db-reviews

[db-reviews]

#195 - Mercator Projected - East Of Eden (1969)

I find it funny how the 60s birthed prog rock, but not until ‘69 did we practically get the genre we know and love today, through the releases of many albums such as In The Court of The Crimson King, Uncle Meat, For My Children’s Children’s Children, and A Salty Dog. Another of these early prog rock releases has to be East Of Eden’s Mercator Projected.

East Of Eden’s debut is considerably less proggy than their follow up records, and definitely a bit more bluesy, but what is found here is some nice early prog in my mind.

What I like about this album is the more heavy psychedelic format these songs create, usually also combining with a more folk rock sound to create this very rocking, and driving record that I think, for the most part, works out very nicely, especially on tracks like Northern Hemisphere and In The Stable of the Sphinx. I like it a lot.

That said, though, I do not think this album has any really interesting moments. Obviously very early prog rock won’t have stuff that excels to the heights of Close To The Edge or A Plague of Lighthouse Keepers, nor is the genre refined enough to really get those enigmatic sweet spots, but I still feel like by 1969, especially after works came out and about from bands like Procol Harum, The Moody Blues, and The Mothers of Invention, which their albums have had some rather interesting moments up until this point, and so should be blueprints, if you will, for bands like East Of Eden to follow, I just still think East Of Eden’s debut never really has any big moments that I truly adore. The songs are good, but they don’t have that kick that makes me want to listen to them over and over again, unlike other albums around this time, which is rather disappointing.

An album that isn’t really bad, but not really great either. I guess if you like the more rock side of prog than this album might actually be quite the treat. However, for me anyways, I feel like this doesn’t quite get the spices rolling to really make this a stand out album in my mind. You can definitely see the proggy seeds growing on here, but they are still quite deep underground that only in certain moments will you might see them.

3.5/5

[db-reviews]

#194 - Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain - Current 93 (2009)

Recently I have been kinda getting into more darker–folksy and classical music, with bands like early Ulver and Univers Zero, you know, stuff that is a bit intense and cryptic in a more folk and avant-garde direction, however in this wake of new found love of this more darker sound, I have discovered my love for Current 93. They first formed in the 80s as an industrial and noise group, which you can see from their earliest releases of Dogs Blood Rising, Nature Unveiled, and their many collaboration pieces with Nurse With Wound, another noise and industrial band. However, from what I have understood due to RYM listings of their albums, they didn’t get their footing in the folk sphere until 1987’s Imperium, their 6th studio album not counting the collabo pieces with Nurse With Wound.

There are two constants within the band, one, David Tibet being the only member to be in every line-up since the debut, and two, the constantly changing sounds. Every Current 93 album basically has a different sound to each, usually based around David’s wants, or more so desires to constantly try new things with his more dark and occultic brand of neo folk and ambient music, which I think reaches quite a great threshold with Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain, which so far, from what I have heard of Current 93, is my favorite album from them.

Aleph At Hallucinatory Mountain is such an interesting album as it goes for a heavier, and even more doom and noise metal sound compared to their usual, more softer affairs with folk music. This direction is mostly due to their collaboration EP, Inerrant Rays of Infallible Sun, which was a piece with the stoner metal band Om, which I think gave Tibet some inspiration to try a similar, more metal sound himself. Surprisingly enough, this stark contrast in sound actually works for Current 93 in my opinion, sure their more pastoral, albeit creepy folk music takes a tiny bit of a backseat, the identity and musical and lyrical prowess is still felt here. Tibet’s poetry here is still as poignant as ever, creating a modernistic fairy tale that whirls through themes of satanic cults, and spiritualism, which seems to be a theme most Current 93 works go after, and one I really find interesting.

I think, even though the sound is a lot more different and heavier compared to stuff like All The Pretty Little Horsies and Sleep Has His House, you still get that awesome and dark sound that I think every Current 93 album should go by. In fact, I feel like David is finding a way to uniquely make another more heavy album, something that could be compared to his 80s works where he experimented with a lot more industrial music, so I think this doom and noise metal effort really works nicely. I am also just a complete sucker for doom metal with some of my favorite bands being Ufomammut and Sleep, so there is that too.

But, what I really adore about this album is just how well each song explores this record’s unique atmosphere. A lot of these songs are straight up bone chilling, almost comparable to stuff like Swans or Einstürzende Neubauten in terms of creating these atmospheric and dark sounding songs, but Current 93 gives it all a unique flavor that Tibet has clearly mastered throughout the years, and this mastering of atmospheres and how they are used on here makes this album a tried and true masterpiece in my opinion.

Really, I am quite surprised that this album isn’t as well known, or at least well beloved within Current 93’s discography. This is as good, if not even better than The Light Is Leaving Us All or Sleep Has His House, as it showcases a band going for a unique, but still really amazing sound, that I think works really, really well. I recommend listening to this at the middle of the night with headphones, as the stereo, in your ear experience helps let this album really go well, but with a nightly setting can really help make this dark album truly shine, or dim, I guess. Absolutely, highly recommend this one for both folk and doom metal fans.

5/5

#music review #album review #folk #psychedelic rock #metal #ambient

[db-reviews]

#193 - Fabulous Muscles - Xiu Xiu (2004)

I have experienced albums that I did not like at first but slowly and surely liked throughout time. Vulnicura by Bjork, Cop by Swans, Drastic Measures by Kansas, and the list goes on. However, up until now I have never experienced an album that I did not like at first but soon started to hate with each passing listen, that is until I heard of Fabulous Muscles by Xiu Xiu.

I have heard of Xiu Xiu before, in fact my first album I listened to from them was 2017’s FORGET, though I don't quite remember much about my experience with that one aside from the singer’s voice sounding kinda like David Bowie. I consider FORGET to be my entry point into Xiu Xiu, and Fabulous Muscles to be my swift exit, because this is such a dissatisfying album to listen to.

I feel like the best and probably only good thing about this album for me is the three songs of Crank Heart, I Luv The Valley OH!, and Clowne Towne. I actually quite like what they constructed with these songs, with lots of neat industrial textures mixed in with some very vibrant pop. The lyrics are also not all that bad, all things considered, and speaking of which.

The first thing I really do not like about this album is the lyrics. Pretty much most of the songs on here have very edgy lyrics that just makes me uncomfortable, and not in a good way. Tracks like Support Our Troops OH!, Fabulous Muscles, and Nieces Pieces just feel so disturbingly crass and tasteless that I feel like I had more time enjoying pure noise albums than these songs. Hell, from what I have seen with their previous album of, excuse my words here, Fag Patrol, they have always been on the edgy side of the musical frontier, and it just makes me not enjoy their music at all.

Other times, though, it isn’t the lyrics that get me but the headache inducing sounds that I feel try way too hard to be noisy and intense. Obviously industrial music kinda has to be intense in some way, but I just think Xiu Xiu tries way too hard for those intense soundscapes that all of it becomes a mess. Hell even the songs I said I liked kinda have this problem too. I just really do not like the brand of sound found here.

A disappointing record that I slowly began to hate. It is a shame a band I actually was a little interested in turned out to just be quite the edgelords. I would rate this a 0.5, but those three songs do kinda alleviate that, but only slightly.

1/5

#music review #album review #pop #rock #electronic #ambient

[db-reviews]

#192 - The Tower - Motorpsycho (2017)

While it is not all that uncommon to see a trilogy of conceptual albums to be made in prog rock, it is quite uncommon for all three of those albums to be downright masterpieces in my eyes. However, it is not the first time Motorpsycho has crafted a bunch of amazing albums in a row before.

The Tower is the start of the band’s Gullvåg trilogy, which is aptly named after Norwegian artist Håkon Gullvåg, who created the album covers for this trilogy. Right off the bat, the first praise I’ll give to this album is the album cover and how it sets the mood for the entire thing. It is very weird with a lot of disorienting perspectives and odd figures that give the album as a whole a very creepy vibe, and I honestly am all for it. It works very well for the music of Motorpsycho.

On the musical side, Motorpsycho has gone to a similar route they’ve found themselves on with Heavy Metal Fruit, going for a more harder stoner rock sound combined with their psych and prog compositions. Though, for The Tower I can also taste little hints of the more avant garde sounds of The Death Defying Unicorn, especially on tracks like Intrepid Explorer and Ship of Fools. I feel like this is the band combining a ton of different sounds from their past and most notable works, and combining them to create The Tower, and what it delivers really works for me. The interesting jams the band creates mixed with the very proggy side of this album and a heavier sound just really adds to this album’s already amazing songs, and I think only solidifies how truly immaculate this band’s brand of prog really is.

For the concept of this record, I believe the band did not want to go for a full on story like Death Defying Unicorn, but instead similar to something like The Raven That Refused to Sing by Steven Wilson, where it is a bunch of different mini stories that all revolve around a shared theme, as this theme being the tower. I have a theory that this concept was sprouted through the Bible myth of the Tower of Babel, where a group of people who speak on a shared language decides to build a tower to the heavens, however the deity of Yahweh confounded their language and scattered its elements across different lands, causing the birth of many different languages in human history. It could also be represented by The Tower Tarot card, which its upright meaning details sudden change, chaos, and some form of awakening, while its reversed meaning details personal growth, or a more conservative mindset, which could line-up with the band’s sudden changes with their drummer leaving the band, but also the use of more older sounds to create something new. I think, perhaps, The Tower and its stories are not meant to be fictitious tales, but rather tales surrounding the band, their legacy, their image, and who truly are. It is quite interesting to think about and just makes The Tower an even more awesome album.

The Tower showcases not only a conceptual piece of music that desires questions and thoughts, but also showcases a band that is still golden in their long 20+ years. Truly another album for the ages.

5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #rock #psychedelic rock #motorpsycho #jazz #metal #grunge

[db-reviews]

#191 - Nothing To Fear - Oingo Boingo (1982)

1982 was quite the year for some very stellar 80s hits. The Cure released their very immaculate gothic rock score of Pornography, Kate Bush went to a more experimental edge with The Dreaming, Iron Maiden released their mighty Number Of The Beast, and Michael Jackson would release Thriller, which as we all know came to be the biggest selling record in human history. It also gave us Nothing To Fear by Oingo Boingo! That is definitely an achievement worth seeing.

Oingo Boingo’s sophomore release is one that I personally think has some of the band’s most notable qualities, as I see it is when they really began to take shape. For one, we get a start to the band’s unique sounds of fun and danceable new wave, combined with heavy hitting post punk sounds, with reggae and ska inspired instrumentation, and a notable punk mannerism that really makes the sound of Oingo Boingo really pop. I think within the sounds of the 80s, I think Oingo Boingo has one of the most recognizable, and the most fun in my opinion. The danceable charms these songs weave, and the eccentric wildness that goes through all the album is one of the best qualities within it. This type of music is so fun and wild that I’d be hard pressed not to say I didn’t at least try to dance to these songs before. They are just that catchy of earworms.

But what I really, really love about this album isn’t the sound of it, but the cheesiness of it all. The goofy sounds this band weaves with the almost really depressing lyricism just really makes this album one of those pieces of art that feels like a cheesy dark comedy in music form. I also just love when the band goes for almost Halloween sounds within their music, since, as a sucker for Halloween stuff, and a sucker for Oingo Boingo’s brand of music, I think tracks like Islands and Nothing To Fear (But Fear Itself) are some of the best songs Oingo Boingo has made. I just love goofy Halloween music, and Oingo Boingo really hits the spot.

My one qualm on this album is that they do not really have the more refined qualities that make them a really stellar band here in my opinion. They are VERY close to getting those good marks of loveable goofy new wave music that they’ll excel in with albums like Good For Your Soul and Dead Man’s Party, but here you can tell they aren’t in their very inuit maturity that finds them in ‘83. It all sounds good, but I just think this album may need a slight bit more polish and a bit less of a bottom heavy tracklisting for it to be a tried and true masterpiece, but just for the record, again, it is VERY close to being a masterpiece in my ears.

If you want to get into Oingo Boingo, either start with Good For Your Soul, or this album. I promise you this band’s music is truly intoxicating, and you will be loving most if not all their releases, and this release will show it in spades. Go give it a listen, even if it may not be a masterpiece it will still be worth your while.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #rock #pop #funk #new wave

[db-reviews]

#190 - Wonderwall Music - George Harrison (1968)

When people talk about George Harrison’s solo records, most people would talk about his works from All Things Must Pass through Brainwashed. Rarely do I see any mentions of Wonderwall Music (which is practically his debut record) and Electronic Sound. After intriguingly listening to Wonderwall Music, and the album again earlier today for good measure, it doesn’t quite surprise me.

Wonderwall Music was created to be the OST of a 60s movie known as Wonderwall, directed by Joe Massot. The film follows a scientist who becomes infatuated with viewing a rather psychedelic couple that are just next door. His views on them soon transpired with him saving one of the members of that couple. A strange plot, but one befitted for the 60s psychedelia period. I think it is without saying that the music in the film is a lot more popular than the film itself, it was created by a Beatle afterall.

I think in terms of musical prowess, George Harrison here definitely shows his knack for classical Indian music quite a lot, to the point where it is practically the focal point in the album’s music. George Harrison says as much in 1998 where he recounts wanting to make the west more knowledgeable on Indian music. Personally, I am indifferent with George’s infatuation with classical Indian music, and I can definitely see why it is such a poignant musical experiment from a Beatle, but to be honest I never quite cared much for this album, I am mostly reviewing this album after seeing Youtuber Elliot Roberts video on George Harrison’s discography and getting interested (and so far loving) his discography, and so I thought to review this album as a way bring my thoughts on an album I have had on my mind for a bit.

I will say though that I think the combination of psychedelia on the Indian classical sounds here is quite a nice touch on George’s part. I think combining different, almost polar opposite genres together is always quite an interesting feat in terms of musical experimentation, and I think it works just as well as it did with Revolver, or Rubber Soul. Kudos Harrison.

This is an interesting, albeit not quite my style record. If I have to give it a few more thoughts I definitely will say, for a first record by a Beatle it is an interesting showcase of talent in terms of psychedelia and Indian musicianship. Still, it just isn’t quite for me, and I think George does a lot of better music that is mixed within more Indian sounds. Certainly one to look into, but not really one I can say is George’s best work, far from it.

3/5

#music review #album review #rock #psychedelic rock #folk #classical music #Indian classical

[db-reviews]

#189 - Runaljod – Yggdrasil - Wardruna (2013)

Wardruna in Norwegian means ‘the guardian of secrets’ or ‘she who whispers’. A name worthy of this folk band that truly pays homage to its Scandinavian culture.

This is the second release from this band, and the second part in the group’s Runaljod trilogy. The band cements themselves with dark and Nordic folk music that contains quite epically inclined rhythms and tribulations that feels like a war music ensemble.

What I think really works for the band in their favor here is the use of ambiance and drone in cognation with their folk music, and I think they really excel in creating a strong atmosphere with these drones. Another thing I really like about this album is just how it feels like this group captured the past in such a way that I believe they are time travelers from the Nordic past, and quickly learned many present day customs and history that they reignited their music from the past into our present. Obviously this isn’t true, but if your music is that good at capturing a sound from way back in the past, than I think you are doing something right.

I guess my only problem is that I just feel like it is a bit too long, especially when introducing someone like myself, one who isn’t quite familiar enough with this genre of music, to this sort of music. Obviously I liked what I get here, but I felt like after IwaR my attention wavered and I started to not enjoy the album as much as it first began. Definitely not a major issue, in fact maybe when I listen to other albums from this band my mind might change, but right now I am not quite in the mood for hour long dark Nordic folk albums, maybe 30-45 minutes though.

An impressive and very poignant record that combines intricate drones with epic Nordic folk melodies. Quite the album in my humble opinion that I’ll definitely look more into as time goes by.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #folk #ambient

[db-reviews]

#188 - Begynnelser - Motorpsycho (2017)

In 2016, Motorpsycho was approached by playwright Carl Frode to help create music for his contemporary play known as Begynnelser. With every release under Motorpsycho’s belt they will try something completely new, and for this soundtrack the band would go more ambient and classical to invoke a mysterious mood, right for this darker play.

This is not a long album, consisting of 13 songs, each around a minute through 4 minutes worth of music, sometimes going to 6 and 7 minutes worth, but still keeping things relatively small. I think what works for this album is the fact the band tried to make this a very different album from what they normally make. They’ve tried a ton of genres in the past, but nothing quite like this, combining dungeon synth sounds, modern classicism, ambience, and folk to create this very strange, atmospheric, and almost haunting at times record.

I think the main issue I have with this album is that I never really quite get a sense of engagement from the music to my ears. The band obviously wanted to do something different, and probably hearing it in the actual play it was made for might make me change my mind, but I just feel like this is really empty, dry, and without really anything going for it other than neat and surreal ambient music. I also just feel it is essentially just background music, and obviously scores are meant to be the background noise for something, whether it be a play, movie, video game, or audiobook, but even then I feel like this doesn’t hold much emotion to it for me to really be engaged in listening to it. It is one of the only Motorpsycho releases I call a disappointment.

A unique, but ultimately underwhelming album. I do appreciate the band for trying new things, but you gotta make those new elements you are exploring to engage the listener, no matter the context. There are worse albums out there, and this certainly isn’t one of them, but what is here is quite lackluster in comparison to a ton of other Motorpsycho releases.

2/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #folk #motorpsycho #ambient

[db-reviews]

#187 - 3:47 EST - Klaatu (1976)

I find the story of Klaatu and 3:47 EST to be an interesting indulgence. I feel like more people know of the story of this band more than the actual band’s music. For those who may not know, a reviewer by the name of Steve Smith picked this album up and wished to review it, but noticed similar, almost scarily alike elements with this album’s music and late era Beatles music, comparing it to Sgt Peppers and Magical Mystery Tour. Thus, rumors spread like crazy, and so raised this album to some notable popularity. I call this event Klaatu Mania, similar to the hype The Beatles gained in the early 60s, and thus it made Klaatu quite the small but notable Canadian pop rock trio in the history of rock, though after Hope their album sales, image, and fame started to go down immensely after people realized this band wasn’t John, Paul, Ringo, and George doing another little band together, which honestly is quite disappointing since the first two Klaatu albums are some really nice music to get into, though I do prefer 3:47 EST more.

While I won’t say the sound of the album is one on one with The Beatles, I can definitely see the parallels through the mixture of sunshine pop, psych pop, and a relative more art rock nature the album composes that has similar veins to that of Beatles albums from Revolver through Let It Be. I think, if we take Beatles out of the equation, this truly is one of those albums that alone just bleeds happiness and sunshine though any speaker. Like many sunshine pop groups of The Beach Boys, Sagittarius, and later on in the 21st century with the prog rock band of Moon Safari, Klaatu’s 3:47 EST is this overwhelmingly charming and happy experience that each song masters in their own unique and fun way, from the overjoyous Calling Occupants, to the fun grooves and tribulations of Doctor Marvello. I think this album not only does a wonderful job and showcases the band’s sunny styles, but only proves that even without the Beatles comparisons they are quite the band to have around for some very nice and sunny pop music.

I think the only true issue I have with this album is that I feel like the first side is filled with amazing, grade A songs like Calling Occupants and Anus of Uranus, while the second side probably only has one really stand out track of Doctor Marvello, but even then you can tell that song is basically a B side at the end of the day. I feel like this album would benefit heavily if these songs on the second side of the record had the same amount of craft and devotion as the first side’s songs. Not saying these are bad tracks, I just do not get the same drive as I do with the first side’s songs.

An album with quite the story, and one I think should definitely be looked into. While I do not think it is a full blown masterpiece, I can tell you this is an album worth having in your collection just for the story of it alone. Even then, I still think it is a good album musically that adding it to your collection won’t hurt one bit. We need a little more sunshine in our days, and I think this album is a serviceable product of that need.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #pop #psychedelic rock

[db-reviews]

#186 - Script For A Jester’s Tear - Marillion (1983)

I intended to review this album on its 40th anniversary, March 14th, however I was sick and thus didn’t quite have the energy to review it, but better late than never right?

Unlike most, I think the 80s weren’t all too bad on prog. I mean, King Crimson reunited with a cool new yet still proggy sound, Kate Bush released a plethora of great prog pop albums, Rush was still going mighty strong, and avant-prog bands like Cardiacs and Univers Zero got quite popular in the threshold. It was also the decade when we got introduced to neo-prog, which then was a synth driven progressive rock movement that combined elements of new wave, punk, and prog pop into prog rock, creating this fun and inventive ideal for bands to take. Obviously, it goes without saying the genre’s start can be pointed to Marillion’s Script For A Jester’s Tear.

Released in the same year as Metallica’s debut album, Iron Maiden’s Piece of Mind, and Talking Heads’ Remain In Light, I feel like Script For A Jester’s Tear is quite the album for the 80s, and one that with time, I fell in love with.

This was created in the wake of many life changing melodies the then frontman, Dereck Dick, or Fish, held within his life. Break up, drug abuse, and his encounters with the rich and war, all can be found within the album’s longevity of music and what he had experienced within his life. Whilst these more personal, and more outwardly touchy subjects aren’t new for prog rock, hell bands like Pink Floyd and King Crimson had talked about them for quite some time, I feel like what Fish crafts here is truly his own, and in retrospect, paints a beautiful, yet very depressing picture. I think it really makes Script For A Jester’s Tear a very special album in my eyes, as I feel like it takes the best elements of more punk ideals and merges them with the fun exploration of progressive rock. To me, this feels like if Genesis or any symphonic prog band decided to make their own interpretation of Animals by Pink Floyd.

Musically speaking, this album is quite some of the best prog rock you can get. Many passages on here have this overwhelming charm to it. While on first listens the Genesis inspiration is quite apparent, I feel like that inspiration goes away pretty quickly and merges within this more unique quality the band takes on. Tracks like the title track, The Web, Garden Party, and Forgotten Sons does such a charming job in my opinion within the entire beauty it all holds, and while you can definitely hear some form of inspiration within the sounds and qualities to bands from the 70s, I do not think it makes the sound any less than so, and in fact I feel like it is truly progressive, using the sounds and stylizations of bands from the past and coating them in a new coat of paint and adding a new edge to the whole is a great showcasing of progressive rock and why I really love it. I mean, it is pretty telling of this fact with the album cover. The back depicts albums from the past, on the floor, relatively hidden away in the darkness; the past is still there, but the future, the jester, is now. I think this musicality represents the entire scope of prog rock, as it looks and reflects on the past, like how Fish does within the lyrics, but it is shrouded and foggy in the wake of new things. The more I think about it, the more ingenious this whole album becomes as a metaphor for not only Fish’s life, but for prog rock as a whole.

It is without saying, or denying that this album is a masterpiece. Every track on here is a masterclass of prog rock standards, and while it isn’t my favorite Marillion album, nor my favorite Fish era album (that title goes to Misplaced Childhood), Script For A Jester’s Tear is still a boundless and quite an amazing record, taking what was and turning it into something new. It is no better time than now to see and hear this album as it is one of those prog rock classics that I feel needs more recognition. This is an ingenious, beautiful, edgy, and quite charming record if I do say so myself.

5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #Neo Prog #Marillion

[db-reviews]

#185 - Technostalgia - Sundae Club (2004)

I think the radio announcer on In Love With Sundae misjudged Sundae Club’s status, since I never heard of this band, though it does seem like they have quite the cult following, especially for their first studio album of Technostalgia.

Do not let the name fool you, Technostalgia is not a techno album, but rather an album that is nostalgic for the technology used in the 60s. A ton of elements of R&B, soul, psychedelia, and jazz can be found on this record, creating this moody atmosphere of electronic proportions that I think work out nicely. You can tell this group knew what they were doing with the sounds and stylization of the music.

I guess my main problem here is that there aren't quite a lot of elements and exciting moments on here to justify the amount of tracks on here. 11 tracks and 48 minutes worth of music that is mostly electronic beat music with some neat 60s elements doesn’t quite get me wanting to talk about it a lot, or share it with the rest of the world that much. It is perfectly fine music, I just do not think what is on here has a lot of meat on it’s bones.

This is a fine record, but I feel like there should be a lot more to work with on it, and a lot of stuff on here doesn’t quite work for me.

3.5/5

#music review #album review #pop #funk

[db-reviews]

#184 - Here Be Monsters - Motorpsycho (2016)

I feel like it is high time to have a newer Motorpsycho sound, one that kept up with their psych prog flows whilst also doing something different. As a result from a commissioned concert at Teknsik Museum, the music that was performed offered the band a lead way into new possibilities for their sound. As a result, going through producer changes, and going through several influences of Mike Oldfield, Mogwai, and even the odd Grateful Dead and Porcupine Tree, Here Be Monsters was born, and so my second favorite album Motorpsycho composed.

I think what strikes this album as being one of my favorites is just how more methodical the band plays these songs. These jams are more slow, precise, and take their punches in different directions. The big moments on this record are a bit more subtle, but I feel like subtleness this album is played at not only creates for an interesting experience, but also a very vibrant one at that as well. Tracks like Lacuna / Sunrise, Running With Scissors, and the cover for Spin, Spin, Spin by the English psych folk band H.P. Lovecraft creates more melodic jams that are still filled with energy, though the energy is more reserved throughout the course of the entire album. The exception to this is I.M.S. which is this energy, almost Thee Oh See or King Gizz flavored jam session with lots of unique distortions that I really enjoy. I think the wound up for I.M.S. with those more methodical songs from before helps create this very unique experience for Motorpsycho, wanting to tease the listener with tracks that take their time more than ever. I also really like how the group covered Spin, Spin, Spin as, while I am not the biggest fan of covers, I think this works immensely well as it is a great opener for the second half of the album, making this more folky song into a very vibrant and heavy hitting track that still plays into the album’s methodical nature, which I really enjoy.

This is also one of the Motorpsycho albums to have a seriously amazing prog rock epic in the form of Big Black Dog. I think Big Black Dog holds the same candle to The Wheel from Timothy’s Monster, being this song that slowly builds up to a more heavy hitting, and quite intimidating part. Unlike The Wheel, Big Black Dog truly experiments with the long 17 minute run time, fully crafting this powerful, and highly progressive sound, almost dipping slightly in post rock territories near the end. While the first few songs (not including Sleepwalking and Sleepwalking Again since they are practically just preludes) were amazing, I think Big Black Dog holds some of the best music Motorpsycho has put out there, and thus makes the album a masterpiece in my opinion.

A different, but still highly great album from Motorpsycho. The more disciplined jams are quite interesting, but hold a candle in terms of amazing Motorpsycho works, almost rivaling that of Still Life With Eggplant. Truly a masterful album for the ages, and one that I doubt will fall out of my heart anytime soon.

5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #rock #motorpsycho #post rock

[db-reviews]

#183 - This Strange Engine - Marillion (1997)

Out of all the releases Marillion had made over their 40+ years of music, I am quite surprised that This Strange Engine is so underrated and ill-appreciated within the sheer volume the band has crafted, especially in their current H-era. I want to hopefully get more people to see how good this album really is. I cannot say it is a perfect album the band has made, but I think the hate it gets is undeserving.

I think the biggest complaint I have seen within this album is that it is too poppy, or a bit more mainstream, and I can definitely see why people might have quite the stinge for that type of stuff within prog rock, but I feel like Marillion has always been a little more poppy and accessible. Look at songs like Kayleigh or The Great Escape, which are rather big pop hits for a prog rock band, and while you could argue The Great Escape is a lot more prog than pop, Kayleigh cannot be denied from it being it’s very pop status, so I feel like This Strange Engine more or less just continues the more pop nature Marillion naturally already have, and I personally think it sells this more prog pop aspect really well. Songs like 80 Days, Estonia, and Hope For The Future are all excellent songs that feel very vibrant and lively, but contain Hogarth’s signature moody poetry that creates a divergent boundary in mood and feelings that pay off really well.

I also feel like the critique of this being a lot more acoustic and not filled with enough complexities never quite made sense to me. I feel like even more acoustic albums can be quite complex, I mean look at some folk bands out there like Current 93 and Harmonium, which are groups that create very endearing and rather long songs that contain quite the bit more spice needed to keep things interesting. The complexities, to me, are pretty front and center, and even if they are not the main focus, I think the music as a whole makes up for it, especially on the 15 minute long title track, which I think in of itself is a very strong prog rock epic. I actually feel like the focus on Hogarth’s singing and lyrics work in favor to this album, and while I do think not every lyric hits hard, I think at the end of the day this is some of the best Hogarth vocals on an album; definitely comparable to some legendary scores on Brave and Marbles.

Now, personally, really truly justly personal, I think this is a very great album. I never feel dissatisfied with these songs, and what is on here is really stellar in the grand scheme of things. However, I think it is a very front loaded album, with the exception of This Strange Engine. Unlike most Marillion releases which have a very good handful and mixture of songs that are spread out meticulously, the first half kinda has the better songs in my mind compared to the second half. While I do enjoy moments from An Accidental Man and Memory of Water, I do not think they compare to stuff like A Man Of A Thousand Faces or 80 Days that have some brilliant elements that truly make H-era Marillion my favorite era the band is held in. The exception is This Strange Engine, which I think holds some stellar, almost Ocean Cloud rivaling scores that keep me wanting more. Truly one of Marillion’s best songs.

If you might be a new or old Marillion fan, I think you should really check this album out, or revisit it. I think a lot of people need to relisten to this one, as it is where we get some of the best Hogarth moments, some of the best–more moody songs the band has made, and one of the band’s best prog epics. Do not turn down this album, it really is a special gemstone, and an underrated one at that.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #Neo Prog #marillion #pop

[db-reviews]

#182 - Snowtorch - Phideaux (2011)

I think if there is an artist I can name off the top of my head that is style over substance, I have to pick Phideaux Xavier, or just Phideaux. In Phideaux’s run of albums, I never heard a miss from this man. Not every album is a masterpiece mind you, but Phideaux definitely has a strong knack for creating really great experiences. What I do think are masterpieces is his 5 album run of The Great Leap through Infernal. This amazing string of albums he released showcases all the amazing facets Phideaux has a hand in when creating some amazing contemporary prog rock music. I am actually quite surprised, though, that in his catalog of big epics such as Doomsday Afternoon and Number Seven that Snowtorch, this little 44 minute romp ended up being my favorite, more specifically my favorite album of 2011 (as I am writing this).

I like to think every Phideaux album is an experiment to try and refine his craft. Here, in Snowtorch, this experiment was to create something similar to, say, Thick As A Brick by Jethro Tull, or Night by Gazpacho, being practically this one song, but due elements like vinyl or accessibility had to be cut down into smaller chunks, for portion sizes. Do not let this discourage you, because as I found out this album is this tightly knit package that delivers on so much. For starters, the two big epics of Snowtorch part 1 and 2 just deliver this immensely satisfying experience from beginning to end. The work put into these songs are not only spectacular, but I feel like as epics they get the job nicely done. How Phideaux and his crew formed this and pinpointed a certain mood of loneliness, but also expansion and exploration is quite a marvel in itself. I think the strongest part of these two songs is keyboard work, which feel quite similar to the workings of Keith Emerson, but instead of just copying his style, Phideaux managed to give off his own flair to it, only merely giving a nod and wink to the legendary keyboardist. Really, I feel like not making these two songs into big epics would hurt the album immensely, but since they are I feel like it all works out in the end.

The two smaller tracks of Helix and the hidden track on side two are also really superb. They aren't as big and grand as the two part epic, but they serve very nicely as side-closures that showcase Phideaux’s expertise in packing stuff in a small package, with the hidden track being one of my personal guilty pleasures in Phideaux’s discography. I think what really makes these special in my opinion is how they fit nicely within those two big epics, but Phideaux made them separate entities in the bigger picture, which I think worked out nicely. Again, this is not a big and grand album like Doomsday Afternoon, or Number Seven, rather it is a nicely packed little romp through two big epics and two bite sized workings that play with one another. I think that makes this album very special in my mind.

I also have to point out the lyrics, since I feel like it is Phideaux's best aspect in this record. How he ties in the formation of the Earth with a very powerful breakup story is so interesting, and very unique that I feel like it doesn’t get enough credit. I have a few theories to what Snowtorch ultimately is, and one of them is it is a ballad between life and death, and they are trying their best distancing away from each other, but yet can never separate, like how, for example, the Earth’s plates seem to separate, but inevitably they come back together in a supercontinent. The Earth is merely a tool for this type of ballad, and how Phideaux manages to successfully craft this unique experience is really telling how brilliant of a musician and songwriter he is.

Truly a beautiful and unique experience in terms of progressive rock musicality. I think this is an essential listen, not only for the beautiful musical workings found here, but also for the novel lyricism Phideaux manages to spread on this record that combines science with heartache. Absolutely go listen to this record, as it is a phenomenal experience front to back, to front again.

5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #rock

[db-reviews]

#181 - The Eraser - Thom Yorke (2006)

To be honest, I'm not the biggest fan of Radiohead. I like some of their songs, but overall I am kinda mixed on the whole band. However, recently I have been really enjoying the solo discography of the band’s lead vocalist, Thom Yorke. Therefore, I have decided to review his first solo project of The Eraser.

Unlike Radiohead’s more experimental electronic efforts of stuff like Kid A, Amnesiac, and The King Of Limbs which hold more of the band’s early alt rock ideologies, what Thom shows on The Eraser goes further on a focus of a pop sound, with catchy and hooky songs. However, this is probably one of the least commercial records Thom has made. Many of these songs showcase a very fine-tuned experimental quality that Thom clearly has mastered as a frontman, and it makes songs like Skip Divided and Cymbal Rush, while still clearly pop in direction and sound, have a very strange and disconnected sound that I feel works massively in Thom’s favor.

Furthermore, I think this is Thom’s best singing in his entire career. He is so clear and strangely vibrant on this release. What I really like about his voice here is how it fits nicely within the music being played here. His phonetics and his range really does allow this music to shine the brightest in its melancholy fortitude. I feel like without his voice, this’d be a neat, but not quite superb album, but his voice does add the right amount of details within the music that I end up really loving this.

I guess the one thing I do not really like about this album is that I never felt quite in-tuned to it unlike other releases Thom Yorke made. This is more of a personal thing, but I can never quite put my finger on why I never quite was moved by this unlike, say, ANIMA. I do groove along to these songs, but I can always tell this is Thom’s first solo project, and thus doesn’t quite hold the maturity, and ultimately musical finesse that his later releases give me. Still a very great album, but one I am not quite in balance to yet.

If you love Radiohead, then this album is practically for you. It holds many of Thom’s most experimental, but still rather pop driven songs that can definitely be for a good listen. If you also like more glitch pop, IDM, trip hop music like Bjork, Aphex Twin, and Massive Attack then you’d also really like this album. It is a very nicely made album, and one that I may pop in a few times.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #ambient #pop #glitch #electronic

[db-reviews]

#180 - The Motorpnakotic Fragments - Motorpsycho (2014)

By technicality this is not a full fledged Motorpsycho album, but RYM counts it as one, so I’ll take what I can get.

After the release of Behind The Sun, Motorpsycho decided to hold a promotional event through exclusive pre-orders for a new album, and after 400 pre-orders were made the album would not be able to be pre-ordered again. Afterwards, each week the ones who pre-ordered the album will receive two songs in the form of a single. It took about 4 weeks before anyone could fully get their hands on this record fully, with 4 singles to boot. This would create the complete collection that is The Motorpnakotic Fragments, or The Motorpnakotic Manuscripts.

Was this 4 single and 4 week release pattern worth it? Not really, in my opinion. What you get here is to the similar vein of Behind The Sun and Still Life With Eggplant, though with a slight—late 90s indie rock twang to it all, which gives the band’s psych prog output a bit more of a unique flair on this collection of songs. You get a good amount of jams on here, not too long, not too short, with each song creating this uniquely old and noisy feeling, like a mix between 90s noise rock bands like Unwound and Sonic Youth, with a 60s style psych rock performance of Jimi Hendrix and early Amon Duul II, creating this rather interesting experience that I enjoy, and is the album’s strong suit.

I do think, though, this album never quite holds those big and interesting Motorpsycho moments that other albums have. It makes this feel much weaker in comparison to stuff like Let Them Eat Cake and Blissard, which had those moments in quite good amounts. Here, there are no moments that feel like Motorpsycho giving their all, which is rather disappointing because those moments are exactly why I love this band’s brand of prog rock. I do not expect them to create Death Defying Unicorn 2 or Still life With Eggplant 2 for this release, but I want a little more out of these already good songs.

This is an interesting release project for the band. It is unique, creative, and experimental. However, what is on here, whilst good, would work better for other albums in the band’s discography. It is not a bad album, but there are much better from this band out there.

#music review #album review #progressive rock #rock #psychedelic rock #motorpsycho

[db-reviews]

#179 - Amputechture - The Mars Volta (2006)

If there is one album that has been a big grower for me, it has to be Amputechture by The Mars Volta. I started listening to The Mars Volta in late 2021 when I was making my exploration through progressive rock. Back then, this, and Deloused were my least favorite albums from the band. Deloused because I wasn’t quite prepared for the overdriven storm that album included, and Amputechture because I just really did not like how experimental it is. I have changed since then, and now I see both to be some of The Mars Volta’s best works of art, though as of late I might prefer Amputechture slightly more than Deloused, being only slightly behind Frances and Bedlam.

I think the best way to describe this album is if you took the very avant prog qualities of Frances The Mute and the more Latino rock qualities the band has shown since their debut EP, mash them together, add a tiny bit of third incarnation King Crimson sensibilities, and spice it up with moments that feel truly epic. This album is a mix grab bag of frantic jams that are very poignant in psychedelia, to more tranquil ambient moments, to stuff that feels almost right out of Omar’s and Cedric’s old band of At The Drive-In with more post-hardcore qualities. I think this is some really excellent combination of songs and sounds on here, with each song really diving deep into the progressive rock territories. In fact the first two songs of Vicarious Atonement and Tetragrammaton perfectly encapsulates the qualities this album exudes for me. Vicarious Atonement is this very misty, guitar-driven ambience track that leans itself as this very interesting beginning, not starting with this big and bombastic opener like the last two albums did, but instead leveling out to act as a calm to the storm that is Tetragrammaton, which I think works out nicely. Speaking of which, Tetragrammaton is very close to being my all time favorite Mars Volta track. This 16 minute epic winds through movements that are both odd, cryptic, ominous, but also filled with a certain energy that cannot be described. It truly is one of the best prog rock epics in my mind, and the fact the band hasn’t made anything else like this shows that they are truly varied in their visions.

The strongest element for me is Omar’s guitar. I think his guitar work on the last two Mars Volta albums were fantastic, with Frances being his peak of sorts in my opinion, but Amputechture does show how brilliant he can work the guitar in odd ways that rival Frank Zappa and Robert Fripp. His virtuosity here is unmatched, and the fact he seems to make these technical, almost math rock bendings and tones sound so effortless is a testament to his skills. I think, though, Jon Theodore comes very close to matching the same eccentricities Omar creates with his drummings. Both are very amazing musicians who should definitely be respected in both prog rock, and general music history.

I have said that this album was a big grower for me, and I think that, sadly, has to do with the fact that not every song on here is a homestar runner. If you much prefer the more frantic and intense songs Mars Volta creates, or you just find more ambient music quite boring like how I thought back then, you might not quite enjoy this album. Some songs on here have moments that are very tranquil and ambient, with even some songs just being purely that, like Vicarious Atonement or El Ciervo Vulnerado. These moments, admittedly, are still not my favorite, though I have really warmed up to them. I guess you have to hop into it not expecting a Deloused or Bedlam, but more of a Frances, being a lot more experimental and droning in places.

This album is one that I now really love. It has a ton of awesome moments of prog rock and Latino rock elements that are as high quality as you might expect from a band like The Mars Volta. It might have some moments that are quite underwhelming, but the low points on this album do not outweigh the amount of high points that are featured here. It is an excellent treat of progressive rock music that I think anyone should look into if they are willing to partake in the challenge.

4.5/5

#music review #album review #progressive rock #psychedelic rock #jazz