Blotted Science – The Machinations of Dementia

To put it simply, this is the most accomplished technical metal release ever created.

While the genre of technical progressive metal has gotten a bad name in the eyes of some for it’s typically overindulgent and mindless showboating and lack of substantial depth, there will always be bands, or albums that really excel and break through the barriers of convention to deliver something that really blows the doors away. While the metal world is full of greatly talented, skilled and even genius musicians, I will admit that there have been only a handful of albums that have impressed me so much on a musical level in instrumental metal, and arguably none that have blown me away as much on a technical level as Blotted Science does however. While this is not going to be the order of the day for everyone, ‘The Machinations Of Dementia’ is easily one of the greatest instrumental albums ever made.

Essentially the brainchild of virtuoso guitarist Ron Jarzombek (of Watchtower/Spastic Ink fame), Blotted Science was created out of the urge to make a progressive metal supergroup of some of the most talented and skilled musicians in the scene. What might come as a bit of a shock to the progressive side of the prog metal scene is that the bassist chosen to be part of this project is Alex Webster, of Cannibal Corpse. While Cannibal Corpse isn’t exactly known for their penchant of thought-provoking themes and music, they are indeed talented musicians and Alex Webster’s frantic bass work steals the show here. With a presence much greater here than on most other albums, the technical bass display adds a dimension to the music that really compliments Jarzombek’s left-of-center guitar playing. Add in some near-obsessive mathematical drumming from Charlie Zeleny (of Behold… The Arctopus) and Blotted Science comes together to produce something that is nearly unparelleled in terms of it’s complexity and chaos.

Although the music is entirely instrumental, the concept of mental illness and psychology flows throughout the album, as is conveyed through the song titles. As with all great concept pieces, the music reflects the nature of the subject matter; frenetic work, crushing heaviness and mathematically impossible polyrhythms give ‘Machinations’ a very unsettling and disturbing feel to it. While there are a few tracks that stand out on their own as individual songs (‘Laser Lobotomy,’ ‘Night Terror’) the album generally flows together as a long piece. While such complexity and technicality can be overwhelming over the course of fifty-odd minutes, the high level of compositional quality and experimentation lies throughout.

Possibly best described as an ‘instrumental technical death metal’ album, Blotted Science gets very heavy amongst the technicality. ‘The Machinations Of Dementia’ is an insanely complex and immersive listen. Any fans of progressive metal should find something to love here, but make no mistake; you’ll be exhausted by the end of it.

Tracklist:

1. Synaptic Plasticity (6:03)
2. Laser Lobotomy (5:19)
3. Brain Fingerprinting (3:34)
4. Oscillation Cycles (1:37)
5. Activation Synthesis Theory (8:09)
6. REM (1:11)
7. Night Terror (4:53)
8. Bleeding In The Brain (4:57)
9. Vegetation (1:37)
10. Narcolepsy (2:53)
11. EEG Tracings (4:03)
12. Sleep Deprivation (0:36)
13. The Insomniac (3:56)
14. Amnesia (1:59)
15. Adenosine Breakdown (3:08)
16. Adenosine Buildup (3:17)

Line-up:

* Ron Jarzombek – guitars
* Charlie Zeleny – drums
* Alex Webster – bass

Links:

http://www.myspace.com/blottedscience

Graveyard – Hisingen Blues

This album has attracted a lot of attention this spring. After a very successful self-titled debut released in 2007 on Transubstans Records, this Swedish group has returned with some brand new songs. The band’s quality has been noticed by major German label Nuclear Blast Records who signed them – which serves as an indication of the band’s quality.

For those who haven’t met with Graveyard yet, this band is laid back in the 70’s doom/stoner style, with a large mix of other styles that certainly made them recognizable in the underground circles. Now after signing a contract with Nuclear Blast the band is ready to enter the premier league.

Being sometimes dirty in their approach, serving hard edged rock, while employing a vast field of influences, coming from blues to folk, Graveyard is one of the bands today who certainly knows what the term “authentic” means. And Hisingen Blues is a record which stands well with this statement.

Comparing the new album with its predecessor, there are a lot of elements you may single out as an indicator of the band’s improvement. Besides the songs themselves, which will be discussed further in this review, I would love to express my admiration toward the album’s production. It’s not that I am someone who knows much about a producing an album, but in my understanding of this segment, especially when it comes to a stoney/hard/doom rock band like Graveyard, this is exactly how an album should sound. Production duties were performed by Don Alsterberg, who also worked with the singer/songwriter Jose Gonzales, among others. Don succeeded in establishing a perfect link between 70’s dirtiness, characteristic of garage rock bands, and clarity of the new era. And all that recorded on a completely analogue equipment, without any usage of the modern technology, what does not mean that album is not modern, but this album certainly sounds way more modern than all those screamo, hardcore, whatever bands may sound alike.

Living in the era of commercialization, we are more than ever hearing of “quantity over quality”, with thousands of bands that computerize music, taking away its musicality. This just makes me feel that after an evolutionary period of the 70’s, the music market has drowned itself and become “a captive of its own negativity”. But, there has always been and there will always be bands who cherish that golden age and these days more than ever, we face with many bands who tend to create music in the vein of 70’s hard/stoner/psychedelic/choose-it-for-yourself rock. Perhaps, it’s early to say it, but the 5 year old Graveyard seems to have great potential to become one of the leaders of this movement.

The growing trend of occult hard/stoner rock that threatens to become a new hype passes by Graveyard and shows that they don’t simply go with the flow. They show off spontaneity and naturalness through their blues rock based structures, hard rock simplicity and stoner psychedelia, which supports the notion that they aren’t cliche. Hisingen Blues is not an inventory album, but what makes it special is that it is actually new. Thus if you missed the golden days of Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Doors, Jimi Hendrix or Cream, now you have contemporaries who will take care of your nostalgia and make you feel all that 70’s vibe.

The album kicks off with Ain’t Fit to Live Here – The title absolutely makes me feel that way, for a few reasons. One of them are the tunes I get off the speakers. Joakim Nilsson’s Robert-Plant / Jim-Morrison inspired vocals and blues rock drive appears to be a successful formula of this almost 40 minutes long journey.

No Good, Mr. Holden keeps things bluesy, with a bit slowing down and with a more mellow voice of Nilsson, who goes wild from time to time. I’d heard the title track before, as it was taken as a preview of the album and at first it didn’t sound like anything extraordinary, but with a lot more listening and considering it as a non-separate piece, it’s one of those tracks that’s easy to get to know.

Uncomfortably Numb – the track that mostly sets me back to 70’s, just imagine it’s cracking off the vinyl, a desert landscape and dusty roads. The guitar solos on this one are my favorite.

Buying Truth (Tack och Förlåt) sounds like an homage to Brant Bjork, desert driven rock accompanied with Bjorkish vocal harmonies build up this one.

Longing is a completely instrumental piece, with really nice chord voicings and an organ that takes the lead, evoking once again a desert landscape. This song actually reminds me a bit of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly movie, especially that duel scene.

Next up is Ungrateful are the Dead that opens with the sound of organs and brings back a bluesy rock attitude, one similar to No Good, Mr. Holden. These two tracks seem like they were made one after another, as they are pretty similarly structured. The groovy beats of RSS mixes up with catchiness. Pretty easy song, that easy that you can twist’n’shout during its play.

The album finale, The Siren, closes this achievement in a big way. It’s probably the most blues oriented track on the recording and makes Hisingen Blues worthy of taking its name.

If you still ask what’s it that makes this album worth consideration for a possible purchase, the answer is rather complicated, because no words can describe what is put into these forty minutes. But if you wish for top-notch musicianship that dwells between blues, stoner, hard and psychedelic rock and if you are bored of encountering the bands which only sound the same and repeat what’s already been given for many times, it’s the right time to introduce Graveyard. Peace!

Tracklist:

01. Ain’t Fit to Live Here

02. No Good, Mr. Holden

03. Hisingen Blues

04. Uncomfortably Numb

05. Buying Truth (Tack och Förlåt)

06. Longing

07. Ungrateful are the Dead

08. RSS

09. The Siren

Line-up:

* Joakim Nilsson – vocals, guitar

* Rikard Edlund – bass

* Jonatan Ramm – guitar

* Axel Sjöberg – drums, percussion

Van Der Graaf Generator – The Assembly, Leamington Spa, 24/03/2011

Arriving in good time we bought our drinks and found ourselves some decent seats about ten rows back. This venue was obviously a dancehall or similar, and the design is on the lines of all these places of which there must be hundreds in the UK, although it was on a smaller scale than most. I would say it held about five hundred, all seated on what would normally be the dancefloor.

The band arrive quietly on stage, Peter Hammill dressed in his by now traditional stage garb of black trousers and white shirt, as is Hugh Banton. The pair sit opposite each other, Hammill stage left behind his electric piano, Banton stage right behind his modest bank of keyboards, and not forgetting Guy Evans who is as imposing as ever, between them stage rear behind his drum kit.

The gig kicks off relatively low key with Interference Patterns from 2008 album Trisector, and this is one of a large proportion of that album played tonight. Next up is a marvellously wired version of Nutter Alert from the first reunion album Present. Hammill is as emotive as ever and as the gig goes on gets more and more into his muse. The band sound far more at ease with the trio set up than on the last tour when the fallout, both musical and emotional, of David Jackson’s rancorous departure had yet to settle. Hammill alternated between his piano and electric guitar, the latter used to great effect on a quite madly intense All That Before, a song that sounds like All Day And All Of The The Night may have done if it had been a prog song!

Other highlights for me were Your Time Starts Now and Mr Sands from the new album, and of course the oldies Childlike Faith In Childhood’s End, which got a deserved standing ovation, an emotionally wrought Man-Erg, and the encore Sleepwalkers. The manic intensity of yore may have been diluted by the passing of time, but now the band play with the consumate ease of masters of their craft, and occasional start-of-tour stutterings apart, which were greeted with smiles all round from the band, played a fine set tonight. Long may they continue.

Setlist:

Interference Patterns
Nutter Alert
Your Time Starts Now
Mr Sands
All That Before
Lifetime
Bunsho
Childlike Faith In Childhood’s End
All Over The Place
Over The Hill
We Are Not Here
Man-Erg
……………………………………………….
The Sleepwalkers

Ulver – Wars of the Roses

At the dawn of each new year, there’s already usually a batch of albums I am looking forward to. 2011 opened up with the great promise of music to come, and the new Ulver album was up there on my list of albums that were making me excited. Stealing my heart with their opus ‘Shadows Of The Sun’ from a few years ago, I checked out the new album from this band at the earliest discretion once it was made available for listening. Although I will be the first to say that the album is slow to grow on a listener, Ulver has made a great album with ‘War Of The Roses,’ although at times it may be a little too mellow and drawn out for its own good.

With ‘February MMX’, Ulver begins their latest work off on a surprisingly upbeat note, an atmospheric rocker that introduces ‘War Of The Roses’ on a somewhat misleading note. Although the song here is far from my favourite offering on ‘Roses’, it is without a doubt the most energetic, and gets the listener expecting something a little more active from these guys, only to scurry back down an ambient path with the second track ‘Norwegian Gothic’ and onwards. Luckily however, the first two tracks here make up the weakest material ‘War Of The Roses’ has to offer; it only gets better from there.

The first piece of real interest here is ‘Providence’; a cunning melange of styles, ranging from the classical cellos to delta blues ad-libbing. Following that is another highlight- and my personal favourite- ‘September IV’, which feels as if it loosens up on the ambient nature with some more conventional songwriting, this time in a melodic post-rock style. Throughout all of this are the deep, distinctive vocals of Garm, who is certainly a great vocal presence, but doesn’t feel as if he has such strong melodies to guide his voice, instead feeling almost as if Garm’s voice is simply there for it’s looming resonance and little else. That being said, the strength of ‘War Of The Roses’ is in its grand instrumentation and clever electronic arrangements.

The track that might be of most excitement to people is the fifteen minute ‘Stone Angels’, backing the rest of the album and eating up a third of the disc time. While some might expect a complex suite from Ulver here, ‘Stone Angels’ is instead a fairly minimalistic ambient hymn, with the poetic ramblings of a surrealist narrator speaking overtop. It may not sound like much, but the way Ulver does it is really majestic, making it feel like much less in length than the time spent listening. Eerie effects, pleasantly melancholic tones underneath and an ethereal vibe makes ‘Stone Angels’ a perfect piece of music to chill to. The one thing here that does get in the way are the pieces of narration themselves, which generally add little to the music besides something to raise an eyebrow to. Many will certainly find ‘Stone Angels’ to be a disappointing snore, but if you take it for what it is, you may be pleasantly surprised.

I must say though, I did not care for ‘War Of The Roses’ at all when I first listened to it. I found it both too diverse and too boring to get much into, and the vocals felt misplaced, if anything. But there’s no denying after a couple of listens onwards that ‘Roses’ has alot more musically going for it than many ambient albums of its time.Although the album is far from being perfect or Ulver’s best, it’s certainly an album that grows with each listen; after all, hasn’t the music of Ulver always been one to play hard-to-get?

Tracklist:

1. February MMX (4:10)
2. Norwegian Gothic (3:36)
3. Providence (8:10)
4. September IV (4:38)
5. England (4:09)
6. Island (5:46)
7. Stone Angels (14:55)

Line-up:

* Kristoffer Rygg – vocals, programming
* Tore Ylwizaker – keyboards, programming
* Jørn H. Sværen – miscellaneous
* Daniel O’Sullivan – guitar, bass, keyboards, narration

Links:

Ulver official website

Phideaux – Snowtorch

With the nearly overwhelming amount of praise it has received over the course of the past month, I found myself feeling obliged to check out Phideaux’s eighth opus ‘Snowtorch’ out for myself. An independent band that has since developed quite a devoted underground following, I had only early a handful of tracks from the band before diving into what has been said to be their greatest work to date, I enjoyed my existing taste of Phideaux, and to put it simply; my first album experience with the band has been excellent. A massive undertaking consisting of a thirty-six minute long epic divided into two parts along with a little more music for good measure, ‘Snowtorch’ is certainly an album that has taken some time to grasp fully, and while I may not agree with it being the greatest thing to come out of 2011, Phideaux has found a new fan in me.

As has been the norm for everything I’ve heard out of Phideaux, the music is dark and mysterious, but keeps a playful attitude throughout. There’s no major revolution to this formula for Phideaux here, but the grandeur of the compositions certainly puts the album on their discographic map. These strangers to epics (the suite ‘Chupacabras’ comes to thought) but there is a sense throughout that Phideaux Xavier and company are experimenting with musical structure here. As with all experimentation of course, there are faults along the way…

As a whole, the ‘Snowtorch’ epic leaves a lasting impression. A feast of vintage mellotrons and keyboards, the track features about as much variety and dynamic as one could hope for; catchy melodic segments are followed by drawn out instrumental showcases and focused build-ups. Both halves of this piece are showered with great moments of composition that sometimes reach the caliber of being classical in nature.There are plenty of counterpoints and harmonies and- not to go without mention- a wide variety of instruments to behold throughout the music. As is typical for Phideaux, this epic composition is backed up by some great performances from everyone involved. Leading some of the most memorable parts is the voice of Xavier himself, who may not have been gifted with the greatest vocal range, but has a really warm and personable tone to his voice that is scarcely seen in progressive rock.

As great as ‘Snowtorch’ is as an epic, I cannot consider it a perfect piece. Every vocal moment to hear in ‘Snowtorch’ is absolutely mesmerizing and a joy to hear each time, but the instrumental segments do tend to drag on longer than I may have liked. This is not to say that the instrumental aspect of Phideaux is weak in any way, but it does tend to get a little self-indulgent, especially towards the second half of the piece. On it’s own though, ‘Snowtorch’ is still a masterpiece, taking into account even its least inspired moments. There is however, the middle track ‘Helix’ to take into account. While the same sonic depth and warmth is employed here, it lacks the structure and melody to be memorable, which would have made it a welcome respite from the more involving compositions, instead of a track which feels as if it gets in the way of the real gold.

‘Snowtorch’ may not have the same effect on me as others on the international progressive rock scene, but Phideaux really proves themselves here as one of the frontrunners on the independent prog scene here. An excellent album.

Tracklist:

1. Snowtorch – Part One (19:39)
a) Star Of Light
b) Retrograde
c) Fox On The Rocks
d) Celestine
2. Helix (5:54)
3. Snowtorch – Part Two (16:11)
a) Blowtorch Snowjob
b) Fox Rock 2
c) Coronal Mass Ejection
4. ” … ”’ (2:34)

Line-up:

* Phideaux Xavier – acoustic guitar, piano, vocals
* Ariel Farber – vocals, violin
* Valerie Gracious – vocals
* ‘Bloody’ Rich Hutchins – drums
* Mathew Kennedy – bass guitar
* Gabriel Moffat – electric guitar
* Linda Ruttan Moldawsky – vocals, metal percussion
* Molly Ruttan – vocals
* Mark Sherkus – keyboards, piano
* Johnn Unicorn – keyboards, saxophone, vocals

Links:

Phideaux official website

Half Past Four – Rabbit in the Vestibule

Dominated by the always smart and intriguing but never strident vocals of Kyree Vibrant, this Canadian based band who apart from Kyree all hail from the USSR are not classifiable in the classic sense and all the better for it in my opinion. The album has a playful spirit epitomised by the instrumental Salome, and only occasionally flags under the weight of its ambition.

Highlights for me are Strangest Dream which has a great hook and could be a hit, Twelve Little Words puts me in mind of Steely Dan for some reason and has some nice guitar breaks. Southern Boogie is just that and sure is funky. Poisoned Tune has a Canterbury feel to it and a really good guitar break and along with Biel these are the two longest songs on the album at around eight minutes a piece. Biel is probably the only song one would recognise as prog in the classic sense, It announces its intentions with an operatic chorus no less, and Kyree gives her best vocal tour-de-force on this song.

This album crosses all sorts of styles, and plays with all the toys in the box from Zappa to Steely Dan to Canterbury Prog to Pop to Be-Bop Deluxe to Sparks to flamenco to Rabin era Yes to Stevie Nicks (yes, really), throws it all up in the air and what comes down to earth is reassembled in an always interesting fashion. The sound of doors opening and closing permeates the album suggesting songs are contained within their own rooms, but still flowing as a whole. Clever use of time signatures within a pop song construct and some fine keyboard and guitar interplay make this album a good way to spend an hour, and each listen reveals intricacies previously missed. Is it prog? Not in the classic sense, but approach it as a skewed left-field pop album and you won’t be disappointed.

Tracklist:

01. Missing Seventh

02. Johnny

03. Poisoned Tune

04. Southern Boogie

05. Twelve Little Words

06. Underwater

07. Lullaby

08. Strangest Dream

09. Biel

10. The Ballad of Dwayne’s Plane

11. Bamboo

12. Salome

13. Rabbit

Line-up:

* Kyree Vibrant – vocals
* Constantin Necrasov – guitar
* Igor Kurtzman – keyboards
* Dmitry Lesov – bass

Links:

Half Past Four official website

3RDegree – Narrow-Caster

The definition of ‘narrow-caster’ (as opposed to a broadcaster) -  “one who transmits a TV programme […] or otherwise disseminate information, to a comparatively small audience defined by special interest or geographical location” – seems to be a perfect fit for anyone engaged in the production of progressive rock. In spite of the genre’s relative popularity these days, both the musicians and those who (like myself and many others) support it through our writings are perfectly aware that prog is not likely to become the next mainstream sensation, and its appeal will remain limited to a niche audience.

Based in New Jersey (though guitarist Pat Kliesch resides in Los Angeles), 3RDegree formed over 20 years ago, but disbanded after a few years after the release of two albums, discouraged by the lack of response from their intended audience. In 2005, Kliesch and the other two original members, bassist Robert James Pashman and drummer Rob Durham (vocalist/keyboardist George Dobbs would join them later), met again with a view to reforming the band, taking advantage of those opportunities offered by the Internet that were not yet fully available in the mid-Nineties. The result was Narrow-Caster, released in the first half of 2008, mostly comprising material that had been conceived prior to the band’s demise in 1997, but completely rearranged for the occasion.

The reactions of the ‘prog community’ to the album have been somewhat mixed, as illustrated by the many reviews published since its release. Although 3RDegree have always proclaimed their love of progressive rock (as stated by the quote I used as a heading, which is proudly emblazoned on the band’s official T-shirt), the influences they list on their Facebook page point to a very eclectic bunch of musicians – with the likes of Rush, Level 42, Genesis and Stevie Wonder mentioned in the same breath. In fact, labelling 3RDegree as a ‘conventional’ prog band would do them a serious disservice: they should rather be counted among the rightful heirs of legendary genre-bending outfits such as 10cc, Supertramp, Roxy Music and Queen. These bands and others, pioneers of the much-debated genre called Art Rock, are seen by some as little more than marginally related to prog, by others as no less progressive than icons such as Yes or Genesis.

For today’s standards, Narrow-Caster is a short album, with no track longer than 5-odd minutes. Chock-full of hooks and melodies that would be the envy of many bigger-name bands, it is one of those independent releases that manage to sound like a million dollars. While the label-happy brigade (the ones that always wonder if a band, artist or album is prog or not before they say anything else) might frown and turn up their noses, at the beginning of the 21^st century, with progressive rock in all its manifestations enjoying an almost unexpected Renaissance, an increasing number of outfits have rediscovered the importance of a well-crafted song as opposed to sprawling, patchy  and often terminally boring epics. 3RDegree are part of a solid, though not too large, contingent of bands who do not believe that ‘pop’ is always a bad word, and who deliver consistently intelligent, classy music without the need to release a whopping 80 minutes of it.

While all the members of 3RDegree are gifted musicians, creating rich sonic textures without anyone seeking to outdo the other, the band’s real ace in the hole is George Dobbs’ absolutely stunning voice (which, I am happy to say, sounds every bit as good live as it does on CD). Though I have seen it compared to the likes of Michael Jackson, in my view the closest comparison are Glenn Hughes (of Trapeze, Deep Purple and, more recently, Black Country Communion fame), and of course Stevie Wonder. George’s versatile, soul-infused tenor can shift from soothing to aggressive in the space of a single song, stamping his unique imprint on the band’s music without overwhelming it. 3RDegree’s love of classic prog acts such as Yes and Gentle Giant – as well as The Beatles and the hard-to-pinpoint King’s X – shines through the superb vocal harmonies that grace most of the songs.

The album kicks off in high gear with “Apophenia”, an intriguing mid-tempo with echoes of Rush in the guitar parts that immediately introduces the listener to 3RDegree’s heady blend of aggressive, catchy and atmospheric elements. Dobbs delivers the thought-provoking lyrics, belying the apparently carefree tone of the music (something perfected by the likes of Steely Dan and Supertramp, to name but two) in impassioned yet perfectly controlled fashion. The Steely Dan comparisons rear their head in the splendid “It Works”, my favourite number on the album, with excellent guitar and keyboard work bolstered by Pashman’s nimble bass lines, and one of Dobbs’ finest moments together with the energetic “Free for All” – where a deceptively blissful chorus is offset by the spiky, riff-heavy electricity of the verse.

While the title-track and the smooth, jazz- and soul-tinged “Scenery” showcase 3RDegree’s more accessible side, with plenty of catchy vocal harmonies and laid-back melodies, the short but punchy “The Proverbial Banana Peel” sees the band experiment with both electronics and metal-like power chords The nicely-paced “Cautionary Tale” delivers a biting indictment of religious fanaticism through almost seductive vocals and an atmospheric guitar solo, and “Live With This Forever” marries a great hook, supported by Dobbs’ stellar performance both on vocals and keyboards, with some harder-edged guitar work. “Young Once” and “The Last Gasp”, on the other hand, are probably the two songs where the constantly lurking progressive component of 3RDegree’s sound emerges most clearly: the former, a wistful number in the Steely Dan vein, unexpectedly features a lovely, ambient-like bridge; while the latter closes the album in style with a brilliant combination of dreamy vocals, Rush-like guitar riffs and a majestic, orchestra-backed, bass- and keyboards-led coda that brings Yes to mind.

If you are looking for music that successfully combines accessibility, great musicianship and stunning vocals, look no further than Narrow-Caster, definitely one of the best releases of the first decade of the 21^st century – regardless of labels.  In a perfect world, these guys would be stars, since it takes a whole lot of skill and dedication to write music that is at the same time approachable and sophisticated. At the time of writing, 3RDegree are working on their fourth album, which will hopefully be released by the end of the year. In the meantime, check out the band’s two DVD releases, The Reunion Concerts (released in the same year as Narrow-Caster) and Live at ProgDay 2009, capturing their performance on the small but legendary stage in the beautiful surroundings of  Storybook Farm.

Tracklist:

1. Apophenia (4:45)
2. It Works (5:05)
3. Narrow-Caster (3:09)
4. Live With This Forever (5:09)
5. Cautionary Tale (5:05)
6. The Proverbial Banana Peel (3:09)
7. Young Once (5:14)
8. Scenery (5:49)
9. Free For All (4:35)
10. The Last Gasp (4:57)

Line-up:

George Dobbs – lead vocals, keyboards
Robert James Pashman – bass, keyboards, vocals
Pat Kliesch – guitars, vocals
Rob Durham – drums, percussion

With:
Dan D’Elia – drums (3, 10)
Veronica Puleo – backing vocals (10)

Links:

http://www.3rdegreeonline.com/3RDegree/Home.html

http://www.myspace.com/3RDegreeNJ

Tuvalu – Tuvalu

Though at least nominally part of the celebrated Scandinavian scene,  Finland has always been somewhat of a mysterious object in the European context, especially as regards progressive rock.  In comparison with neighbouring Sweden, Finland seems to be better known for its wealth of metal bands – both of the extreme and the symphonic persuasion (names like Amorphis or Nightwish come to mind). On the other hand, the country’s contribution to the progressive movement should not be discounted – with Seventies bands such as Tasavallan Presidentti, Wigwam and Finnforest, as well as its later contribution to the RIO/Avant scene with iconic acts such as Höyry-Kone and their offshoot Alamaailman Vasarat. Thanks to Finland’s thriving cultural milieu, the level of musicianship of Finnish bands and artists is also quite high, and homegrown acts are likely to receive quite a lot of attention, in spite of the pervasive presence of mass-produced music from the English-speaking world.

Between the mid-Nineties and the beginning of the 21^st century, I spent almost six years in Finland, which will always hold a special place in my heart. It has therefore been a pleasure for me to review the two CDs that, at the end of last year, were brought to my attention by my friend Eetu Pellonpää. Although both of these bands might be easily defined as obscure, their albums offer as much interesting material as those released by higher-profile acts. In spite of their obvious musical differences (which will clearly emerge from my reviews), they have something in common besides their geographical provenience: they both have female vocalists, and they both sing in their native language – a language that, like Italian, is vowel-rich and adapts very well to being put to music.

A quartet currently based in the Helsinki area, Tuvalu (called after German director Veit Helmer’s 1999 movie of the same name) have been around since 2003, and released three albums  In spite of that, they seem to have flown almost completely under the radar of the numerous online publications dedicated to progressive rock. Though released in the early months of 2010, their eponymous third album has been reviewed mainly on Finnish websites, and a Google search turned out only a couple of comments on English-language sites. Tuvalu’s music, however, holds quite a few elements of interest for open-minded prog fans – the kind who do not balk at interpretations of the prog ‘language’ that differ from  the traditional symphonic one. Indeed, from what can be heard on this album, Tuvalu’s sound owes much more to The Mars Volta than to Yes or Genesis, though the influence of Rush and King Crimson can also be clearly detected. The presence of a female vocalist with a strong personality like Annina Antinranta is an added bonus. Annina (who is also responsible for the lyrics) is not an over-the-top soprano in the mould of her celebrated fellow Finn Tarja Turunen, but her commanding, confident voice can handle a variety of moods and styles.

All of the tracks on Tuvalu feature vocals, with the exception of the untitled ‘ghost track’ occupying the third slot, which is also the album’s only instrumental. With two tracks clocking in at over 10 minutes, and another at 8, there is plenty of ‘epic’ material to please those who are not satisfied by shorter, snappier offerings. At 58 minutes, the overall running time is quite restrained for these times, and allows listeners to take in the music without weariness setting in halfway through the album. Though the music as a whole tends to be somewhat on the aggressive side, with a powerful rhythm structure and supercharged riffing, the overall effect is nicely balanced by moments when the instruments create haunting, rarefied atmospheres with a definite psychedelic bent.

As previously suggested, the blueprint is The Mars Volta’s blend of hardcore aggression, wistful, Latin-tinged melodies and trippy electronic moods, with more than a hint of the steely, streamlined approach of King Crimson from the ‘80s onwards, as well as Rush’s marriage of accessibility and complexity. Opener “Tulevien Aikojen Luurangot” (Skeletons of the Future) combines a simmering sense of tension with rhythmic explosions that push the drums at the forefront; Annina Antinranta delivers her own dark, somewhat skewed lyrics with remarkable clarity and self-assurance. In the following number, “Parahin Nikola”, the intensity is tempered by more sedate instrumental breaks punctuated by spacey sound effects. The latter are the undisputed protagonists of the ‘ghost track’, which distinctly brings to mind the ‘noise’ sections of The Mars Volta’s 2005 album Frances the Mute.

In typical rollercoaster-ride style, the epic “Pimeys on Ystävä” (Darkness Is a Friend) – a tad patchy, yet fascinating – alternates bursts of manic energy with slower, more subdued passages that showcase Annina’s vocal versatility; the insistent, interlocking guitar lines conjure strong echoes of King Crimson circa Discipline. The second epic, “Fantasmagoria”, throws some doomy, Sabbath-like moments into its frantic, riff-driven, Rush-meets-TMV fabric. “Valkoinen Sumu Nousee” (White Fog Rises) features shouting, punk-like vocals before calming down a bit, while “Tulvien Jälkeen” (After the Floods) reveals the melodic, atmospheric side of the band, with muted vocals and measured, bell-like guitar sounds.

From the above description, it should be clear enough that fans of the more melodic incarnations of prog might find Tuvalu not exactly to their taste. Anything sporting a strong Mars Volta influence is bound to come across as an acquired taste – with the added drawback of vocals in a language that, for most people, is nothing short of impenetrable, and distinctive, grey-hued artwork that seems to reflect the brooding quality of the music. On the other hand, open-minded lovers of progressive music might do worse than to give this album a listen, and possibly more than one. Tuvalu can definitely hold their own on the ‘modern prog’ scene, and deserve far more exposure than they have got so far.

Tracklist:

1. Tulevien Aikojen Luurangot (3:56)
2. Parahin Nikola (5:02)
3. – (3:05)
4. Pimeys On Ystävä (12:59)
5. Tulvien Jälkeen (4:24)
6. Fantasmagoria (10:18)
7. Valkoinen Sumu Nousee (5:24)
8. Pakenevan Veden Voima (8:32)

Line-up:

* Annina Antinranta – vocals
* Antti Harmainen – guitars
* Jussi Oskari – bass, bass pedals
* Jussi Matikainen  – drums

Links:

http://www.tuvalu.ws

Positive Wave – Positive Wave

As pointed out at the beginning of the previous review, Positive Wave and Tuvalu share quite a few features: they are both based in Helsinki, have female vocalists, and sing in Finnish rather than the ubiquitous English. Here, however, the similarities end, because Positive Wave is definitely a different beast. There is nothing whatsoever that might remind the listener of Tuvalu’s brooding intensity on Positive Wave’s debut album, but rather a triumph of upbeat rhythms, joyful vocal performances and plenty of melody, with liberal sprinklings of folk and jazz influences that bring to mind other eclectic Finnish outfits like Piirpauke and Värttinä.

Though they have been around, in different incarnations, since 1998, this album is Positive Wave’s recording debut, released in 2010 when the band – always very active on the live front in their native country – finally found a stable line-up. Now a seven-piece, besides the more traditional rock instrumentation they also include saxophone and violin, like a mini-orchestra. As is the case of most Finnish bands, the collective musicianship is excellent, but the band’s real strength is undoubtedly Susan Karttunen’s stunning voice. While resembling Tuvalu’s Annina Antinranta’s  in pitch and tone, Susan’s singing approach is quite different, and fits the band’s musical direction like a glove.

When I first heard Positive Wave, I superficially thought they sounded like an above-average pop band rather than a prog one. Although subsequent listens  changed my opinion of the album, there is no denying that it is indeed very much a song-oriented effort. The songs, on the other hand, in some ways differ from the standard format. Some of them are downright infectious, and the overall mood of the album – reflecting the band’s name – is upbeat and uplifting, debunking the all too common myth of  the morose Finns. With a beautiful yet simple cover that hints at the love of nature that is deeply rooted in the Finnish psyche (also referenced in many of the song titles), the album comes across as a celebration of life – and one of the songs is in fact called “Elämä”, which in Finnish means “life”.

In spite of the catchy, song-oriented nature of the album, those features so highly prized by progressive rock fans lurk in the instrumental parts, while Susan Karttunen’s vocals blend jazz, pop, folk and even soul stylings in a heady mixture that cannot fail to captivate lovers of great singing. The unmistakable sound of vintage keyboards interacting with fluid, melodic electric guitar bring to mind Canterbury bands, especially Caravan (as my friend Torodd Fuglesteg pointed out in his review of the album), and the addition of sax  and violin enriches the sound and enhances the jazzy nature of some of the arrangements. There are no lengthy numbers of staggering complexity: the individual members’ skills are conveyed in a subtle, tasteful fashion, best exemplified by the twists and turns of the longest track, “Huominen Ei Lopu Koskaan” (Tomorrow Never Ends), a jazzy offering chock full of great keyboard and sax passages, brisk percussion, muted guitar, and, of course, excellent vocals.

While Opener “Helmi” (Pearl) leans more towards the folksy side of things, with jangling, Celtic-tinged guitar, “Valkoinen Huone” (White Room) is an elegant number with echoes of Steely Dan’s classy style, especially in the opening section, and “Siniset Laineet” (Blue Waves) brings back comparisons with Caravan’s unique mix of accessibility and progressive sensibilities. As can be expected, not all of the 11 tracks are equally successful, and towards the end the album tends to drag a bit, especially as the material becomes more subdued and even slightly monotonous. Closing number “Viimeistä Iltaa” (Last Evening), however, though uncharacteristically subdued and melancholy, is in my view a good choice to wrap up the album, and the combination of violin and Susan’s delicate vocals sounds especially poignant.

Though not perfect, and a tad naïve at times, Positive Wave is a very interesting proposition for those who enjoy song-based prog as well as its more complex manifestations. While there is clearly some filler material, and – while not long for today’s standards – the album might have benefited from some trimming, the strengths of the band come across quite clearly, and their obvious enthusiasm and positive attitude (pardon the pun) bodes very well for the future. An intriguing find, and a must for fans of female vocals.

Tracklist:

1. Helmi (5:52)
2. Huominen Ei Lopu Koskaan (6:01)
3. Utuinen (4:10)
4. Sumuista Metsää (3:57)
5. Siniset Laineet (5:47)
6. Valkoinen Huone (4:07)
7. Kauan (5:11)
8. Päivä Kerrallaan (4:31)
9. Elämä (5:09)
10. Yli Niittyjen (5:18)
11. Viimeistä Iltaa (4:26)

Line-up:

* Susan Karttunen – vocals
* Jani Häggblom – keyboards, backing vocals
* Pekka Kalliosuo – guitars
* Ayhan Akgez – bass
* Henri Tuomi – drums
* Sini Palokangas – saxophone, vibes, violin
* Henri Onodera – percussion

Links:

http://www.positivewave.net

http://www.myspace.com/positivewave

Al Di Meola – Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody

Al Di Meola is lauded across the world of jazz for three separate endeavours (each a trilogy, coincidentally enough). The first is his trio of intense latin-fusion albums from the 70’s (Land of the Midnight Sun, Elegant Gypsy, and Casino), the second are his three albums with Return to Forever (Where Have I Known You Before, No Mystery, and Romantic Warrior), and the third are his three albums with the guitar trio of Paco de Lucia, John McLaughlin, and, well, Al Di Meola (these three are best known for Saturday Night in San Francisco, but they made two other albums together). Of this trio of trilogies, my favorite albums are Casino (solo) and Where Have I Known You Before (Return to Forever). Everyone seems to say Elegant Gypsy and Romantic Warrior are the best though, for some reason.

I say all of this simply to establish Di Meola’s credentials in your mind if you didn’t already know of him. That said, this new album is nothing like any of those projects. In the 90’s, after a string of relatively crappy 80’s jazz fusion albums (fucking synths!), Di Meola began a project called World Sinfonia. I know what you’re thinking, but Di Meola’s “world” music is super great. He combines elements of ethnic music from all around the world (with special focuses on Morocco, Turkey, Brazil, and a bunch of other cool places), and makes a symphonic jazz style that’s quite unique. Most of the albums feature heavy use of bandoleon, and the phenomenal percussion of Gumbi Ortiz.

Pursuit of Radical Rhapsody is in the same vein as these albums, but with some key changes. Di Meola employs the electric guitar here – on past Sinfonia albums he had been using mainly acoustic. Even when using an acoustic he shreds masterfully, but I would argue that the master’s true skill is with electric. It’s nice to hear him come home. It’s even better to hear him play in this style on an electric.

Overall the music is simply luscious. It’s hard to call it jazz because it includes so many elements of music from all around the world, but at the same time it feels like it has jazz’s spontaneously nature, even though the compositions are clearly intricately and purposefully designed.

Di Meola is Di Meola, and the guitar is at the forefront of the entire album. There’s very little attention paid to other instruments in comparison, so it’s very unlike the solo-driven genre of jazz fusion in that way. Other instruments still manage to be prominently displayed alongside the guitar, however. The main ones are the accordion, which does get a few minor solos (such as on the wonderful track “Michelangelo’s 7^th Child), but some sections even have bits of mellotron added for flavor. Throughout, the background is inundated with Gumbi’s latin percussion, which always flavor the music wonderfully. There are standard rock drums on occasion too, but everything is used in moderation, and nothing is out of place.

So this album is not for those of you who ONLY like the intensity of Elegant Gypsy, but for those of you who have a desire to see Di Meola in a separate musical era distinct from his older work. He wishes to see it that way, though he is known to break out his electric guitar in concert with his Sinfonia group to play some old classics, much to the delight of the audience. It’s great to see that he doesn’t forever try to capitalize on his most popular work like many musicians are known to do. A lot of respect must be given to him for this – forever trying to push the bounds beyond what we call jazz. I feel like he isn’t paid enough attention for it. Get the album, and try his other stuff with World Sinfonia while you’re at it.

Tracklist:

1. Siberiana 8:28
2. Paramour’s Lullaby 7:45
3. Mawazine Part 1 2:07
4. Michelangelo’s 7th Child 7:30
5. Gumbiero 6:18
6. Brave New World 1:54
7. Full Frontal Contrapuntal 4:52
8. That Way Before 3:06
9. Fireflies 4:01
10. Destination Gonzalo 5:16
11. Bona 6:00
12. Radical Rhapsody 5:02
13. Strawberry Fields 4:09
14. Mawazine Part 2 2:54
15. Over the Rainbow 3:04

Line-up:

* Al Di Meola – Guitars
* Fausto Beccalossi – Accordian
* Kevin Seddiki – Guitars
* Victor Miranda – Bass Guitar
* Peter Kazsas – Drums
* Gumbi Ortiz – cajon and assorted hand percussion

Guests:

* Mino Cinelu – Percussion on 3 and 14
* Sturcz String Quartet – Strings on 4 and 11
* Gonzalo Rubalcaba – Piano on 5, 10, and 12
* Peter Erskine – Drums on 10 and 12
* Charlie Haden – Bass on 13 and 15

Next Page »