Progressive Rock Review: Coloratura-WTF Was That?!

Release Date: June 1, 2024

Label: Melodic Revolution Records

Website 

I can explain what the band Coloratura is on their newly remastered version of WTF Was That?! It's wild, weird, and wonderful. Progressive rock as it should sound, with music with room to move around, change, and evolve as you listen. This album got a reboot because the band wanted to improve on the sound, which they did successfully with this vinyl release.

Side A opens with a short instrumental, "WTF Was That?!" It is an exciting beginning with strongly paced drums, some wah-wah guitar, and cascading sounds. At the end of the track, they say, you guessed it, WTF was that?

 

"Toy Soldiers" is a total shift in sound (big surprise, well, not really), with solid sounds and changing colors and emotions. The guitar cranks with a robust bottom end. The vocals are also excellent, and as the song ends, they sing, "They are just play things anyway."

 

"Flim-Flam Man" is funky and rocking as they repeatedly sing, "scum bag, scum bag," about the character. The flute is a good addition, giving it a more progressive feel. There is a funky bass run, and the guitar joins in. The vocals reminded me of 10cc, one of my all-time favorite bands. Once again, there is a good rhythm and backbeat. A mountain of sounds comes together at the end, extraordinary musicianship!

 

"Side Hustle" is one of my favorites. It starts differently (all their music is different but dissimilar to the previous track) as the flute arrives again to meet the guitar, drums, and bass. Some very cool vocals follow along. The rock-solid rhythm section continues to serve as the foundation for this castle of musical mastery.

 

"Lousy Smarch Weather" has some very complex music, with those 10cc-like vocals again and some interesting sound effects. As I mentioned at the outset, it's weirdly wonderful. The track gains momentum with an instrumental break showcasing the command of their instruments, providing one hell of an auditory ride.

 

"Away" takes a step to close out side A. They go mellow and acoustic, giving the listener another extreme change to take a bite of. You end up appreciating their diversity even more now as they turn out a 70s AM radio pop tune to blow you away, leaving you wondering what could be in store for you on the flip side.

 

Side B begins with "Palace of Blood," another instrumental opener, a monster of a song to keep your excitement and anticipation high; the opening bass line is strong, with cuts like a knife guitar accompanying it. The guitar adds more noise to the mix, and everything else happens simultaneously to give you an immersive experience. As the music ebbs and flows from softer to heavier, it becomes more complex with abrupt stops and changes. Some of the passages sound like metal, but that is all part and parcel of the package of this blockbuster track. Look at the title, and it all makes sense.

 

"SIMR" segues from the previous track with more instrumental fun. It sounds like a carnival of sound, noise, and color merging into the best ride at the carnival passing through; it's the one you keep going back to ride again. The vocals say, “Someone in my room,” the extended version of SIMR. There are remarkably progressive sounds, and then they close the door suddenly. It's over.

 

"The LSD No-No" starts with a bass line with some sophisticated effects. Then, a synth begins, and within a minute, it becomes a gathering of every instrument they can muster. Their stamp of change works well here, going from seemingly ordinary to the edge of strange. It makes sense after taking a hallucinogenic drug. It is exciting while they maintain their stand-up professional musicianship at each position.

 

"Mothman" is the perfect closer to this fantastic album. The legendary creature, or myth, or what? In this instance, he is a superhero. The bass begins, and the drums enter, followed by the flute, as the rhythm section grooves. The music is as quirky and strange as the story, which now seems appropriate (and always did from start to finish). It could have been a TV theme for a show like Batman in the Sixties. Some good guitar licks are featured, and the vocals have a definitive humorous inflection, making light as the lyrics fit along with the music. And wouldn't you know the last thing you hear on the last track is WTF was that?!

 

Coloratura is crazy good. If you like progressive rock with all the twists and turns, you must hear this album, preferably on vinyl. You can get your limited edition light blue splatter copy for $20 on Bandcamp now.

 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-TFOV Founder

July 31, 2024

Tracks

Side A:

1. WTF Was That?! (2024 remix) 01:47

2. Toy Soldiers (2024 remix) 03:49

3. Flim-Flam Man (2024 remix) 05:23

4. Side Hustle (2024 remix) 02:40

5. Lousy Smarch Weather (2024 remix) 04:27

6. Away (2024 remix) 04:37

 

Side B:

1. Palace of Blood (2024 remix) 05:47

2. SIMR (2024 remix) 03:18

3. Sleeping Giant (edit) (2024 remix) 05:14

4. The LSD No-No (2024 remix) 05:03

5. Mothman (2024 remix) 06:13

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Progressive Rock Review: Art in America - Cloudborn

Release Date: August 1, 2019

Label: Art in America

Website

Like a book, music can catapult you into an imaginative adventure. Art in America most definitely built their latest LP, Cloudborn around the concept of an alternate universe where all your troubles just disappear and the listener cannot wait for what may lie ahead.

The theme of experimental simplicity is fitting for this band as the band members started, as they state on their site, “in their living room kicking around some musical ideas with guitar, bass and some unusual instrumentation - … and a Japanese Koto.” Band members and siblings, Chris Flynn – lead vocals and guitar, Shisonee Flynn – harp, koto, tamboura, and vocals; and Dan Flynn – on drums and percussion, began the venture of artistry and bringing together the framework of a band. Soon, after adding Jim Kuha – on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Garry Galloway on the keys; the band was finalized and two albums later, Art in America is on the rise to become a part of every Progressive Rock N’ Roll lover’s collection and earworm.

“A Tale of the Unexpected” sounds like that of a videogame cut scene. It offers the listener a way to both, relax and get introduced to a realm of unusual instruments that typically is not included within Progressive Rock album concepts. The harp, an Indian piece called a tambura, and a Japanese koto are fused throughout the track list.

Much of the rest of the album gives off a blend of 80’s and 90’s Progressive Rock/Pop vibe. As soon as I heard the first few lines of “I Am I,” I felt like I was inside a Classic Progressive Rock or Action movie soundtrack music video. “Someday” hits right in the heart of any listener with half a sense of aspiration and hope. It proclaims that one day soon he (the singer), will get to where he needs to be.

Just take a look at this particular album art. It is of a vast and new unexplored world that leaves an imprint of a powerful image on the listener’s mind. “Drool,” on the other hand, gives the feel of a traveler that is in search of something but; no one quite knows what. The singer may just be wandering down an endless road. Rounding out the first half of the track list, “The New Swami” is one of those songs that you just cannot exactly place your finger on how to react. It contains elements of the tambura giving the tune some peacefulness. It is sung so brightly but, if you listen to some of the lyrics: “The new Swami smiles, as rubies turn to rubble;” the Swami is not as peaceful as proclaimed.

“Someone Called My Name,” is all about looking for answers. It’s a journey where all but, the voice he keeps hearing over and over again remains a constant in his life. We never do learn if he discovers who or what he has been searching for. Art in America goes back to a wild-western-type of a theme on “For Shelly.” It sings of coming to a realization of whom he had however, now she’s gone out of his life Trying to find any remnants of back to when he and his friend or lover back to simpler times, the singer is in a daydream-like state and the rhythm remains constant to maintain that feel of flashbacks. It’s a very mellow peace to bridge the album together, it almost becomes instrumental.

Going from an almost monotone beginning to an action-packed four minutes and twenty-one seconds, “Facelift” is a fun changeup from the rest of the record. It feels like the singer or the listener could be charging up to something blending with a somewhat mystical sound towards the end. It becomes one of the standout tracks on the album for the simple reason that it brings some life and rejuvenation back into the record; like a reawakening of sorts.

The last three tracks create their own personalities. “Don’t Look Down” keeps with the upbeat sequence of the prior track. It’s guitar solo, is on the shorter side but, still offers what every Progressive Rock lover desires, a pure shred of the strings through your speakers. “No Wonder” finds its way on this record perfectly as its unique sound, almost like a movie scene, or story time sequence. The lyrics do not reflect much in terms of positivity because the man in question has made some mistake that he cannot seem to identify but, she knows quite well what he did. It’s the typical couples’ flare-up of arguments, disagreements, and sometimes breakup. Finally, taking a look at the last track “Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind,” it is truly an ideal finale to a perfect Progressive Rock album. It begins slow and swing-like, then, by the time it gets to “Mind’s Eye,” it blossoms into an up-tempo grand finish to make the listener feel as though they are leaving the concert of their life.

Cloudborn is that album that defines experimental. It pushes all types of Progressive Rock boundaries and draws the ear of various listeners. If you are looking for a record that makes you daydream, that makes you feel good overall, and that can turn any day around; this is the album for you. Often, Progressive Rock is misconstrued as angry – when commonly dealing with Metal, or disturbed when playing a bunch of Alternative artists; there’s a third avenue of eclectic and experimental sound that can accompany a typically positive intonation.

Key tracks include: “A Tale of the Unexpected,” “The New Swami,” and “No Wonder.”

Gregg Keniston- MuzikMan.net Staff

February 15, 2020

Reviews Provided By:

The Final on Vinyl

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

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Track Listing: 
01. A Tale of the Unexpected
02. I Am I
03. Someday
04. Drool
05. The New Swami
06. Someone Called My Name
07. For Shelly
08. When We Were Young
09. Facelift
10. Don't Look Down
11. No Wonder
12. Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind

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Progressive Rock Review: Art in America - Cloudborn

Release Date:August 1, 2019

Label: Art in America

Website

Like a book, music can catapult you into an imaginative adventure. Art in America most definitely built their latest LP, Cloudborn around the concept of an alternate universe where all your troubles just disappear and the listener cannot wait for what may lie ahead.

The theme of experimental simplicity is fitting for this band as the band members started, as they state on their site, “in their living room kicking around some musical ideas with guitar, bass and some unusual instrumentation - … and a Japanese Koto.” Band members and siblings, Chris Flynn – lead vocals and guitar, Shisonee Flynn – harp, koto, tamboura, and vocals; and Dan Flynn – on drums and percussion, began the venture of artistry and bringing together the framework of a band. Soon, after adding Jim Kuha – on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Garry Galloway on the keys; the band was finalized and two albums later, Art in America is on the rise to become a part of every Progressive Rock N’ Roll lover’s collection and earworm.

“A Tale of the Unexpected” sounds like that of a videogame cut scene. It offers the listener a way to both, relax and get introduced to a realm of unusual instruments that typically is not included within Progressive Rock album concepts. The harp, an Indian piece called a tambura, and a Japanese koto are fused throughout the track list.

Much of the rest of the album gives off a blend of 80’s and 90’s Progressive Rock/Pop vibe. As soon as I heard the first few lines of “I Am I,” I felt like I was inside a Classic Progressive Rock or Action movie soundtrack music video. “Someday” hits right in the heart of any listener with half a sense of aspiration and hope. It proclaims that one day soon he (the singer), will get to where he needs to be.

Just take a look at this particular album art. It is of a vast and new unexplored world that leaves an imprint of a powerful image on the listener’s mind. “Drool,” on the other hand, gives the feel of a traveler that is in search of something but; no one quite knows what. The singer may just be wandering down an endless road. Rounding out the first half of the track list, “The New Swami” is one of those songs that you just cannot exactly place your finger on how to react. It contains elements of the tambura giving the tune some peacefulness. It is sung so brightly but, if you listen to some of the lyrics: “The new Swami smiles, as rubies turn to rubble;” the Swami is not as peaceful as proclaimed.

“Someone Called My Name,” is all about looking for answers. It’s a journey where all but, the voice he keeps hearing over and over again remains a constant in his life. We never do learn if he discovers who or what he has been searching for. Art in America goes back to a wild-western-type of a theme on “For Shelly.” It sings of coming to a realization of whom he had however, now she’s gone out of his life Trying to find any remnants of back to when he and his friend or lover back to simpler times, the singer is in a daydream-like state and the rhythm remains constant to maintain that feel of flashbacks. It’s a very mellow peace to bridge the album together, it almost becomes instrumental.

Going from an almost monotone beginning to an action-packed four minutes and twenty-one seconds, “Facelift” is a fun changeup from the rest of the record. It feels like the singer or the listener could be charging up to something blending with a somewhat mystical sound towards the end. It becomes one of the standout tracks on the album for the simple reason that it brings some life and rejuvenation back into the record; like a reawakening of sorts.

The last three tracks create their own personalities. “Don’t Look Down” keeps with the upbeat sequence of the prior track. It’s guitar solo, is on the shorter side but, still offers what every Progressive Rock lover desires, a pure shred of the strings through your speakers. “No Wonder” finds its way on this record perfectly as its unique sound, almost like a movie scene, or story time sequence. The lyrics do not reflect much in terms of positivity because the man in question has made some mistake that he cannot seem to identify but, she knows quite well what he did. It’s the typical couples’ flare-up of arguments, disagreements, and sometimes breakup. Finally, taking a look at the last track “Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind,” it is truly an ideal finale to a perfect Progressive Rock album. It begins slow and swing-like, then, by the time it gets to “Mind’s Eye,” it blossoms into an up-tempo grand finish to make the listener feel as though they are leaving the concert of their life.

Cloudborn is that album that defines experimental. It pushes all types of Progressive Rock boundaries and draws the ear of various listeners. If you are looking for a record that makes you daydream, that makes you feel good overall, and that can turn any day around; this is the album for you. Often, Progressive Rock is misconstrued as angry – when commonly dealing with Metal, or disturbed when playing a bunch of Alternative artists; there’s a third avenue of eclectic and experimental sound that can accompany a typically positive intonation.

Key tracks include: “A Tale of the Unexpected,” “The New Swami,” and “No Wonder.”

Gregg Keniston- MuzikMan.net Staff

February 15, 2020

Reviews Provided By:

The Final on Vinyl

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

Write A Music Review

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Rate The Tracks

Track Listing: 
01. A Tale of the Unexpected
02. I Am I
03. Someday
04. Drool
05. The New Swami
06. Someone Called My Name
07. For Shelly
08. When We Were Young
09. Facelift
10. Don't Look Down
11. No Wonder
12. Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind

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Progressive Rock Review: Art in America - Cloudborn

Release Date:August 1, 2019

Label: Art in America

Website

Like a book, music can catapult you into an imaginative adventure. Art in America most definitely built their latest LP, Cloudborn around the concept of an alternate universe where all your troubles just disappear and the listener cannot wait for what may lie ahead.

The theme of experimental simplicity is fitting for this band as the band members started, as they state on their site, “in their living room kicking around some musical ideas with guitar, bass and some unusual instrumentation - … and a Japanese Koto.” Band members and siblings, Chris Flynn – lead vocals and guitar, Shisonee Flynn – harp, koto, tamboura, and vocals; and Dan Flynn – on drums and percussion, began the venture of artistry and bringing together the framework of a band. Soon, after adding Jim Kuha – on bass guitar and backing vocals, and Garry Galloway on the keys; the band was finalized and two albums later, Art in America is on the rise to become a part of every Progressive Rock N’ Roll lover’s collection and earworm.

“A Tale of the Unexpected” sounds like that of a videogame cut scene. It offers the listener a way to both, relax and get introduced to a realm of unusual instruments that typically is not included within Progressive Rock album concepts. The harp, an Indian piece called a tambura, and a Japanese koto are fused throughout the track list.

Much of the rest of the album gives off a blend of 80’s and 90’s Progressive Rock/Pop vibe. As soon as I heard the first few lines of “I Am I,” I felt like I was inside a Classic Progressive Rock or Action movie soundtrack music video. “Someday” hits right in the heart of any listener with half a sense of aspiration and hope. It proclaims that one day soon he (the singer), will get to where he needs to be.

Just take a look at this particular album art. It is of a vast and new unexplored world that leaves an imprint of a powerful image on the listener’s mind. “Drool,” on the other hand, gives the feel of a traveler that is in search of something but; no one quite knows what. The singer may just be wandering down an endless road. Rounding out the first half of the track list, “The New Swami” is one of those songs that you just cannot exactly place your finger on how to react. It contains elements of the tambura giving the tune some peacefulness. It is sung so brightly but, if you listen to some of the lyrics: “The new Swami smiles, as rubies turn to rubble;” the Swami is not as peaceful as proclaimed.

“Someone Called My Name,” is all about looking for answers. It’s a journey where all but, the voice he keeps hearing over and over again remains a constant in his life. We never do learn if he discovers who or what he has been searching for. Art in America goes back to a wild-western-type of a theme on “For Shelly.” It sings of coming to a realization of whom he had however, now she’s gone out of his life Trying to find any remnants of back to when he and his friend or lover back to simpler times, the singer is in a daydream-like state and the rhythm remains constant to maintain that feel of flashbacks. It’s a very mellow peace to bridge the album together, it almost becomes instrumental.

Going from an almost monotone beginning to an action-packed four minutes and twenty-one seconds, “Facelift” is a fun changeup from the rest of the record. It feels like the singer or the listener could be charging up to something blending with a somewhat mystical sound towards the end. It becomes one of the standout tracks on the album for the simple reason that it brings some life and rejuvenation back into the record; like a reawakening of sorts.

The last three tracks create their own personalities. “Don’t Look Down” keeps with the upbeat sequence of the prior track. It’s guitar solo, is on the shorter side but, still offers what every Progressive Rock lover desires, a pure shred of the strings through your speakers. “No Wonder” finds its way on this record perfectly as its unique sound, almost like a movie scene, or story time sequence. The lyrics do not reflect much in terms of positivity because the man in question has made some mistake that he cannot seem to identify but, she knows quite well what he did. It’s the typical couples’ flare-up of arguments, disagreements, and sometimes breakup. Finally, taking a look at the last track “Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind,” it is truly an ideal finale to a perfect Progressive Rock album. It begins slow and swing-like, then, by the time it gets to “Mind’s Eye,” it blossoms into an up-tempo grand finish to make the listener feel as though they are leaving the concert of their life.

Cloudborn is that album that defines experimental. It pushes all types of Progressive Rock boundaries and draws the ear of various listeners. If you are looking for a record that makes you daydream, that makes you feel good overall, and that can turn any day around; this is the album for you. Often, Progressive Rock is misconstrued as angry – when commonly dealing with Metal, or disturbed when playing a bunch of Alternative artists; there’s a third avenue of eclectic and experimental sound that can accompany a typically positive intonation.

Key tracks include: “A Tale of the Unexpected,” “The New Swami,” and “No Wonder.”

Gregg Keniston- MuzikMan.net Staff

February 15, 2020

Reviews Provided By:

The Final on Vinyl

MuzikMan Productions

MuzikMan Reviews

Write A Music Review

Prog Progressive Rock Music Talk

New Age Music Reviews

Rate The Tracks

Track Listing: 
01. A Tale of the Unexpected
02. I Am I
03. Someday
04. Drool
05. The New Swami
06. Someone Called My Name
07. For Shelly
08. When We Were Young
09. Facelift
10. Don't Look Down
11. No Wonder
12. Goodbye My Love / Mind’s Eye / Peace of Mind

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Progressive Rock Review: Dawn-Darker

Release Date:  15^th April 2014

Label:  Lasers Edge

Website

The album up for review is another of those that might have slipped through The Ancient One’s net, as I had not heard of the band before. The band in question hail from Switzerland and are called Dawn, which did have a little voice singing away in the depths of my mind “Knock Three Times etc”, but this is definitely NOT that same band. Dawn had their debut album, Loneliness, released back in 2007 and now comes album number 2, Darker. Dawn join a little group of excellent bands currently producing great music from Switzerland, such as Zenit, Diaphonic and Divus, and the music that Dawn provide would sit happily in the symphonic prog rock niche.

Dawn is a 4 piece band with the members involved in the new album, Darker, being Rene Desgoumois (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Nicolas Gerber (keyboards), Julian Vuataz (bass) and Manu Linder (drums). The influences cited by the members of Dawn reads like a “Who’s Who” of progressive rock and includes Pink Floyd, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Van Der Graaf Generator, Caravan, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Isuldur’s Bane and Gnidrilog, amongst many more.

Darker is a concept album which, as the magazine adverts associated with the release state is, “riddled with the vintage sound of the 70’s.” The album is an 8 track offering with a total playing time of around 68 minutes. The penultimate track, “Lost Anger,” is the shortest at 2:22 minutes and the longest track on the album is “8945” which moves the clock on to 19:02 minutes.

The opening track onDarker, is “Yesterday’s Sorrow” (2:25) which sets the ball rolling with “church organ style” keyboards and shimmering drums merging into a mellotron/keyboard passage which makes you feel that you have been transported back 40 years or so. This is an excellent starting point to the album, which is then taken up by “Cold” (9:43) which introduces us to the very characteristic vocals on the album. The most striking feature of this second track however is the stunning symphonic arrangements, interspersed with some heavy guitar riffs, and the music weaves from symphonic to almost space-rock style sparseness. The title track, “Darker” (10:57) follows and is a much heavier styled track with the “flying synth” sound suggesting early Hawkwind overtones, but it soon evolves into heavy riffing guitars and stronger, more powerful vocals. Sections of more subtle retro sounding keyboards sit perfectly with the heavier sections. Beautiful soundscapes are generated by the more sparse sections of the music, where the gentle bass and guitar merge into keyboard passages. The shorter and much more quirky “Lullabies for Gutterflies” (4:33) stirs memories of bands like Gentle Giant and Yes, with some repetitive keyboards and a very simple hook melody.

The epic track, “8945” (19:02) would best be described as a moody, atmospheric tour-de-force, which is a slow builder for the first three minutes and then heralds in a superbly played guitar passage  which carries the track onto a full band workout. Stunning keyboards around the 6:30 minute point allows the track to start building again with some old radio commentary being heard. This certainly gives a little nod of the head to the sounds of Pink Floyd and King Crimson styled “noodlings” which around the 10:30 minute mark move the track into a much looser sequence of very atmospheric material which just about ends before it becomes “too much” and moves into Deep Purple keyboard territory, more mellotron and more radio commentary. The track moves into an extended repeated passage which slowly builds to end the track.

Track 5, “Out Of Control” (7:44), starts out like a straightforward hard rocker, but settles into a superb track with weaving guitar and keyboards, interspersed with a much more confident sounding set of vocals. Around the 5 minute mark, the sound drops away totally to be picked up by a subdued guitar and swirling mellotron and the return of the vocals. The track ends with the sound dropping down again leaving a very plaintive vocal. “Lost Anger” (2:23) is almost like a little band workout with keyboards and mellotron, very rhythmic bass and drums and a buildup into a symphonic section which then drifts away to the end.

The final track on Darker, “Endless” (10:43) is filled with the sound of Hammond organ passages interspersed with guitars and encompassing some excellent melodic arrangements. The ethereal, floating   keyboards that seem to be here and there in the mix are simply superb. 

On Darker, Dawn has successfully produced a stunning album which encompasses the retro sounds of 70’s progressive music but sounds fresh and up to date. The musicians show that they appreciate those early sounds and can shape them into a sound for the 21^st Century. This album should certainly grace the CD shelves of many prog fanatics so, it has the “One to Buy” sticker emblazoned across the front, and makes this listener eager to track down the debut album and also keep an eye, or should that be an ear, out for future material from the band.

4.5/5 Stars

 

Key Tracks: Cold, Darker, 8945

Tracks: 
Yesterday’s Sorrow
Cold
Darker
Lullabies for Gutterflies
8945
Out Of Control
Lost Anger
Endless
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

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Progressive Rock Review: Dawn-Darker

Release Date:  15^th April 2014

Label:  Lasers Edge

Website

The album up for review is another of those that might have slipped through The Ancient One’s net, as I had not heard of the band before. The band in question hail from Switzerland and are called Dawn, which did have a little voice singing away in the depths of my mind “Knock Three Times etc”, but this is definitely NOT that same band. Dawn had their debut album, Loneliness, released back in 2007 and now comes album number 2, Darker. Dawn join a little group of excellent bands currently producing great music from Switzerland, such as Zenit, Diaphonic and Divus, and the music that Dawn provide would sit happily in the symphonic prog rock niche.

Dawn is a 4 piece band with the members involved in the new album, Darker, being Rene Desgoumois (vocals, electric and acoustic guitars), Nicolas Gerber (keyboards), Julian Vuataz (bass) and Manu Linder (drums). The influences cited by the members of Dawn reads like a “Who’s Who” of progressive rock and includes Pink Floyd, Genesis, Led Zeppelin, Van Der Graaf Generator, Caravan, Jethro Tull, King Crimson, Isuldur’s Bane and Gnidrilog, amongst many more.

Darker is a concept album which, as the magazine adverts associated with the release state is, “riddled with the vintage sound of the 70’s.” The album is an 8 track offering with a total playing time of around 68 minutes. The penultimate track, “Lost Anger,” is the shortest at 2:22 minutes and the longest track on the album is “8945” which moves the clock on to 19:02 minutes.

The opening track onDarker, is “Yesterday’s Sorrow” (2:25) which sets the ball rolling with “church organ style” keyboards and shimmering drums merging into a mellotron/keyboard passage which makes you feel that you have been transported back 40 years or so. This is an excellent starting point to the album, which is then taken up by “Cold” (9:43) which introduces us to the very characteristic vocals on the album. The most striking feature of this second track however is the stunning symphonic arrangements, interspersed with some heavy guitar riffs, and the music weaves from symphonic to almost space-rock style sparseness. The title track, “Darker” (10:57) follows and is a much heavier styled track with the “flying synth” sound suggesting early Hawkwind overtones, but it soon evolves into heavy riffing guitars and stronger, more powerful vocals. Sections of more subtle retro sounding keyboards sit perfectly with the heavier sections. Beautiful soundscapes are generated by the more sparse sections of the music, where the gentle bass and guitar merge into keyboard passages. The shorter and much more quirky “Lullabies for Gutterflies” (4:33) stirs memories of bands like Gentle Giant and Yes, with some repetitive keyboards and a very simple hook melody.

The epic track, “8945” (19:02) would best be described as a moody, atmospheric tour-de-force, which is a slow builder for the first three minutes and then heralds in a superbly played guitar passage  which carries the track onto a full band workout. Stunning keyboards around the 6:30 minute point allows the track to start building again with some old radio commentary being heard. This certainly gives a little nod of the head to the sounds of Pink Floyd and King Crimson styled “noodlings” which around the 10:30 minute mark move the track into a much looser sequence of very atmospheric material which just about ends before it becomes “too much” and moves into Deep Purple keyboard territory, more mellotron and more radio commentary. The track moves into an extended repeated passage which slowly builds to end the track.

Track 5, “Out Of Control” (7:44), starts out like a straightforward hard rocker, but settles into a superb track with weaving guitar and keyboards, interspersed with a much more confident sounding set of vocals. Around the 5 minute mark, the sound drops away totally to be picked up by a subdued guitar and swirling mellotron and the return of the vocals. The track ends with the sound dropping down again leaving a very plaintive vocal. “Lost Anger” (2:23) is almost like a little band workout with keyboards and mellotron, very rhythmic bass and drums and a buildup into a symphonic section which then drifts away to the end.

The final track on Darker, “Endless” (10:43) is filled with the sound of Hammond organ passages interspersed with guitars and encompassing some excellent melodic arrangements. The ethereal, floating   keyboards that seem to be here and there in the mix are simply superb. 

On Darker, Dawn has successfully produced a stunning album which encompasses the retro sounds of 70’s progressive music but sounds fresh and up to date. The musicians show that they appreciate those early sounds and can shape them into a sound for the 21^st Century. This album should certainly grace the CD shelves of many prog fanatics so, it has the “One to Buy” sticker emblazoned across the front, and makes this listener eager to track down the debut album and also keep an eye, or should that be an ear, out for future material from the band.

4.5/5 Stars

 

Key Tracks: Cold, Darker, 8945

Tracks: 
Yesterday’s Sorrow
Cold
Darker
Lullabies for Gutterflies
8945
Out Of Control
Lost Anger
Endless
 

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

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Progressive Rock Review: Gazpacho-Demon

Release Date: 1^stApril 2014

Label:    Kscope

Website

This was an interesting album to receive for review as I had been listening to it, and playing tracks on the radio show for a few weeks beforehand. Gazpacho, a progressive art rock band from Norway, has just released Demon, which is the 8th studio album to have been released since their debut album, Bravo, issued back in 2003. Regular readers of my review will have probably picked up on the fact that I am not comfortable with the constant need to squeeze a band into a particular labelled box, such as neo-prog (?) etc, but one critic described Gazpacho in a way that I find just a little bit over the top. The band were said to be “classical, post ambient, nocturnal, atmospheric, neo-progressive, folk, world rock, which should explain why I prefer to simply call it all, progressive rock.

Formed back in 1996 by childhood friends, Jon-Arne Vilbo (guitars, programming) and Thomas Anderson (keyboards, programming, producer), then Jan-Henrik Ohme (vocals), and later by Michael Kromer (violin, guitar, programming, co-producer), Kristian Torp (bass guitar) and Lars Erik Asp (drums, percussion), with the last three joining the band in 2001, 2005 and 2010 respectively.

The band initially released their material via the internet which allowed them to maintain full time jobs, but also release an album every year, over which they had complete control. With a growing fan base and an excellent output, Gazpacho signed to Kscope in 2010 and all subsequent releases appear on this label.

Demon is basically a 4 song album based on, what the band refer to as, “the mad ramblings left behind by an unknown tenant in an apartment in Prague.” The discovered manuscript seemed to form a sort of diary in which the author claimed to have discovered the source of an “evil presence” in the world. Some of the entries seem to indicate this unknown author had lived through the ages searching out this “presence.” The band felt that this seemed a terrific idea to use as the basis for a concept album, and ultimately it has taken two years to complete.

Although described as a 4 “song” album, there are, in effect 8 tracks, as some tracks have multiple parts. Demon has a total running time of around 45 minutes with the shortest track on offer, “The Wizard of Altai Mountain” clocking in at 4:52 minutes and the 3 parts of the final track, “Death Room,” the longest, with a playing time of 18:44 minutes.

Gazpacho is a band filled with musicians  that are masters of the art form referred to as “less is more,” in that they do not feel the need to overlay masses of instruments on tracks, nor do they try to play several hundred notes every second. The brilliance of this band is that at times they strip everything back to the bare minimum, but still provide a fantastic aural tapestry that the listener becomes inextricably woven into from start to finish.

The opening sequence, “I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 a+b” (9:46) is a superb example of stripped back, but deeply intense musicianship. The plaintive voice of Jan-Henrik together with a solitary piano starts this track, with “dark” strings building behind the voice. A short wall of sound accentuates that plaintive vocal before the track merges into acoustic guitar and strings, before dropping further into the stripped back mode, with the voice backed by gentle sounds. A slow building of sound behind carries the track into the second phase with a piano and a “descending” violin. A choir can be heard away in the distance over the superb solo piano passage before the guitar, bass and drums move things up a notch. Just after 8 minutes, the sound of the cello, together with a solo violin is all that can be heard, painting a scenario of loss and desolation (at least to me), and this takes the opening sequence out. An amazing piece of music to start this album, which makes the listener want desperately to hear what the rest of the album holds.

The shortest track, “The Wizard of Altai Mountain” (4:52) is more of an up-tempo styled track, but is still sparse in its composition, led along by that powerful emotive voice, before an accordion picks up behind the voice and then around the 2:30 minute mark, the song changes into a sort of accordion band, entertaining a crowd, with an amazing violin passage over the top of everything. Cue then the return of a more solemn accordion piece as it ends on an ambient note.

A return to “I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 a+b”, (12:30) is possibly more atmospheric than Pt 1. Voices, piano, muffled drums and bass carry the song along painting amazing aural landscapes as it moves almost serenely along until there is a little more urgency creeps in. Suddenly the music is replaced by an old “scratchy” vocal recording which moves into a piano passage and then a return to the full band sound, prior to the “normal” vocals reappearing. A short burst of the “scratchy” vocals merges into the superb violin/piano combination which leads into the second phase, and although very sparse, the atmosphere generated is almost electric. This is a stunning track which slowly gives way to the final track of the album.

The tour de force of this album must surely be “Death Room Pt 1, 2 and 3” (18:44), which starts very differently with some industrial noise and a repeated 3 note riff that is maintained in the background. Add in some “sawing” violin which weaves in and out, and the stunning atmospherics generated by this phase are almost beyond belief. Every so often there is the return of the superb piano behind the voice, almost like a “security blanket.” There is an almost choir-like soulful backing behind the voice at times. Bass rumblings move the track into its second phase and there follows an amazing violin passage together with strings which seems to flow and fit the track so well. The entry into the third phase of the track has another beautiful piano passage behind the voice and then a passage of piano with a guitar away in the distance. Bass rumbles herald the move to the finale and a return to the industrial noise that began the track, escorts it out.

 

This is the type of album that once it has finished you are required a moment or two to ponder over the enormity of its achievement. It is a truly stunning album that all Gazpacho fans are likely to go into raptures over, but new listeners to the band should give the album several plays, as it is very definitely a “grower.”

Demon is a very dark, atmospheric, engaging album that achieves all it set out to do. The band realize that aural soundscapes can be produced in what appears to be a very simplistic form, but this requires superb musicianship and a deep understanding of what they are trying to achieve. 

My advice is to listen to this album several times and then make a space for it on the CD shelf.Demon gets both the “One to Buy” and “The Experience will last Forever” stickers on the cover.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Wizard of Altai, Death Room Pt 1, 2 and 3

Tracks:I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 a
I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 b
The Wizard of Altai Mountain
I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 a
I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 b
Death Room Pt 1
Death Room Pt 2
Death Room Pt 3

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

May 30, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

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Progressive Rock Review: Gazpacho-Demon

Release Date: 1^stApril 2014

Label:    Kscope

Website

This was an interesting album to receive for review as I had been listening to it, and playing tracks on the radio show for a few weeks beforehand. Gazpacho, a progressive art rock band from Norway, has just released Demon, which is the 8th studio album to have been released since their debut album, Bravo, issued back in 2003. Regular readers of my review will have probably picked up on the fact that I am not comfortable with the constant need to squeeze a band into a particular labelled box, such as neo-prog (?) etc, but one critic described Gazpacho in a way that I find just a little bit over the top. The band were said to be “classical, post ambient, nocturnal, atmospheric, neo-progressive, folk, world rock, which should explain why I prefer to simply call it all, progressive rock.

Formed back in 1996 by childhood friends, Jon-Arne Vilbo (guitars, programming) and Thomas Anderson (keyboards, programming, producer), then Jan-Henrik Ohme (vocals), and later by Michael Kromer (violin, guitar, programming, co-producer), Kristian Torp (bass guitar) and Lars Erik Asp (drums, percussion), with the last three joining the band in 2001, 2005 and 2010 respectively.

The band initially released their material via the internet which allowed them to maintain full time jobs, but also release an album every year, over which they had complete control. With a growing fan base and an excellent output, Gazpacho signed to Kscope in 2010 and all subsequent releases appear on this label.

Demon is basically a 4 song album based on, what the band refer to as, “the mad ramblings left behind by an unknown tenant in an apartment in Prague.” The discovered manuscript seemed to form a sort of diary in which the author claimed to have discovered the source of an “evil presence” in the world. Some of the entries seem to indicate this unknown author had lived through the ages searching out this “presence.” The band felt that this seemed a terrific idea to use as the basis for a concept album, and ultimately it has taken two years to complete.

Although described as a 4 “song” album, there are, in effect 8 tracks, as some tracks have multiple parts. Demon has a total running time of around 45 minutes with the shortest track on offer, “The Wizard of Altai Mountain” clocking in at 4:52 minutes and the 3 parts of the final track, “Death Room,” the longest, with a playing time of 18:44 minutes.

Gazpacho is a band filled with musicians  that are masters of the art form referred to as “less is more,” in that they do not feel the need to overlay masses of instruments on tracks, nor do they try to play several hundred notes every second. The brilliance of this band is that at times they strip everything back to the bare minimum, but still provide a fantastic aural tapestry that the listener becomes inextricably woven into from start to finish.

The opening sequence, “I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 a+b” (9:46) is a superb example of stripped back, but deeply intense musicianship. The plaintive voice of Jan-Henrik together with a solitary piano starts this track, with “dark” strings building behind the voice. A short wall of sound accentuates that plaintive vocal before the track merges into acoustic guitar and strings, before dropping further into the stripped back mode, with the voice backed by gentle sounds. A slow building of sound behind carries the track into the second phase with a piano and a “descending” violin. A choir can be heard away in the distance over the superb solo piano passage before the guitar, bass and drums move things up a notch. Just after 8 minutes, the sound of the cello, together with a solo violin is all that can be heard, painting a scenario of loss and desolation (at least to me), and this takes the opening sequence out. An amazing piece of music to start this album, which makes the listener want desperately to hear what the rest of the album holds.

The shortest track, “The Wizard of Altai Mountain” (4:52) is more of an up-tempo styled track, but is still sparse in its composition, led along by that powerful emotive voice, before an accordion picks up behind the voice and then around the 2:30 minute mark, the song changes into a sort of accordion band, entertaining a crowd, with an amazing violin passage over the top of everything. Cue then the return of a more solemn accordion piece as it ends on an ambient note.

A return to “I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 a+b”, (12:30) is possibly more atmospheric than Pt 1. Voices, piano, muffled drums and bass carry the song along painting amazing aural landscapes as it moves almost serenely along until there is a little more urgency creeps in. Suddenly the music is replaced by an old “scratchy” vocal recording which moves into a piano passage and then a return to the full band sound, prior to the “normal” vocals reappearing. A short burst of the “scratchy” vocals merges into the superb violin/piano combination which leads into the second phase, and although very sparse, the atmosphere generated is almost electric. This is a stunning track which slowly gives way to the final track of the album.

The tour de force of this album must surely be “Death Room Pt 1, 2 and 3” (18:44), which starts very differently with some industrial noise and a repeated 3 note riff that is maintained in the background. Add in some “sawing” violin which weaves in and out, and the stunning atmospherics generated by this phase are almost beyond belief. Every so often there is the return of the superb piano behind the voice, almost like a “security blanket.” There is an almost choir-like soulful backing behind the voice at times. Bass rumblings move the track into its second phase and there follows an amazing violin passage together with strings which seems to flow and fit the track so well. The entry into the third phase of the track has another beautiful piano passage behind the voice and then a passage of piano with a guitar away in the distance. Bass rumbles herald the move to the finale and a return to the industrial noise that began the track, escorts it out.

 

This is the type of album that once it has finished you are required a moment or two to ponder over the enormity of its achievement. It is a truly stunning album that all Gazpacho fans are likely to go into raptures over, but new listeners to the band should give the album several plays, as it is very definitely a “grower.”

Demon is a very dark, atmospheric, engaging album that achieves all it set out to do. The band realize that aural soundscapes can be produced in what appears to be a very simplistic form, but this requires superb musicianship and a deep understanding of what they are trying to achieve. 

My advice is to listen to this album several times and then make a space for it on the CD shelf.Demon gets both the “One to Buy” and “The Experience will last Forever” stickers on the cover.

5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: The Wizard of Altai, Death Room Pt 1, 2 and 3

Tracks:I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 a
I’ve Been Walking Pt 1 b
The Wizard of Altai Mountain
I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 a
I’ve Been Walking Pt 2 b
Death Room Pt 1
Death Room Pt 2
Death Room Pt 3

Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-Sr. Reviewer Prog Rock Music Talk

May 30, 2014

Review Provided By Write A Music Review

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