THE MAN IN THE WOOD

American Dan Bell has come up with a sound and style that sounds quite eclectic, feeding off of several retro-sounds to make something oddly original.

1. "Ancient Sea Town" (1:05) sounds of a row boat working its way through the marsh are added violin-like synth work. Doesn't really fit with the song that it bleeds into, 2. "The Subterranean Stench" (7:58) surprisingly heavy BLACK SABBATH-like psychedelic guitar-hero metal over which Dan's almost operatic voice sings. There is really nothing here that warrants any praise or notice, just an interested "hmph!" (12.5/15)

3. "God of Panic" (9:56) though this song opens with some very pastoral-sounding Prog Folk with some very nice acoustic guitar work and gentle singing, the second half bursts into some abrasive, very heavy, BLACK SABBATH-like music within/over which Dan's singing voice, style, & melodic sensibility sounds very much like The Smiths' MORRISSEY. And then the final two minutes finds the music and pacing falling into a very dark, near-death metal (more like the Goth Metal of FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM). I have to admit, as retro as this sounds--and as weirdly incongruous as the mélange sounds and feels--I really like it. (18/20)

4. "They Seek Baryba" (8:52) picks up where "God of Panic" left off, with a slow, heavy, plodding FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM sounding musical motif over which Dan's near-Morrissey voice dirges. At 2:45 the heavy music dissipates and we're left with a kind of Mr. Rogers electric piano accompanying Dan's tender, near operatic voice. At the end of the fifth minute this tender passage ends as another slow, plodding Goth metal passage opens with more Robert Smith/Morrissey vocal stylings rendered over the top. Dan sounds so religiously ecstatic as he sings this stuff. It's quite remarkable (and unusual). At the end of the eighth minute the singing ends but the fuzzy electric guitar continues to recreate the long, drawn out vocal melody to the song's end. (17.5/20)

5. "Cassap" (13:23) If I didn't know differently, I would have guessed that this was some lost proto-prog song from the late 1960s psychedelic rock years--Ultimate Spinach meets The Collectors and Spirit and Vanilla Fudge or even Blue Cheer--like British band Diagonal did in 2008 with their debut album. Dan's Morissey-imitative vocal performance makes it interesting, of course. (26/30)

Total Time 41:14

Interesting retro psychedelic heavy prog that sounds as if it could come from the late 1960s or early 1970s.

B/four stars; a very nice addition to any prog lover's music collection.