HEX

Bigelf's _Hex_ is the equivalent to a day at the amusement park or eating sweet, rich cake. Pure guilty pleasure. Brazenly unashamed of showing their influences, the band produces a sound that combines modern production with 70's rock sound and attitude to produce an aural experience that is, at least for me, almost euphoric.

The opener, Mad Hatter, begins with a clear nod to Sabbath and Ozzy, with a near quote of Iron Man. The verse melody abruptly breaks into another near lift, from Another Brick in the Wall. Within 30 seconds you know what you're going to get - an in your face, balls to the wall, rock-n-roll ride that combines the two most popular headtrip bands of all time into one monstrous, colorful musical feast. Over the next few songs, the final elements of Beatles' vocal harmony and melodic sense, along with singer and keyboardist Damon Fox's take on classic prog Hammond and mellotron come in to add in more flavors. What remains hidden is that some might fine prog will be the dessert course.

Some will be annoyed at how derivative the music is, but sometimes you just want to rock. And rock this does, and the retro feel has so much more heart than much of the cold, nihilistic expressions of raw aggression of modern heavy music. Unlike fellow retro-rockers Wolfmother (whose music caught my ear on first listen but quickly lost my interest after that), Bigelf's music is huge, thick, and complex. The compositions become increasingly prog-like as the album goes on, with some off-time sections, psychedelic sound-effects, rapid shifts in mood, and huge keyboard solos. Sabbath gives way to Gentle Giant, but what remains throughout is a huge dose of Floyd.

The band offers a shortened version of the two part track Bats in the Belfry on their website, which is a good indicator if you'll enjoy their sound.

All in all, this is some energetic, trippy, delicious rock and roll comfort food. Enjoy.

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