rock songs, fully with persistent repetitive phrases and riffs and hypnotic rhythm ensemble. The latter part has such a dramatic dream as the previous tracks, based on Mineko's voices.

Air has changed drastically ... Adios In Those Days has something like ARS NOVA. Anyway, the same points are they play(ed) very dramatically, and the initial letter of each outfit's name is 'A' (just kidding). Hopping chopping guitar sounds can remind me something cool like a Japanese TV hero (no, HEROINE!) theme song. Of course, they did keep their strict style into this song. Surprisingly a warped, scattered guitar opening just like Speed Guru of Acid Mothers Temple is very impressive in Space Conquest. Very steady, self-possessed, calm ensemble is so amazing, but any foreseeing toward the end of this world? Yes, the last song Fate is ... rightly ... their wonderful guitar solo sounds sometimes weird and sometimes tragic. Mineko's voices are more and more powerful, as if candle frame would get strong and powerful before dying. We cannot help weeping whilst listening to this last stage.

Japanese sake (sad,sake, kanashii sake) is suitable for this album.