Dream Unending - So Many Chances

Dream Unending - If Not Now When

Worm - Ravenblood

Worm - Midwinter Tears

Worm - Sea Of Sorrow

Dream Unending

Starpath (w/ Worm)

It's hard to rate this one because the Dream Unending side was pretty unimpressive to me (this isn't a band with which I am familiar), and pretty poorly produced. The Worm side, including but not limited to its production, however is absolutely great. I think this would have made a great EP for Worm, or if combined with Bluenothing, a solid LP. 64 (weak C) for Dream Unending and 79/80 (strong B/weak A) for Worm. Rounding to 70 (weak B) overall.

Ignition

Collision

Kali Yuga

Rackman

Collapse

Monkey3

Welcome To The Machine

Monkey3's album Sphere is one of my all-time favorites. Was eagerly awaiting this one. Bottom line, it's fine. But not as much energy, doesn't really expand on what they've already done. Still good, but I doubt I'll come back to it after 2024.

Mhar

Runaway Totem

Until this point, links to the Zeuhl genre were generally only found in France and were burgeoning in Japan, but here come an Italian band. Runaway Totem’s second album consists of two long tracks and piques the interest from the start with a classical trumpet fanfare turning into a sludgey Black Sabbath riff. The slow pace builds into a twin guitar attack with a host of male and female vocalists. The Zeuhl tropes of melancholy guitars, a mix of monotonous and harmonious vocals, and prominent drumming are all present, but there’s plenty of diversity throughout. Points of difference though are that the bass is less of a feature, and there’s also plenty of calmer synthesiser work too, in particular at the halfway point of the first track, where vocals are sung in Italian, in tune, and much more in RPI style. That passage lasts a full four minutes before slamming back into another heavy riff which slowly mellows out towards the end of the track.

The second track begins quite differently, with a four minute psychedelic soundscape to begin with, before a long and complex, but slightly repetitive guitar section. After some Zeuhly vocals there’s a fast paced classic-rock style instrumental passage which to be honest, goes on far too long. It’s eventually broken when the vocal ‘hey’s turn into some actual lyrics (in Italian), both male and female, with the latter fairly operatic in Zeuhl fashion. 

First track far more interesting than the second, but worth a listen nonetheless

あくまのうた

あの女の音量

フリー

Ibitsu

イントロ

無き曲

Boris

Akuma no Uta

I mean it's Boris, and loudness is kind of their thing... but this one takes it too far for me. I wasn't a huge fan of the studio version of 2002's Heavy Rocks, because it was too compressed for my total enjoyment, but I could sit through it without pause.

Akuma no Uta is basically Heavy Rocks, and in fact an even better album in almost all compositional and performative measures in my opinion, however, a good chunk of the album has a DR of 2. For reference, Metallica's Death magnetic has a DR of 4. Heavy Rocks also clocks in around DR 4 for most of the album, and even that was only barely tolerable. Akuma no Uta, however, is so compressed and everything is toned up so damned high it is literally tinnitus-inducing - I can't sit through the whole album at once for fear it will trigger my tinnitus.

I mean it's hard to make this complaint against Boris because they're flipping Boris and this is literally the point of the band, and while I love Boris as much as the next guy, this one doesn't do it for me, for the most part. There's no breathing room and I'm overwhelmed listening to this as it's just too noisy for me, which is a shame. In a similar manner, I found Boris playing Heavy Rocks live to be much more enjoyable than the Heavy Rocks album precisely because there was breathing room there. I bet, in a similar manner, I'd find Akuma no Uta much better in a live setting or with a live production - again, this album does Heavy Rocks better than Heavy Rocks did Heavy Rocks, and with that comes the "Heavy Rocks" production at maximum extent, which is the only aspect I don't like about it and pretty much ruins the experience for me.

The first seven minutes of the opening track, Introduction, however is impeccable, until it delves into a Noise track. While I love Drone Metal, I detest Noise, and the final two minutes of the song is excruciating for me. The two minute Japanese version of the track is outstanding from start to finish; too bad it's only two minutes, but it's also produced much better. Naki Kyoku also would have been tolerable for me if not for the last fifteen seconds, which caused me to rip my headphones off of my head because it's straight up high pitched guitar feedback.

Unfortunate. But I guess not everything in a hundred-something release discography by experimental musicians is going to be a winner.

For the record, I sat through the whole album over multiple sittings. It was not a pleasant experience, and not a good start to my new year. Again, my complaint here is on the production, not the musicianship nor compositions, which actually sees the band at some of their very finest. Will look for a live "bootleg" of the album.

Kaiten (Ningen Gyorai)

Drums Whisper Spacy

Rolling the Law Court

Partei

Rock & Young

Shige Et Osanna

Naked King

Happy Family

Eccentric, heavy, chaotic, avant-garde… skilful. Whereas Ruins, another proponent of Japanese chaos, often just sound like they’ve thrown a drum kit down the stairs and shouted about it, Happy Family’s brand of carnage sounds pretty well choreographed. Particularly interesting to me on a number of tracks is the style on the keyboard – at times if you listen to it in isolation, you could imagine it being used on a soundtrack to that era’s latest Sega or Nintendo offering. But then all of a sudden drums and guitars take over (maybe it’s the boss level?). 
The biggest challenge, although perhaps it’s a bit unnecessary, is pinning this down to a ‘genre’. Rock & Young, and Shige et Osanna are two examples of this eccentric and chaotic metal soundtracks to battles with Dr Robotnik. The first time you really think of Zeuhl influences is the intro of Partei, which is certainly a Zeuhl influenced Jazz fusion track with a really crunchy bass guitar that to me at least is a classic metal hallmark too. Rolling the Law Court though is more avant-jazz than metal (maybe it’s the Frank Zappa brass instruments?), before Kaiten Ningen Gyorai is back to the Zeuhl inspired metal like Partei.
Naked King – the 19 minute thumper – Zeuhl, RIO, elements of King Crimson, and still sounding like a Sega boss battle. It’s a slow burner with some seriously sludgey bass, but unfortunately being this long its actually the first time I’d pass on listening to a track again. The almost standstill pace increases quickly to a chaotic crescendo after 15 minutes, and the drumming in particular is pretty stellar. I wish they’d have ended the album here but instead we’re given a minute and a half of piano plinking and squeaky toy noises (drums whisper spacy a very misleading title).
With two tracks to go I was on the verge of giving this a really high rating, in the context of Zeuhl style albums, but less impressed by most of the last 20 minutes. Still, a low 4 stars, and a must listen for anyone exploring a niche genre, and who wants a way in via something slightly closer to metal in some of its style.

If Only You Came

Clappers

Colors

Left Foot First Samba

Fall Nights

Debka

Dinosaurus Jr.

F minor

ששת Sheshet

Sheshet

I was not expecting this album to be THIS good. Shame it's their only release.

Nothing short of stellar - a light and easy-going album, somewhere between Renaissance, Jethro Tull, and Camel, with some Osibisa-esque jamming and King Crimson level jazz-filled experimentation.

Upon first listen, I almost gave this a 10, and it almost became my very first ever 10, but the last two songs, Dinosaur Jr. and F Minor, dragged a little for me, with the former being too jammy for me and the latter meandering a little bit. Aside from that, a near flawless album, and an essential listen for fans of prog and jazz fusion.

Red Blanket

Eagle Plains

The Virtue Of…

Flatlander

Tramp Hollow

Notes of the Concubine

Eyota

Chateau La Barre

Serpentine

The Way

Ovrfwrd

There Are No Ordinary Moments

Privileged to have been sent this album by Chris Malmgren to review ahead of its release. Full disclosure, I’ve given Blurring the Lines a 5 star review, and StarStuff 4 stars, so I’ve gone in as a fan of the prior two releases, although not with fresh listens to them in mind! I’m also not a pro reviewer, nor is my musical vocabulary much cop…
 
Anyway… my review of the fifth studio album by American instrumental prog band Ovrfwrd. First thing to reference is the album cover, a zoomed in shot of an hourglass, which is great in its relative simplicity. Time, moments etc. The other point to make is that Ovrfwrd are one of that great number of bands that shouldn’t be pinned down to a single genre. Yes, generally heavy prog, but you’ll find Jazz, Space, Classical, and many other influences throughout. After all, the title does promise nothing ordinary...

Red Blanket – a really strong opening track, and a perfect example of where Ovrfwrd sit in the middle of a Venn diagram of Heavy and Jazz Rock. Someone with better musical ears will need to tell me whether there’s guest wind and brass instruments or whether they’re programmed in. The initial five minute section of this track is mid-paced, and really tight, with bass and keys playing almost the same melody alongside some really tight drumming. Guitars and the wind/brass instruments weave in and out throughout, the end result being quite the toe tapper! The pace get slightly faster for the final two minutes or so, in a passage more like a ‘standard’ heavy prog instrumental, before fading into a few trumpet notes. Very good start.

Eagle Plains – A notable track for how it takes a swirly, spacey opening into a short passage from 3 minutes which makes simple but brilliant use of the far left end of the keyboard in in combo with some deep growling guitar.

The Virtue Of – A good example of Ovrfwrd can bounce between styles but without it feeling like its happening just for the sake of changing it up. At the start of the track we have a slow building winding river type of atmosphere, which then goes through a couple of complex time signatures (complex for my daft brain anyway), before we end up almost in post-punk revival territory. Half expected Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand to pipe up with some surprise vocals. 

Flatlander – Possibly the closest thing track to a ‘standard’ heavy rock instrumental thus far, and in that respect a bit of an interlude.

Tramp Hollow – One track that does actually stick to the same pace and style mostly throughout, and perhaps because of the variety that came before it I sort of expected it a gear change that never really came. A great guitar solo though. 
Notes of the Concubine – Here is the gear change. After a couple of minutes of drifting guitar, we’re treated to some avant-jazz, deliberately slightly jarring and awkward. 

Eyota – the longest track on the album. I often take the time to review albums filed as Zeuhl which probably explains why I’m making this reference, but the opening two or three minutes here wouldn’t be out of place in an early Magma album, led by keys and drums and bouncing between beautiful atmospheres and more ominous sounding passages. Following that, the track ebbs and flows through a rich soundscape of ‘classic’ instrumental prog, complete with Floydian guitar solos, but never settling for too long in a single style.

Chateau La Barre – the transition from Eyota into this short track and then out into Serpentine is a little clunky if I’m honest. Chateau La Barre is a short electronic track, compared to the heavier sounds either side of it, which makes it seem slightly out of place.

Serpentine – That said, the heavy rock opening of Serpentine does get you going. The track alternates between heavier sections (still with some organ involved) and more complex jazzier passages.

The Way – A really nice track to finish too, starting with a great jazzy jam but drifting into a spacey sounding atmospheric finish. 

Overall, a great album. Loved a lot of it, but being hyper-critical I wasn’t as into tracks 4-6 as the rest, and I’m still a bit confused by Chateau La Barre's place in the album. But, I always think an instrumental has to work harder to stand out, and so a lot of credit needs to be given as in many ways it does – there are indeed no ordinary moments! At the high end of 4 stars in my humble opinion.

Nouveau Son

Levant

Nightwatch

Lilac

Momentum

Indajungl

Shibuya

Agitation Free

One or two may be surprised, they are delivering a really modern sound. This album proves that they should not be reduced to the vintage 1970's times. When the band could set a landmark concerning the development of experimental music, and hereby especially the Krautrock genre. It certainly sounds influenced by the album 'Malesch' and their early excursions to some French speaking North African ressorts. But some Far East flavour is coming up too while drawing obvious references to their 2007 re-union tour in Japan. Apart from new bassist Daniel Cordes the line up is still the same compared to the 1970 years. More than ever this is interspersed by a fascinating percussion work, and Michael Hoenig's contemporary electronic goodies, apparently resembling his experiences as a film music composer.

Norra El Norra (Entering the Ark) (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Mabool (The Flood) (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

The Storm Still Rages Inside (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Like Orpheus (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

The Kiss of Babylon (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Sapari (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

The Cave (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

In Propaganda (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

All Knowing Eye (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Brother (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

A Never Ending Way (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Birth of the Three (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Ocean Land (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

All Is One (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

In Thy Never Ending Way (Live @ Heichal HaTarbut, Tel Aviv 2021)

Orphaned Land

A Heaven You May Create

.......................................................................[redacted].......................................................................................................................

Descenso A Las Tinieblas

Insania

Resurgiras

La Oscuridad

La sentencia

Fuera Del Tiempo

La Nueva Alianza

Iluminación

Nexus

This band from Argentina has delivered a splendid new album, the production fulfills all the wishes of a Symphonic Prog lover. Especially to note Lalo Huber's comfortable opulent keyboard and synthesizer presence all the way through. Due to the dramatic organ this partially resembles an Atomic Rooster and ELP feel. Splendid female lead vocals on top, lyrics are in native language. Just let me file the music under the term Flourishing Symphonic Prog. Because the more I listen the more I'm enjoying the album.

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