OVERCOMING THE MONSTER

The cover artwork is the first thing you see when you pick up a new album. It can attract you, or it can totally disgust you. KingBathmat's new album "Overcoming the Monster" was going to be a tough sell for me because the artwork for this new album is probably the worst I've seen this year. It's detailed, yes; but it's downright hideous. So, going into this album, it already had one strike against it.

"Never judge a book by its cover" goes the old proverb. This is especially true for this album. While the cover artwork is terrible, the music therein is actually quite good. KingBathmat's seventh album "Overcoming the Monster" is a psychedelic journey that discusses the psychological obstacles that we, others, or the media place in our heads. It explores the idea of ridding ourselves of these walls, and living to our full potential. I think this concept is great, and should especially apply to this music. This music takes some growing, and it takes an open mind.

KingBathmat's style is an eclectic mix of prog rock, psychedelia, alternative music, grunge, and maybe a little post-rock. It is well-mixed, so it does not feel disjointed at all. So, they comfortably mix bludgeoning guitar riffs with proggy, psychedelic keys. The bassist does a great job of bringing the funk, as there are some very unique bass lines and even a few bass solos. The drummer performs admirably, and the vocalist seems to be able to change his tone to fit the atmosphere well. All of this creates a sort of tongue-in-cheek humor that surrounds the music, though the theme is serious.

Their last album, "The Truth Button" felt a little off to me, but the new album features much stronger song writing. The songs are almost catchy at times, and they seem to be dabbling in more epic song structures, too. The word of the day for this album is "variety". That's what this album has. For instance, "Sentinel" is a great rocking piece, while "Parasomnia" is a moody piece with epic keys and dreary atmospheres. Again, "Superfluous" is a well- structured, melodic rock track, while "Kubrick Moon" is a 10+ minute epic piece with some outstanding keys and guitar passages. This band can play very well, and they show it will some open display of their noodling finesse.

While this album is very strong, I would point out the uneven nature of the album. It starts out with two very strong tracks, and then it takes a nosedive with "Overcoming the Monster". Yes, the title track is a weak one. Next, it soars with "Superfluous", and then takes the biggest dive with "Reality Mining", a track that is very disjointed and experimental to a fault. Yet, then they recover with the stunning "Kubrick Moon".

Overall, the album is the strongest I've heard from them; and, while it contains some unevenness, it deserves every proghead's attention. It really brings a grungy Pink Floyd vibe to the table, and that appeals to me. So, ignore the artwork, and give this album a go.