THE QUIET BEFORE THE STORM

The Quiet Before The Storm is the debut album by Athelstone, a band formed in Malta in 2010. It was self-released in 2011 with a line up featuring Daniel Cassar (guitars, mandolin, keyboards), Matthew Vella (drums, percussion, vibraphone, glockenspiel, keyboards and Ryan Vella Bonello (bass) plus the guests Dana McKeon (vocals), Fabian Bonello (sax) and Rachel Attard Portughes (cello). Unfortunately, the overall sound quality of this work is not up to the wonderful art cover provided by Julian Mallia that in some way depicts its musical content. It's a completely instrumental work where dreamy, calm sections alternate with raw, nervous passages and where you can find some touches of jazz, bossa nova, math rock, psychedelia and other blended together with gusto. All along the three long pieces of the track list you can listen to some really good ideas but in my opinion at times they are like smothered by an excess of distortion... What a pity! Maybe next time...