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Indonesian project TOHPATI ETHNOMISSION is a side project instigated by composer and guitarist Tohpati (Simak Dialog). "Save the Planet" is the first production by this outfit, and was released in 2010 by US indie label Moonjune Records.
For those in the know, Tohpati's main band as well as the record label this production was released on will spell out one piece of information in rather capital letters, namely fusion. Simak Dialog is a well respected band exploring this type of music, and Moonjune Records have established themselves as a relatively small but highly respected label catering to the needs of connoisseurs of this genre. And indeed, Tohpati Ethnomission will not disappoint those who approach their album with these associations. Tohpati himself documents his skills as a fine, technically gifted and rather versatile performer here. While not as familiar with this type of material as I perhaps should have been I can't really draw to many comparisons to established and legendary musicians active in this field past and present I'm afraid. Al Di Meola was a name that came up from time to time however, Carlos Santana another. And on a few occasions, certain details made me think of Joe Satriani too, and one instance even good, old Leslie West. Those with intimate knowledge of jazzrock and fusion will most likely vehemently protest at such associations, but even if perhaps not entirely accurate I hope they will relay something about diversity. Which is very much a part of this disc, but on a detailed level rather than in dominant expressions and guitar textures as such.
But the guitar doesn't make an album alone, even if important. And the 11 compositions explored on this album are very much part of an instrumental whole. The suling (aka Sundanese flute) is used extensively, and is perhaps the most important instrument as far as crafting moods and atmospheres go. This flute has a pleasant and distinct sound, and besides adding a massive exotic presence to these excursions and seeing to it that reviewers can flaunt descriptions such as ethnic, folk and world music, it is also used extensively to either harmonize or subtly contrast the guitar motifs. Fairly often we're treated to elongated flute soloing too, with the guitar having more of a subservient role underscoring these particular proceedings.
Bass and drums sets the foundation as far as rhythms and pace go, with the bass given the freedom expected by a fusion project to roam and take on the occasional solo. But the regular drums are perhaps given a slightly more passive role for this band however, due to the extensive use of additional percussion. Kendang, gong and kenong the instruments, given the common description as Indonesian percussion, and again with a strong and distinct presence that will make veteran reviewers find synonyms and alternative phrases for the aforementioned folk, ethnic and world music descriptions. And the percussional details does venture rather far off from any subservient role too. Dampened yes, but in a fireworks sort of way. Kind of watching a gigantic cascade of different fireworks from a mile off. They dominate the skyline. A more or less fitting allegory for how Endang Ramdan's instrumental escapades function on "Save the Planet".
Apart from the occasional dip into territories too smooth and too slick I can't really find anything negative to say about this CD. And while I wasn't mesmerized my breathtaking moments of instrumental beauty either, that has more to do with my own taste in music than the compositions and performance I suspect. To my ears and my impression, this production should be an enthralling experience to most jazzrock and fusion enthusiasts.
Tohpati Ethnomission have crafted a fine album with "Save the Planet", and in addition to fans of instrumental jazzrock and fusion in general I suspect quite a few fans of good, old Carlos Santana might want to explore this band too. While the similarities as such are few and in approach more than sound, the overall mood and atmosphere is one I think might just make a positive impression also among that fanbase.
My rating: 75/100
Track list:
1. Selamatkan Bumi (Save the Planet) 9:07
2. Bedhaya Ketawang (Sacred Dance) 8:31
3. Drama 1:47
4. Ethno Funk 8:38
5. Gegunungan (Gateway of Life) 2:56
6. Hutan Hujan (Rain Forest) 8:42
7. Biarkan Burung Bernyanyi (Let the Birds Sing) 7:27
8. Inspirasi Baru (New Inspiration) 4:13
9. Perang Tanding (Battle Between Good & Evil) 8:16
10. Pesta Rakyat (Festive People) 5:10
11. Amarah (Anger) 2:34
Canadian band THE ANDROID MEME was formed back in 2005, and following a few chaotic years where they hashed out details such as a firm and stable line-up, they started writing and recording for their debut album in 2009. Initially planned for a 2010 release, this production eventually was made available in June 2011, courtesy of legendary US indie label Magna Carta Records.
Magna Carta is a label that is generally held in high esteem by fans of progressive rock, releasing one classic album after another and with an artist rooster that by and large are well known and established artists in their field. And even if other labels may arguably draw more attention to themselves these days, one does take notice of signings made by this long-lasting US label. In that respect, Canadian band The Android Meme have done well to hook up with these folks.
And to my ears the label have done a wise decision too I might add. Progressive rock and metal are types of music where a relative limited set of artists are the main influences for most endeavours, and it's always nice to come across someone who does seek out shores a tad more exotic. Which is very much the case here. These guys know their metal and progressive metal, be it staggering frantic riff cascades or majestic riff and keyboard constructions creating that grandiose mood many progressive metal fans adore. Tool are cited as influences by this act, and to my ears it is one not too hard to catch. But those who enjoy artists like Ayreon will also find quite a lot of interest in the more majestic parts of this album. Warm, rich guitars supported by fluctuating, space-tinged keyboard layers for instance.
But there's also a gentle side to this production. Not in terms of ballads however, but as in wandering guitar licks emphasizing the lighter tones used as the foundation for a select few parts, creating a neat and strong contrast with the pro- or preceding darker compact one. And while the arrangements tend to be rich and at times lavish, there's ample room for simplistic ones too, again utilized as effective contrasts maintaining nerve and tension.
A minor but important details is the more or less everpresent electronic sounds and textures. rarely dominant, but adding a slight industrial feel to this disc. A subtle presence of Nine Inch
Nails if you like.
By and large it's an engaging production too. Distinctly progressive metal to my ears, but a variety that include many elements that may be described as innovative. If not in the end result than at least in approach. Right here and now I can't really find any good comparisons either, other than similarities in approach shared to some extent with artists as diverse as Invisigoth, OSI and aforementioned Tool and Ayreon. And on a more subtle plane, Trent Raznor of course. If this sounds interesting, and you're generally fond of acts exploring darker moods and atmospheres, "Ordo Ab Chao" is a CD you probably should check out.
My rating: 78/100Track list:
1. The Machine Stops - 3:53
2. Sumii - 3:54
3. Polar Rose - 5:41
4. Sigma - 4:19
5. Ordo Ab Chao - 3:34
6. Left Right Parasite - 5:44
7. Esoterika - 4:18
8. Spook - 4:13
9. Whistleblower - 5:15
10. Stranger - 5:49
Swedish quartet JEREMY IRONS & THE RATGANG MALIBUS were formed back in 2004, and have their base of operations in the town of Eskilstuna, Sweden. They made their official debut as recording artists with "Elefanta" in 2009, and since then they hooked up with Swedish label Transubstans Records who released their sophomore effort "Bloom" in 2011.
Transubstans Records by and large is a label focusing on artists exploring that vintage 70's sound, and Ratgang Malibus is no exception to that. This is a band that requires a certain fondness of the music from yesteryear to be enjoyed. But unlike many bands exploring this field of music, this foursome have opted to shy away from the paths most heavily explored in this scene. There's no stoner rock here for starters, not even in the detail department. No tendencies towards acts like Jethro Tull either, and even stalwart influences like Mountain and fellow Swede's November are hard to track down in the sound explored here. Instead, these guys appear to be rather more ambitious.
Straight forward, blues based hard rock is the foundation on this album. Most songs can be broken down into the good, old fashioned blues, but through arrangements this basic premise has been taken on into rather more sophisticated waters. The rhythm department caters for the stability quite nicely, and adding a slight southern touch of Allman Brothers or a similar band is an additional detail catered for quite nicely by the organ. Most often in a subservient interplay with the guitar, and as far as instrumentation goes the good, old six-stringer is the star of the show on this album. Fragile, psychedelic licks and light-toned but firm riffs form the outer edges of the motifs catered for, alongside distinctly blues based soloing. More often than not resulting in an overall sound reminding me of Led Zeppelin more than anything, but with a dampened southern expression on occasion.
Adding emphasis to the Zeppelin touches are vocalist Karlos, who at times sound exactly like Robert Plant in his heyday. He's got a good, strong melodic voice in general too, and most certainly add life and vigour to these tracks. It is when he takes on the higher parts that he makes most of an impact though, the opening half of final track Fernando one of the best examples. A creation that should send shivers up the spine of anyone who has a soft spot for early Led Zeppelin.
And it is fans of the latter I suspect will be the ones who'd most easily find this strong CD to be instantly enjoyable. In particular those who enjoy Led Zeppelin when in blues or psychedelic mode. And anyone in that crowd who also enjoy bands like Allman Brothers Band better head over to Jeremy Irons & The Ratgang Malibu's homepage straight away to sample the music. Chances are that you'll be instantly hooked.
My rating: 78/100Track list:
1. Elefanta - 4:50
2. Skin Deep - 9:41
3. Tales of the Future - 5:08
4. Golden Hours - 5:08
5. IAOA - 7:17
6. Bloom - 5:45
7. Cosmo Tropic - 4:06
8. Fernando - 9:01
Swedish act ANIMA MORTE have been around as recording artists since 2007, the quartet consisting of Fredrik, Stefan, Teddy and Daniel with one full length production and a single to their name in addition contributions to a handful or so of concept albums of the various artists variety. "The Nightmare Becomes Reality" is their second full length CD, and was released by Swedish label Transubstans Records in the spring of 2011.
The main inspirations for this Swedish quartet appears to be horror movies and Italian symphonic rock, with a band name like Goblin mentioned rather often in articles I've read about this outfit. Their album and song titles documents their love of movies of the creepier kind quite nicely, and while the music can't be described as terrifying in any manner whatsoever they do explore a part of the art rock universe that isn't exactly dominated by light and joyful scenery.
In terms of style I'd guess that Camel is the closest comparison I can make from personal experience, as dreamladen atmospheres is a characteristic trait shared by both. Drawn out, warm and pleasant guitar soloing flanked by at times vast arrays of tangents and knobs is very much what we're treated to. Fans of vintage instruments will have a swell time catching organ, Mellotron and various kinds of vintage keyboard and synth instruments in action. Swirling textures and fluctuating layers aplenty, with dampened wandering guitar motifs and steady controlled rhythms underscoring quite nicely. Jazz-inspired bass and drum motifs is another detail Anima Morte share with aforementioned Camel, albeit not as commonly nor extensively explored by the former as by the latter.
Where these two bands separate is in the overall mood however. While Camel excels in atmospheres either joyful or dreamy melancholic, Anima Morte thrives when they can conjure themes of a more shadowy nature. Never dramatic nor threatening, but gloomy, slightly brooding and a dampened ominous feeling traits that is a common denominator throughout. And with an ever so slightly orientation in the direction of vintage space rock as additional flavouring.
I see that Anima Morte is a band that comes recommended to fans of the darker edged Italian symphonic art rock scene. And while those may make up the core audience of this act, I'd say that those with a general interest for 70's symphonic progressive rock should spend a few minutes to check out whether or not this is a band to their liking. In particular if you really enjoy vintage tangents of all sorts and you prefer your art rock to be instrumental.
My rating: 80/100Track list:
1. Voices From Beyond - 0:31
2. Corridor of Blood - 6:06
3. The Revenant - 3:33
4. Contamination - 3:35
5. Passage of Darkness - 4:21
6. Solemn Graves - 3:55
7. Delirious - 3:31
8. Feast of Feralia - 4:43
9. The Nightmare Becomes Reality - 3:23
10. Things to Come - 8:10
11. The Dead Will Walk the Earth - 5:45
Swedish band PONAMERO SUNDOWN have been around since 2005, and after honing their craft and producing half a dozen demo tapes they made their official debut in 2009 with the production "Stonerized". "Rodeo Electrica" is their sophomore effort, and was issued by Swedish label Transubstans Records in the early spring of 2011.
Going through this CD proved to be something of a frustrating experience. Mostly because this is music that is made with an approach I usually enjoy. These guys seek to break down boundaries, experiment with set expectations and to expand their musical and compositional palette. All positive in my book, but in this case the end result isn't as intriguing by far as what the band presumably aim to achieve.
Opening track Evil Wand kicks off quite nicely however. An intense creation closer to stoner metal than rock as I hear it, sporting rich, compact riffs of the dark and downtuned variety, excellent drumming and a powerhouse vocalist in the Ozzy Osbourne vein. Pace-filled, energetic and compelling in it's warm layers of bleak aggression. The following Highway Messiah not that impressive, but a shorter and slightly more brutal affair that should cater for the tastes of many metal heads young and old alike. Next up is Sorrow, a delightful surprise with it's gentle psychedelic guitar textures carefully and fragmented supplementing the otherwise vocals and rhythms driven ballad this compositions turns out to be. All in all a good start to this disc, with a nice, delightful surprise. And then this disc heads out into rollercoaster territories for me.
There are many good sides to this CD. It is excellently if not brilliantly produced, the guitar sound warm but clear and distinct, they have a good quality vocalist and instrumentalists of a better than decent standard throughout. With drummer Peter arguably the best of the lot. And they experiment quite a bit with the type of music they explore, be it the distinctly punk-inspired opening of 1025 or the delightful psychedelic guitars that sets Rodeo Electrica part I off into a gentle trot. Gentle and harder hitting passages are set up to contrast each other, a 50's inspired rock and roll piano are added to the chorus on one occasion, we're treated to off kilter instrumental inserts and a generally innovative take on stoner rock and metal. But for me the songs doesn't manage to gel. Dramatic stop and start inserts breaks the flow and continuity for me, the lead vocals tend to be a bit too much in powerhouse mode to suit my tastes and in general there's something of a dramatic, high impact approach used that isn't quite my cup of tea.
Final track Rodeo Electrica Part II does end this disc in a nice way however, and along the way there's a select few items of interest too: Sinners Breed and the following Not the Time the most compelling ones to my ears.
While "Rodeo Electrica" isn't a production that is custom made to suit my personal taste, it is a very well made album that should be both enticing and compelling for many. If you enjoy Black Sabbath inspired material, stoner rock and metal and also generally enjoy encountering bands that make an effort in creating material of this kind that is inventive and innovative, Ponamero Sundown is a band you should spend a few minutes with. As I see this production has been given glowing reviews many places, I'd suspect that there's a substantial amount of people out there who will be thrilled by this disc.
My rating: 65/100Track list:
1. Evil Wand
2. Highway Messiah
3. Sorrows
4. The Dice
5. 1025
6. Rodeo eléctrica, Part I
7. Shot for Glory
8. Sinners Breed
9. Not the Time
10. The Ghost
11. Goddess of the Sun
12. Fathomless Nothingness
13. Rodeo eléctrica, Part II
Swedish band Alex Carole and the Crush apparently started out as recently as 2009, and issued a demo tape the same year. Since then they have honed their craft, and in 2011 they were picked up by Swedish label Transubstans Records, who released their debut album "Vol. 1" on the Troglodyte imprint.
As those in the know are aware of, Transubstans Records is a name that more or less guarantees that whatever material they've had their hands on will have a 70's oriented sound. Normally one within or closely related to the art rock universe, but there are a few exceptions to this general rule in that label's artist roster. Alex Carole & the Crush amongst them. This band have their hearts and souls placed back in yesteryear too I might add, but in a different part of it altogether. Glam rock, hard rock and late 60's garage rock appears to be the dominating aspects of this band's production, with Slade and Alice Cooper the artists that first comes to mind. Pace-filled, energetic but first and foremost positive music.
The songs are all of the shorter variety, most of them clocking in at less than 4 minutes. And they are vocal heavy constructions, mostly adhering to a classic verse-and-chorus structure. The lead vocals are just as much shouted as sung, and more often than not with power and passion taking the lead over melody and sophisticated intonation. Bouncy rhythms, gleeful handclaps and staccato, joy-filled and occasionally playful guitar riff constructions underscore quite nicely, with a steady bass providing a foot-tap inducing foundation. This is joyful music dominated by what I'd describe as a Let's Party mood. Outgoing, easy on the mind and the ears, and at best a lot of fun.
This type of music is one much harder to master than one might suspect, and while Alex Carole and his merry gang of rockers have a fair share of enjoyable efforts on this debut there's a few that leaves slightly more of a lacklustre impression too. At least for those who listen closely and with full concentration to their music. By and large a promising debut more than a strong one, somewhat depending on personal taste obviously.
If you like hard rock and roll of the positive variety, you tend to enjoy the classic Slade albums and early 70's Alice Cooper or if you just want a slice of part rock for a late summer party, Alex Carole and the Crush should most likely cater quite nicely to your needs. A well made soundtrack to be enjoyed while beer guzzling and having a good time.
My rating: 60/100Track list:
1. High School Shuffle - 3:18
2. Hard to Get - 3:33
3. And Know About Me - 3:19
4. Will I Get It? - 3:32
5. Hell on Earth - 5:25
6. Firefly - 4:55
7. Oh Please! - 3:51
8. Dizzy Eyes - 4:08
9. Heartache Too - 4:11
10. Outro - 0:51
Swedish band EL CAMINO was formed way back in 2003, and have issued a couple of demo tapes in the years following their formation. 2011 saw the band signed to newly established label Night Tripper Records, who subsequently released El Camino's debut album "The Satanik Magiik".
Once upon a time many bands went down the route that Swedish El Camino appears to have taken. They form, carefully explore the sound they want to take on for a number of years and only when the direction has been firmly established and their songs been given extensive amounts of development they let themselves loose on an official recording. In this particular case we're dealing with an outfit with more than a passing interest in the earliest sound of heavy metal, and Black Sabbath in particular.
And these guys are darn good at it. Doom-laden riffs and thundering bass lines are scattered aplenty throughout, and all aspects of these songs appears to have been given extensive work prior to recording. The bassist will pull in some relatively energetic details of a slightly more recent nature from time to time, of a kind that made me think of good, old Venom. And the guitarists impress with their ability to add some nifty details: A fragmented solo here, a lighter-toned harmonic motif making a brief appearance there, spicing up the proceedings with lighter-toned, reverberating guitars with more of a psychedelic orientation or just shifting over to pace-filled staccato riff barrages more similar to what a band Queens of the Stone Age have made a career out of. But whether in purebred Sabbath mode or in a slightly more expressive one where they cater for details and careful flavouring, the guitar duo at the core of El Camino packs a high quality punch. And the songs as such are equally good.
Personally I wouldn't have minded a slightly more sophisticated approach to the drums however. There's nothing really wrong with them, steady as they come, but personally I like a bit of flair and some unexpected moves also in this department. And then there's the element that comes very much down to personal taste, namely the lead vocals. In this case they are at the halfway point between gruffy ones akin to Lemmy and your archetypical black metal growling. Neither fish nor fowl, but something in between. And to my taste they doesn't fit. Perhaps because I'm too old, or just because I'm extremely sensible to vocals in general. I do enjoy the gruffy, evil lead vocal ploy, and enjoy the likes of Tom Fischer when he adds a certain touch of evilness to his excursions on this field, but for me El Camino are lacking in this department. When that is said, the producer have opted to dampen the vocals place in the arrangements so that they never dominate. Which makes these songs enjoyable even if the vocals might not appeal.
Oh yes, there's a song at the very end called Avra Kehdabra. Let's just forget about that one, shall we? Unless you happen to be extremely fascinated by music played backwards, that is.
"The Satanik Magiik" is a high quality debut album, containing excellent songs of the kind that should appeal to most fans of 70's Black Sabbath, in particular those fond of their most doom-laden, massive compositions. Those who generally dislike gruffy vocals or growling might want to approach with some caution, but apart from that this is to all extents and purposes a recommended production and a fine initial effort.
My rating: 75/100Track list:
1. Prelude to the Horns
2. Hail the Horns
3. We are the Dark
4. Mountain Man
5. Rise of the Snake
6. Family Values
7. Satanik Magiik
8. Avra Kehdabra
Indonesian project TOHPATI ETHNOMISSION is a side project instigated by composer and guitarist Tohpati (Simak Dialog). "Save the Planet" is the first production by this outfit, and was released in 2010 by US indie label Moonjune Records.
