Subscribe – Bookmarks

By on April 5, 2012

That mixing of different subgenres became a backbone for today’s understanding of progressive music is the fact that nobody is disputing, but not so many bands know how to fuse the genres that have nothing to do with each other. At least, today it’s obviously that weighing the differences of plenty of elements became, one could say, a starting point. Hungarian outfit Subscribe is one of the bands labeled as not easy to classify.

I received the band’s new album called Bookmarks quite some time ago and while it took me that long to come up with a review for this record, I have to say that I’ve been returning to this album dozens of time. First of all, Bookmarks is an extraordinary record in many ways. The album is designed as a digibook, with very very nice illustrations completing the booklet. Besides the album, there is also a DVD showing the band during the recording process of Bookmarks. The record is made of 11 tracks, including an intro called Gripping Portentous that’s giving the band a blast down to the closing tune Gay Rodeo.

Fusing variety of genres coming from progressive rock, death metal, thrash, core and technical, Bookmarks is crying out for a listener’s gluttony. With a knowing look, these guys know when to stop. Without forcing any of these genres, with an artistry of using them instead, Bookmarks is an ever-expanding release and completely unexplored ground.

The references of Queen, Fair to Midland, Dream Thater, OSI, uneXpect, Exodus, System of a Down and who knows what else I am missing here are clearly shown, but references are one thing, Subscribe’s craftsmanship the other one. Keeping their songs in averagely five minutes is stunning, considering WHAT is fitting the time frame.

It’s hard to pick any favorites from the album, all tracks are of equal quality and every of these tunes is bringing something new, while keeping the pace set by the album’s opener. Highly recommended!

Tracklist:

01. Griping Portentous
02. Anxiety Found Shape In Contradictions – Act II. Delusion
03. Anxiety Found Shape In Contradictions – Act III. The Final Relief
04. Bitter Boundary
05. Books For The Dyslexic
06. Orchitis
07. Ringside Seat
08. Álomtégla
09. Miles Away
10. Between Heaven And Her
11. Gay Rodeo

Links:

http://www.subscribe.hu/
https://www.facebook.com/subscribeband

Nikola Savić is a prog enthusiast, blogger and author, in addition to being the founder of Prog Sphere, Progify, ProgLyrics and the ongoing Progstravaganza compilation series.
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