THE HELPLESS

One of the legions of neo-prog bands that has sprung up in the 1990s and 2000s in Poland, GRENDEL was formed in 2002 in the small city of Białograd in the northwestern part of the nation by guitarist and singer Sebastian Kowgier, keyboardist Ula Swider, bassist Czarek Swider and drummer Wojciech Bilinski. Unlike many of its Polish contemporaries, GRENDEL had a short shelf-life and only released a single album in 2008 titled THE HELPLESS. Whether the band is on a very extended hiatus or simply an undeclared defunct entity is a mystery but one thing is for sure and that is the fact that this quartet delivered an interesting intricately designed album of neo-prog music.

Named after the hideous monster from the epic poem Beowulf, this GRENDEL (as opposed to the gazillion other bands of the same name) delivered music that is the antithesis of a hideous antagonist bent on chaos and destruction. Au contraire, on THE HELPLESS we are treated to eight beautifully designed tracks that display the best of what neo-prog has to offer, that being carefully crafted and instantly connecting melodies, warm passionate performances by competent musicians and a singer who can evoke an emotive connection to the lyrical contents at hand. Add to that the adherence to tradition with elegant guitar sweeps and layers of keyboard atmospherics and you are in for a real treat. While hardly on par with the bigwigs of the genre, GRENDEL nevertheless held its own for a band that emerged from such a remote region fo the globe. Somewhat of a concept album, THE HELPLESS deals with humanity's lifelong struggles with shortcomings and frailties.

While on the surface just another neo-prog by the numbers type of band, GRENDEL distinguishes itself through the subtle differences that not only share connections to the softer varieties of Polish neo-prog such as Collage, Satellite, Quidam or Millennium but also offers the touches of Pink Floydian space rock, the ambient metallic sensibilities of Riverside and the more electronically infused space rock antics of Porcupine Tree. Lead singer Sebastian Kowgier delivers compelling vocal performances getting him compared to Riverside's Mariusz Duda with a soft tenderness approach that blends well with the dreamy placidity that GRENDEL conjures up with its soft breezy easy-going style of neo-prog. As the band's guitarist Kowgier also delivers some spectacular guitar performances with expansive sweeps and the occasional harder-edged tastes of soft metal.

While i would hardly call GRENDEL an innovative band in any particular way, i do have to say that these guys did an excellent job of infusing their easy listening style of neo-prog with extremely compelling pop hooks that find the perfect instrumental expressions. Starting with the instantly endearing "Signal" and consistently following through all the way to the ending 12-minute closer "Illusions," GRENDEL mastered the art of balancing the beautifully enigmatic atmospheric aspects with the perfect mix of bass grooves, guitar majesty and restrained percussive drive but most of all what animates THE HELPLESS most of all is surely the vocal nuances of Sebastian Kowgier who really does have the perfect velvety vocal style for the world of neo-prog and similarly styled mellow prog styles.

While the album skirts on without many surprises, the more upbeat "Full Of Pride" features some interesting unique contrapuntal piano runs and a bit of crunchy guitar heft. Overall i'm surprised how much i love this album. While more reserved than much neo-prog, somehow GRENDEL crafted the perfect hybrid effect of bands like Riverside and Quidam with a touch of Pink Floyd, Porcupine Tree and other neo-prog greats seeping into the mix. While the band surely would've developed a more creative approach had it continued to release albums, i still find THE HELPLESS to be an instantly addictive and utterly captivating neo-prog release as the delicacy of the mix walks the fine line between so many elements that could easily derail the overall effect. One of those rare albums that is saved by the perfect chemistry of the band members and an excellent detail in the production department.