APOCALYPSE

I had become an immediate fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra thanks to fiery fusion that encompasses their first two studio efforts, INNER MOUNTING FLAME and BIRDS OF FIRE. This is where I toss out my Mahavishnu Orchestra fan card; APOCALYPSE is incredibly weak in comparison to the first two.

APOCALYPSE is much more classical string instrument laden than any prevoius Mahavishnu attempt. They've had Jerry Goodman play violin, but aside from that (here, Jean Luc-Ponty replaces Goodman), what sounds like a full string orchestra is also integrated into the music. So, if anything, the ambitions here would almost put this as the best Mahavishnu album...ever.

I don't think so. All the orchestra does is really bog down what could've been a nice composition. The orchestra is used in almost a cliche manner; every song begins and ends with a soft orchestra thing with maybe a couple of band instruments as well. I find myself bored half of the time with these pieces. However, even when the whole band kicks in, I still find myself bored. The solos from guitar and violin are starting to get old by now, the pieces are just too long for my sake, and the whole album just sounds like a ''business as usual'' kind of thing even though there's a new Mahavishnu Orchestra here.

The most interesting track here might be ''Smiles of the Beyond'' because it has what no other Mahavishnu song had before; vocals. I honestly think they're a bit too much, but they're nonoffensive, so I let them pass.

My overall opinion of Mahavishnu Orchestra took a digger here. This is for those who like orchestras and don't mind the odd classical, jazz, funk hybrid type of thing. I find this to be too boring to put on repeat, and hearing the album only makes me realize how much I crave for ''Meeting of the Spirits'' again.