Zaum: Materialismus (2012)

If I understand matters correctly, Italian band ZAUM started out in the 1970's, disbanded without ever releasing any material and then reformed with a new line-up in the 1990's. Prior to disbanding again in 2000 they recorded an album's worth of material that had been awaiting release for a good few years. But thanks to Italian label Psych Up Melodies "Materialismus" was finally made available to the public at large in 2012.

And it is a fairly innovative production we're dealing with in this case. An album of the kind that is just as hard to describe as to place within a specific context, and those keen on organizing their music into a fixed predescribed category will get a serious migraine from this one. Eclectic is something of a key word I guess.

The core of the band appears to be 70's jazzrock however, and liberally flavoured with funk at that. Intricate, energetic drum patterns and Latin-flavourd percussion are mainstay elements, supplemented by driving funky bass motifs that occasionally strays close to P-funk territories if I my impressions and music history is more or less correct, with sometimes gentle, sometimes lazy and occasionally psych-flavoured jazz rock guitar licks added to the proceedings. And on top, a lead vocalist that can shout like a brother from Harlem just as easy as smoothly and harmonic can produce lead vocals that would fit in gentle, emotional folk music. Add in occasional tribal inspired rhythm sections and backing vocal effects as well as subtle, eerie sound effects and you cover this bands repertoire quite nicely. Almost.

An additional factor brought into play here are dramatic inserts. Just about when you're used to the amalgam described above, then Zaum decides to shift gears, adding dark-toned, haunting and most often massive guitar riffs to the proceedings. Sometimes briefly for dramatic effect, sometimes as an elongated feature, other times they develop back to the opening theme(s) again from this brutal intermission and they also utilize as an effect switching between the gentle and harder part of their sonic palette. Unpredictable is a word that does indeed come to mind.

The interesting bit is that it works pretty well too. Best of all on Mò l'omme in my personal opinion, and the slightly subtler use of dramatic effects for the live take of Ombra Roce that ends this disc is another piece I'd pull forth as an example of this band at their very, very best.

The subtly psych and world music tinged jazzrock of Zaum, complete with dramatic metal-oriented inserts, isn't a package that will interest anyone, the sheer eclectic nature of this production will most likely limit their core audience quite a lot. But those who generally find themselves intrigued by innovative, creative exploits that look at genre convictions as boundaries to be broken down and uniform stylistic expressions as an enemy that needs to be eradicated should try out this production for size. It should suit those who identify themselves with such a description quite nicely.

My rating: 78/100

Track list:
1. Ma Pure
2. Inte
3. Ombra Roce
4. Materialismus
5. Il Cerchio Rosso
6. Glob
7. Mo L'omme
8. Viecchie (Live)
9. Ombra Roce (Live)

Spagyrikerna: Stekel (2012)

Swedish band SPAGYRIKERNA started out as The Spagyrics back in 2009 and since then they have released two singles and two EPs on the bandcamp website. 2012 see the band opting for a slight change in name and the release of their first single under their revised moniker, and as with the current band name the song is an all Swedish affair. It is also their first release through newly formed label White Line Recordings.

The track in question, Stekel, is a nice and effective piece of mainstream oriented rock music. Based around melodic lead vocals with an emotional delivery and an anthemic, singalong inspiring chorus. A driving drum pattern fuels pace and momentum quite nicely, with a driving bass guitar motif added for the chorus, while dampened plucked guitar licks and careful, frail keyboard sounds adds a gentler touch to the proceedings. Following a couple of runs through this setup Sekel takes a left turn to a calmer, sedate final third. Light in tone, slower in pace and with a more distinct emotional palette all around. A worthwhile and effective piece of radio friendly melodic rock music overall, well suited to find favour amongst a mainstream oriented rock audience.

My rating: 80/100

Psychic For Radio: Standing Wave (2012)

US project PSYCHIC FOR RADIO was instigated by one Shawn Gordon quite a few years ago. Not too well known for his endeavours as a musician, but a guy pretty well known in the progressive rock community due to being the head of record label Progrock Records. A label that has been in operation for a good decade by now with 150 or so releases to it's name.

And with that description I suspect quite a few people will shake their heads and mutter phrases like "vanity project" or descriptions of a similar nature. Being involved with music and actually writing it and performing it does require two different mind sets after all, and when you're personally tied to a project as both the creator, performer and the person responsible for releasing it and marketing the item in question suspicious people will start asking questions and any marketing done will be regarded with a fair amount of extra suspicion. Human beings tend to be sceptical in certain situations by default, and this case is one that due to the total context will feed this negative part about being human.

And I have to admit that my own emotions inclined to the negative too. I'm just as much a human being as anyone else, and my initial thoughts were that I'd cater for this production in my usual manner and then check with the label owner just when it would be appropriate to release my thoughts. My own somewhat negative initial sentiments more a case of this production being in work for a good number of years and with quite a few alterations to the participating musicians admittedly, but I'm human enough to have reflected upon the vanity project line of thinking too.

My apologies for this elongated introduction, but as I have encountered remarks and opinions on this project over the years I felt the need to address those and my stance as a person and reviewer on them prior to getting to the heart of the matter. And a nice, brief summary of my opinions of this disc is that it is a surprisingly good one. Well made and well performed compositions that manage to get it right, at times brilliantly so, with just the token one instance of badly falling flat to the ground. Those concerned about style, and in particular those who generally prefer an album to stay within a limited, well defined area, might find "Standing Wave" to not quite be what they are looking for. But those whose musical taste buds are more encompassing might just find this disc to be a minor treat, quite a few will probably replace the minor with a major.

My personal highlights on this album are the two instances where Shawn and his compatriots decide to give progressive metal. Euthymal with it's intense emotional lead vocals, crunchy and aggressive guitar riffs with a fragile, lighter toned guitar motif effectively utilized as an occasional contrast to a tune that is fuelled by intense emotions more than anything else. later on Blood (Into Wine) visits similar shores, but now with cinematic sequences, swirling keyboard additions and finely controlled vocals that appears to be on the verge of emotional outbursts as the nerve provider, a composition with an underlying ominous aggression that yearns for a release that never truly arrives. As such a nervous, vibrant tension makes this track work wonderfully, as long as you're interested in this kind of music. It's also one of the relatively few times where I've been tempted to use a word like sneer - in a positive manner - about the lead vocals of a song.

As far as the rest of the album is concerned there are a few more moments of high magic to encounter. A really effective piano ballad in the shape of Once Begun, again with high quality vocals adding life and vibrancy to the proceedings, on this occasion given an effective helping hand in the shape of a gentle, underlying brooding synth motif whose dark presence does elevate what in other cases might have been more of a pleasant encounter. The following Blacken What Is Grey another fine specimen as far as ballads go, with lead and layered vocals again a driving feature that adds a lot of vibrancy to the proceedings. later on Get Me Out of Here also touch base with the gentler parts of the rock universe, although in this case due to the use of acoustic guitar only, as the song itself is anything but sedate. Again with highly effective lead vocals elevating the composition quite nicely, although the jazz-tinged bass motif does add a certain organic warmth to the proceedings in a very positive manner too.

One might presume by now that Psychic For Radio is all about vocal driven songs. Which to some extent is correct I guess. High quality vocals does make this production a better one than it would have been without them, but the instrumental arrangements are of a more than decent quality too. Pushing The One documents this aspect quite nicely, being an instrumental effort, and it will perhaps surprise some listeners with it's groovy, 70's tinged jazzrock orientation. Complete with guitars and saxophone enjoying their separate and joint solo excursions in a manner that does make a word like groovy come to mind. Elsewhere fans of neo progressive rock and music closer to what I'd describe as art pop will get their needs served as well, in tunes that generally hold a high quality. With lead vocals as a central feature, but those who find plucked guitar licks and emotionally laden guitar soloing to be of interest won't find this album lacking in any of those features either.

But the choice to give Alice Cooper's classic an electro-metal makeover Nine Inch Nail's style is one I suspect will be regarded as contested. Personally I didn't find this rather alternative take of this classic to be all that interesting, and it is also the one instance where I found the lead vocals to not merit a positive description. A matter of personal taste and opinion I guess, but I kind of feel that this is a composition that thrives on a basic arrangement, anthemic performance and lead vocals that demands a mean sneer to them. This take on Cooper's classic is much closer to the complete opposite, and due to that not to my personal taste at all.

Summa summarum, Psychic For Radio's debut "Standing Wave" is a surprisingly intriguing production. Good quality songs ranging from jazzrock to progressive metal in style, elevated by high quality vocal performances and clever instrument performance details. Packing a good emotional punch yet also providing minor details and a well worked out substance in general, and obviously with variety as something of a key word to describe the overall context. It's not a production that will intrigue all and sundry, and I suspect that a taste for good melodies and vocal driven compositions is warranted. But if you can subscribe to this and have a fairly liberal taste in music otherwise this is a CD I believe merits a closer inspection.

My rating: 84/100
Track list:
1. On My Own
2. Euthymal
3. Shed My Skin
4. She Knows
5. Blood (Into Wine)
6. Pushing the One
7. Once Begun
8. Blacken What Is Grey
9. School's Out
10. Get Me Out Of Here
11. How To Go On

Unwritten Pages: Fringe Kitchen (2012)

Dutch band UNWRITTEN PAGES first came to prominence in 2010 when they signed to US label Progrock Records and released their debut album: A double disc thematic feature called Noah. "Fringe Kitchen" is the sophomore creation from this band, a single disc only this time around and without the notable star aid surrounding their debut effort as far as guest musicians are concerned.

And it appears that the brothers Epe and their companions have made good use of the two years that separate their first and second production. The name of the game is progressive metal, no alterations there as far as general tendencies are involved, but the band appears to have honed their sound and scope to emphasize the strengths of their contributors this time around, as well as avoiding some of the more well explored territories of the progressive metal genre as an additional bonus. Or to put it like this: While fans of bands lie Dream Theater will indeed find familiar details on this production, I find many of the compositions and effects used to be closer to the likes of Canadian trio Rush this time around. And if anyone should ever wonder why some people point out the importance of Rush to the development of progressive metal as a stylistic expression, this is one of the albums I'd pull out to document their influence.

The opening cinematic effort, as brilliant as it is in it's own right, is an exception however. More of a cinematic creation with voices and cosmic sounds establishing a distinct mood rather than an opening statement of the band's refined direction. But from second track Asylum Tragedy and onwards Unwritten Pages invites us into their universe anno 2012 with style and the occasional natural swagger that naturally develops when a band produce material of the highest quality and can feel the magic flowing. Asylum Tragedy and Perfect Incentive the two occasions I'd highlight as the highlights of this production in that context, a perfect blend of calmer passages and harder edged, energetic sequences. Slightly unpredictable as is often the case with material of the highest quality, and compositions well planned to utilize the lead vocals as much as possible too. The vocal duties are credited to the Epe trio on this production, and while I haven't checked which of them handle the individual parts on this disc I generally found them to be pleasant, struggling slightly when the instrumental backing gets to be too demanding, as in final piece Auxiliary Influx. By and large the songs have been set up to emphasize their vocalists good sides however, and the aforementioned two songs are among the best in that department too, which adds an additional sheen to compositions that in creation and performance already are of the highest quality.

As this production unfolds the associations towards Canadian trio Rush grow steadily stronger. First and foremost due to the guitars, as the hard edged compact riff patterns used makes it hard not to get associations towards the likes of Alex Lifeson. And I'd suspect that the main guitarist of Unwritten Pages also have a bit of jazz knowledge, as I often caught myself associating towards funk and jazzrock too, but more in the faint traces and resonance department rather than a strong and distinct vibes one.

Otherwise the compositions are well made in terms of balance throughout. Calmer passages and pace-filled energetic ones come and go, as elongated features dividing the compositions into a few distinctly different parts or placed side by side in a nifty, logical and well flowing manner. Impact riffs and majestic arrangements are used sparingly and to very good effect, up to and including an instance where the portal to the dark and bleak universe of doom metal opens for a brief one-off visit.

If Unwritten Pages are among the bands that manage to establish themselves properly and carve out a good and long career out of their love of music, I suspect that their debut "Noah" will be referenced as the promising and ambitious first effort and "Fringe Kitchen" as the follow-up disc that showcase a talented act that show a fine and distinct positive development. To the point that I'd recommend fans of progressive metal in general to investigate this production, as I'm pretty sure that Unwritten Pages anno 2012 is a band that will be found interesting to the greater majority of fans of this style of music.

My rating: 82/100
Track list:
1. Hejo
2. Asylum Tragedy
3. Intoxicating Sweets
4. Perfect Incentive
5. Cloud Infinite
6. Terminal Defect
7. Kaleidemote
8. Wasted Land
9. Auxiliary Influx

Stereokimono: Intergalactic Art Cafe (2012)

Italian band STEREOKIMONO was formed back in the mid 1990's, and with their first two albums from 2000 and 2002 respectively they showcased to good effect that they were a good quality act of the kind that is hard to place within a set genre definition. Intergalactic Art Cafe is their third full length production, and was released through the Immaginifica label in 2012. Ten years after their previous album.

And while it have taken the band 10 years to create this disc, it appears that those years have been used well to develop their material. The core of the material is a curious blend of styles, with early 80's King Crimson and jazzrock as prominent details. Liberally flavoured with a touch of late 80's Rush and space rock. The guitarwork caters for the majority of the Crimson references, or perhaps Frippian would be a better description. Generally light in tone and playful in expression, with picked reverberating notes and quirkier wanderings utilizing a tonal range that often makes them sound a tad off kilter, in a nice and intriguing sort of way. Perhaps closer to the Frippian universe in sound than in expression, but with quite a few quirky and most likely fairly challenging escapades to enjoy too. And with occasional jazzrock references to boot.

But it's the steady and occasionally funky bass guitar that provides the majority of the jazzrock references. Solid, steady and energetic, and tightly interwoven with high quality drum patterns there's a solid foundation catering for momentum and energy quite nicely in the rhythms department.

Flavouring the proceedings quite nicely are keyboards of various sorts. Dreamladen Mellotron passages, cosmic synthesizer sounds and fluctuating keyboard textures with more of a symphonic character all have their place here, although it is the former two that are most commonly utilized. All of these details are used to good effect in solid compositions throughout, with a fair degree of diversity too. Generally light n tone and playful in expression, on relatively straightforward pieces like opening tune Fuga da Algon, with eastern inspired textures on Indian Breakfast or exploring theme variations as on three part mini epic Rebus. Slower paced, gentle dreamladen affairs gets a few spots too, with The Gnome on the Moon as possibly the most interesting of these, and they even play around with a few country and folk inspired recurring themes on Lumacacactus, a composition that also features classic space rock Hawkwind style and some clever, quirky Frippian inserts.

A high quality production through and through, Inergalactic Art Cafe should be a safe acquisition for those with a taste for space rock that avoids the most common stylistic expressions of that genre. And if you tend to enjoy music that have a few occasional nods towards the more accessible parts of King Crimson's early 80's productions too I'd suspect you'd find this disc to be a real treat.

My rating: 80/100
Track list:
1. Fuga da Algon
2. Space Surfer
3. Indian breakfast
4. Rebus: Il gioco
5. Rebus: La metafora
6. Rebus: La soluzione
7. Lumacacactus
8. The Gnome on the Moon
9. Zona d’ombra
10. Oltre Algon

Sergey Rybytskyy: In Labyrinths of the Soul (2012)

Ukrainian composer and instrumentalist SERGEY RYBYTSKYY is a guy with a lot of creative impulses it would appear. "In the Labyrinths of the Soul" is his second full length production of 2012, and it is a disc that holds a generally high quality too. Both in terms of material and performance. And as with his debut album, it is available through well established indie CD reseller CD Baby.

An overall description of his compositions is that they are neo-classical. Quite a few are purebred classical pieces performed on modern instruments, the trio of minuets all fitting that description very well indeed. Guitars, keyboards and careful use percussion are the dominating features of these creations, the tangents given just as much room as the strings to provide the haunting, melancholic moods of these constructions. Later on Nocturne is a good example of a creation exploring similar waters, but with guitar soloing a more prominent feature and the overall mod and atmosphere a darker one, emphasizing haunting over melancholic if you like. Or vice versa, depending on personal perspective.

The rest of the material generally falls under the neo classical metal description. Battle is perhaps the first of the more distinct pieces of this kind, this number a dark and energetic item that sounds like a refugee from Yngwie Malmsteen's studio. Later on title rack In the Labyrinths of the Soul explore this territory and related ones at length, and while this later item arguably is the most sophisticated on this album it's also the least interesting to my ears, the extended use of shredding in the first half of this piece a bit too overdone to manage to pique my interest beyond the stage of being pleasant. Otherwise Rybytskyy is skilled at constructing layered themes with many tightly interwoven motifs that maintains interest to a high degree, and is generally skilled enough to know just how long a theme or an idea can be explored.

Still, if you enjoy neo classical music in general and don't mind the occasional strays from rock to metal in this particular department Rybytskyy is an artist you most likely will enjoy. A tad to digitized in sound for some perhaps, but all in all a strong album of it's kind, featuring good quality compositions and performances throughout.

My rating: 78/100
Track list:
1. Minuet B-Moll
2. Mad Waltz
3. Memories
4. Minuet Es-Moll
5. Battle
6. Nocturne
7. Aftertaste
8. Minuet Des-Dur
9. Illusions
10. In Labyrinths of the Soul

Mudway: Some Strange Stories (2012)

Italian quartet MUDWAY have a history going back quite a few years, but they didn't start using their current moniker until 2009. "Some Strange Stories" is their debut album and was self-released in 2012.

And it is an aptly named album indeed. Strange music of the kind that I find to be rather difficult to describe too. Perhaps more intriguing due to the diversity of instrumental textures and effects utilized than to the quality of the compositions themselves, then again I'll have to admit that I haven't managed to explore this disc as thoroughly as would be warranted to establish that firmly. There are limits to how many times a busy reviewer can listen to a production prior to making a verdict of some kind, and this album is one that demands many spins before you'll be able to decide whether it's the music itself that entice or if it's merely the diverse constructions that intrigue.

In terms of style this is an album that probably fits into the art rock universe somewhere, and most likely within the corner of it that I generally describe as art pop. The melodies are strong and distinct throughout, often to the point of being hummable. The bass guitar and a steady set of rhythms are generally at the core of the proceedings, setting pace and establishing a generally catchy foundation for the vocals and additional instruments to play upon. Instrumentally wise, a frequent and recurring feature throughout are wandering piano motifs, most commonly given a subservient role in the proceedings. Describing the rest of the elements of these Italians escapades is what fits quite nicely into a description as difficult however.

Psychedelic inspired keyboard textures with a cosmic tinge to them are frequently used, generally towards the end of the compositions but occasionally also around the halfway point. Plucked guitar motifs similar to what is commonly used in neo-progressive rock is also an effect that appears now and then. As do chugging impact riffs bordering on metal on a few select occasions. While the vocals tend to have a slight avant touch to them, reminding me quite a bit of UK act Big Block 454 for this particular detail. Gently hammering keyboard motifs and occasional symphonic backdrops flavour the proceedings too, and alongside with the guitar work these details combined should probably see the band getting a favourable reception amongst a neo-progressive interested audience.

But when Mudway kicks off with a piece like Mud & Rubble, a creation that to my ears have ska in general and Madness in particular written all over it, then I guess this audience will find themselves a tad confused by the developments. Likewise with Caramel's flirt with new age and cosmic electronic music not that far away from some of Tangerine Dream's exploits, with a slight avant edge added to the proceedings for the heck of it.

"Some Strange Stories" is a perfectly named disc containing just that. Material hard to describe or put inside a well defined box, with strong and distinct melodies as a core feature alongside a rich musical diversity and what comes across as something of a tongue in cheek general approach. Innovative music for sure, and intriguing due to the sheer number of unexpected details to be found. The staying power of this album is one I'm unsure about however, it could be a brilliant item that will reveal it's strong sides over time and repetition or a novelty album whose impact will fade on frequent inspections. But whether Mudway's debut will turn out to be one or the other, it is a disc that warrants an inspection by those who tend to be fond of innovative endeavours. In particular by those favouring a high degree of diversity explored within a distinct melody-based context.

My rating: 63/100Track list:
1. First Night 4:02
2. Earthificially Intelligent 4:25
3. Mud & Rubble 4:28
4. Seeking to Believe 7:51
5. El Bombastico 4:00
6. Caramel 6:36
7. What Mist Takes 3:38
8. Blasted Imagination 6:06