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Italian quartet JOHNFISH SPARKLE first appeared as a trio with their debut album released by Swedish label Transubstans Records back in 2009. Since then a fourth member have joined their ranks, they've played quit a lot live I believe, and in the fall of 2011 they released their second full length production "Flow", again opting for Transubstans to handle that particular matter.
On their initial effort, late 60's and early 70's hard psych bands catered for many of the musical touched I found myself associating with this act, perhaps with a few touches followers of early Rush might find to be familiar sounding. And while the former is less of an issue this time around, the latter still remains a tendency for this trio come quartet out of Southern Europe. And the main scope of their sound has moved forward a few years, now apparently residing closer to the mid 1970's in general and at times rather close to one of the giants of that era in particular.
At their best for this follow-up album we're treated to material made up by energetic, refined drum patterns, a driving melodic bass motif and lighter-toned guitar replicating the latter in a sophisticated manner by way of fluctuating riff patterns with clever use of impact riffs, and frequently adding a great deal of psych tinged to the expression. And on top throughout: The distinct vocals of Maurizio Morganti, a singer who comes across as the slightly more relaxed kid brother of Robert Plant.
And when that is said, it shouldn't be at all surprising that it is the mighty Led Zeppelin that appears to have branded this production with their legacy. In compositional structure, the manner in which many riff patterns and movements have been assembled and the vocals are the threefold elements that contain most of the association inducing elements for me, although the rhythm section does have good tendencies as well. But also with nods towards the aforementioned Canadian proggers, or perhaps to the bands that in their time inspired them, and all of it given a liberal psych-oriented flavouring.
At their best, Johnfish Sparkle conjure creations that wouldn't have been out of place on a Zeppelin production. The high point for me the obviously blues-drenched Downhill Blues, that opens as a slow, intense blues rock affair that gradually grows into an intense monster of a bluesy hard rock construction. But also the two opening efforts and Spiral Confusion are high quality endeavours I imagine will interest fans of good quality 70's hard rock in general and fans of a certain aforementioned act in particular.
The second half of this disc comes across as slightly more generic however. Intense and energetic songs, with many fine performances and clever details, but without the undefinable magic of the opening cuts. Even slight touches that may be inspired by the likes of Jimi Hendrix or Robin Trower appear to be pleasant rather than vitalizing, and I suspect that for these numbers the recording studio haven't managed to capture the essence of these songs good enough. A piece like A Phoenix Flight in particular a creation I suspect is a real monster when played live.
A Fine album with some moments of true magic is what Johnfish Sparke presents with their sophomore effort "Flow", a production recommended to fans of mid 70's hard rock in general and fans of Led Zeppelin in particular. And a band I suspect will be very well worth experiencing in a live setting for just this audience.
My rating: 72/100
Track list:
1. Hard Times Goin' On 5:03
2. Benzai-Ten 5:18
3. Downhill Blues 8:41
4. Spiral Confusion 5:12
5. The Circle 5:37
6. The Traveler 4:52
7. Gaudi's Run 1:45
8. Not Alone 5:23
9. A Phoenix Flight 6:18
10. Crazy Lady 4:46
Swedish band CHILLIHOUNDS first appeared back in 2006 or thereabouts, and have three albums to their name at the time of speaking. Their two initial albums were released by Italian label Nicotine Records, but then they signed with Swedish label Transubstans Records for their third and most recent production "Shake Your Skull", issued in the fall of 2011.
Transubstans Records is a label well known for a roster of bands exploring the sound of the 1970's, with progressive rock and stoner rock as some of their specialities. But in the case of Chillihounds, the label deviates a bit from that particular norm, as this is a band with a rather different touch.
In short we're dealing with a band that may as well be described as good time party 'n roll. With a 70's feel to their material, but probably based around the mid to late part of the decade in terms of style. The compositions are brief, by and large simplistic in nature and with a broad appeal. Steady drums is the backbeat throughout, while darker toned, circulating and insistent bass motifs forms the main drive. Lighter toned guitar riff patterns wander joyfully in fluctuating patterns on top, while the versatile and powerful vocals of Gabriel Aadlan caters for the lyrical aspect.
In style we're talking blues based hard rock, with more than a touch of boogie in expression. AC/DC is a common association throughout, but in a manner that see the aggressive tendencies of this fine band from down under replaced with the laid back sound and arrangements of a band like Status Quo. Dirty Deeds All Over the World if you like. But rather than staying put within that one-dimensional sound, Chillihounds also add a touch of additional blues to the proceedings, in a Southern manner as on the lightly Allman Brothers tinged Evil Mind Blues or in a Texan-oriented manner like the subtly ZZ Top flavoured Control. The carefully blues enhanced details actually adds something of a US touch to the album throughout, even when the band does explore songs that AC/DC in particular could have added to their set list without anyone raising an eyebrow.
Be that as it may be, Chillihounds is a band that know what they want to do, and they do it very well. Not in an original manner and certainly not adventurous, but if you're looking for the perfect soundtrack to an evening filled with fun, fun, fun - and probably lots of beer to boot - Chillihounds is a very good choice. Blues based, boogie drenched hard rock of the kind that makes the world a better, or at least happier, place to be in.
My rating: 82/100
Track list:
1. No Vacation 2:43
2. Taking Off 3:52
3. Back in the Game 3:00
4. Evil Mind Blues 4:24
5. Cain 4:28
6. Mark of Cain 1:30
7. Heartbeater 4:29
8. Love Pays No Rent 3:36
9. 1979 4:03
10. Control 4:56
Swedish act OBRERO was formed back in 2007 by members with a background from bands from the more extreme parts of the metal society. What brought them together was a shared fascination for one of the oldest relics of the metal heritage: Doom metal, in it's original guise as well as the subsequent developments of this stylistic expression. They signed to fledgling Swedish label Night Tripper Records in 2011, who subsequently released their debut album "Mortui Vivos Docent".
I'll readily admit that my exposure to metal after 1990 or thereabouts have been limited, and that my recollection of bands and genres is that of an old fart, and rather heavily flavoured by a few years worth of writing covering bands more or less well placed within a progressive orientation. As such, some of my associations will probably be out of date, expired and buried. Or perhaps pointing towards originators who have influenced acts that these guys have listened to. Be that as it may be, Obrero is a band that have made a good impression on me.
Doom metal can be rather varied in style, from sludgy, droning excesses to acts replicating the grandfathers Black Sabbath to the point of total boredom. But references to the original doom metal band is an ingredient that has to be in place for bands exploring this style, and Obrero is no exception there. Those familiar with Tony Iommi's works over the years will find his footprints all over this production, or at least arrangements and compositional and performance approaches that documents the legacy of his groundbreaking endeavours. This Swedish act does add a few pounds of lead to the mix however, darker and heavier the main keywords covering that aspect. And when they opt for passages with a slower pace, I'm reminded of another Swedish band, namely Candlemass. Which, presumably, is a reference just about as clichéd as the aforementioned British founding fathers I guess. Obrero does opt for sequences of a darker and more ominous nature too however, adding some subtle guitar details that makes me think of another veteran act: Celtic Frost. An association that might be a tad farfetched, but that has stuck rather firmly in my mind.
Moving onwards from the namedropping department, there are quite a few details about this production that caught my fancy. Effective use of impact riffs in circulating or fluctuating riff patterns for starters, and in particular when flavoured with subtle harmonic guitar overlays. Always a welcome setup for me, the nuanced but hard hitting arrangements constructed in such a manner something I'm a sucker for. The use of keyboards (Mellotron of some kind?) warms my heart and soul too, the sheer bombacity and stark contrast of dark, massive guitar riffs and light-toned, ethereal keyboard textures a combination that many progressive rock fans tend to be fascinated by. And to pull out a couple of favourites: The Fourth Earl, the best representative of the harder hitting, massive sounding part of this band's repertoire. And Exterminate, as the most intriguing of the sophisticated constructions. As my ears and my mind experience this disc admittedly.
A composition worth mentioning a tad more in detail is Charles the Hammer. This multiple themed affair is an interesting one, the initial Sabbath-tinged part almost joyful and positive in spirit, followed by a harder hitting, intriguing transitional phase, and then exploding into a chorus of stellar quality: A simple shouted line, with majestic strings on top and doom-laden riffs beneath. Pure dramatic brilliance. The main ingredients of the chorus also given a run in a slightly different setup later on, to good effect. Not a perfect sonic experience as such, but a song you'll play over and over, eagerly awaiting the grandiose explosion of this perfectly constructed chorus section.
If you tend to like your metal served with a hard, dark and heavy flavour encapsulated within a sophisticated doom-laden framework, Obrero is a band you should enjoy and "Mortui Vivos Docent" a CD you'll most likely want to add to your collection. A fine specimen of the genre to my ears, with quite a few moments of sheer brilliance to savour.
My rating: 83/100
Track list:
1. The Wolf's Hook 6:15
2. Son Of Tutankhamun 7:38
3. Svantovit 4:58
4. The Fourth Earl 4:38
5. Octaman 4:35
6. Charles The Hammer 6:38
7. Exterminate 6:28
8. The Lost World 6:30
US act TECHNOLOGY VS HORSE have been around for around a decade now, with four full albums to their name. "Potential Pleasure Device" is the most recent of their efforts, and was self-released as a digital production in 2011.
In style these five musicians explore a kind of alternative rock on this album, with a steady backbeat as the core foundation throughout, staccato guitar textures with occasional distorted, light-toned details and circulating soloing parts as the main flavour. Organs is the main keyboard instrument of choice for supplemental motifs, with occasional use of swirling futuristic sounds. Arrangements and production tend to be subtly lo-fi in sound, and the songs and themes tend to have an orientation towards the dramatic. With the talents of giant frontman Mike adding a certain emphasis to the latter.
And at best this is an intriguing outfit. Their songs can be fairly refined, or at least stretching a bit outside of the confinements one generally will envision when dealing with a band within the indie/alternative scene. For me the most enthralling experience on this occasion comes at the very end, with the creation They'll Kill Us. Initially a nervously echoing, light-toned guitar motif circulating beneath Mike's expressive vocals, nicely backed by organ bursts and steady rhythms, developing into a more majestic, compact theme sporting richly flavoured exotic sounding guitar soloing and organ in majestic combination with a darker toned rumbling bass guitar fleshing out the soundscape, and finally ending up in a harder, darker sequence with heavy distorted bass as an ominous and brooding undercurrent beneath a compact, pace-filled riff construction with more of a punk orientation to it. With occasional noise inserts to boot.
Most of the other songs appear to be of a less sophisticated nature however, and as far as those efforts go it's more of a question of pace and momentum carrying the songs and how well the guitar and keyboards manage to supply intriguing details. The opening efforts works fairly well in doing so, while the least interesting efforts to my ears take up the middle part of the CD. Subtly differences in construction aside, all the songs utilize the subtle differences and partially overlapping harmonics of vocals, keyboards and guitars to form the dominating parts of the themes explored. At one extreme with a slight folk orientation as on Baba Yaga, another represented with the metal and punk-tinged end sequence on aforementioned They'll Kill Us. There's even room for dampened, plucked rhythm guitars in a manner Pink Floyd fans would approve of on One Long Tunnel, but here utilized in a song that doesn't incorporate too many additional details one might associate with that particular band.
Their most straightforward efforts should find good favour amongst a younger audience, with whacky efforts like Idiot and She's My Robot pieces I suspect many teenagers will feel compelled to like. Older listeners may find this album to be a bit too young at heart at times however, with tracks like Electric Eels and They'll Kill Us as the ones I suspect might have a broader appeal for an older audience.
My rating: 60/100
Track list:
1. Electric Eels 4:04
2. Teenage Funk 4:22
3. White Girls 3:37
4. New Lily Pads 5:19
5. She's My Robot 3:36
6. Terrorkeets 2:36
7. Baba Yaga 3:33
8. Idiot 2:22
9. One Long Tunnel 6:24
10. Millions of Songs 0:14
11. They'll Kill Us 7:14
Multinational act COLIN TENCH PROJECT is a new player on the field, but with an interesting back history to it. Main man Colin Tench appeared more or less out of nowhere (also known as Sweden) a couple of years ago, promoting an album by a UK band he had been a member of some 20 odd years ago whose sole album had been refused by major and indie labels alike on a few previous occasions. So he decided to do it all himself, and it turned out that this CD found favour among quite a few people. And while promoting this production and being busy networking, Tench soon established himself as a likeable and popular persona to boot.
And with the relative success of his old recordings, it seems that Tench' creativity was given a boost in between keeping in touch with hundreds of fellow musicians and fans worldwide. And after almost 30 years away from the game he's now a recording artist again, the digital single "Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed" the first direct result. An item that most likely came to be dye to Tench' activities on the internets, as he's brought in some additional musicians to this piece: UK bassist Gary Derrick, US drummer Victor Tassone and Italian tangents man Marco Chiappini. With Tench himself residing in Sweden this is a true to life international endeavour, enabled by broadband internet, social networking and file-sharing I presume.
As much as I would have liked to describe this as a perfect comeback by a talented artist flavouring his production with 25 years of unused creativity, this track isn't in that league. It's a pleasant enough item, with layered guitars in general and Gilmouresque soloing in particular as key features, with trons in the first half and a gentle piano in the second half as the main secondary motifs. Dark toned echoing guitar riffs are utilized to good dramatic effect in the first half, and the occasional alteration in pace and arrangements cater for variety quite nicely. The transitional phases tend to drop momentum ever so slightly, perhaps intended for dramatic effect but not quite managing to have that effect on me. One of those details that comes down to personal taste.
But it is an enjoyable piece. Instrumental, dampened in expression and refined in arrangements, with a sound and character to it that should find favour amongst fans of Pink Floyd in general and those fond of The Wall in particular. But with a mood and atmosphere subtly more joyful and positive than the aforementioned band and album referenced.
My rating: 60/100
Track list:
1. Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Screwed 7:31
Italian band SISTRA is the creative vehicle of composer and multi-instrumentalist Fabrizio Di Vicino, who has been assembling music for this venture since 2005. "Bearing" is the first album release of this project, and was issued in the fall of 2011 on Vicinio's own and recently formed label Psych Up Melodies.
Looking at the larger picture, you can basically divide artist careers into a few different different categories, of which two appear to be among the most common. You have the ones who have been toiling away for years, honing their craft and their material, and when their debut album eventually appears it is a stunning one. A production they never manage to best again for the rest of their lifetime. And you have those whose first creation is an imperfect one, more or less flawed, and whose subsequent productions steadily rise in quality. And while time will ultimately have to tell in which of these categories an artist is best placed, I think that Sistra may prove to be a case of the latter.
This initial effort of theirs, while not that impressive to my ears as such, does showcase a band with a great deal of talent. A production to be enjoyed by many people less critical than yours truly I suspect, although lacking in the finer qualities that will give them a strong breakthrough I believe. One thing is certain though: This is a band that merits an inspection by those fond of challenging music. The compositions demand the attention of someone with a taste for the quirkier side of music, their weaker aspects by and large ones of a subjective rather than objective nature.
Multiple themes and motifs is a general tendency throughout, and frequent use of distorted instrumentation and effects common features throughout. If you're fond of atonal details and non-harmonic features there are plenty of such to discover and enjoy, albeit mostly of a nuanced and subtle nature rather than up front and dominating. All and sundry wrapped in psych-tinged arrangements. Droning sounds, nervously fluttering fragile motifs and fluctuating patterns. At times perhaps with a touch of space rock of sorts, on some occasions venturing closer to the realms of electronic progressive music, but most times staying well put within a retro-influenced expression. Tight rhythms and excellent bass guitar are central features throughout, distorted guitars a core element on most tracks.
My personal gripes are twofold, and subjective at that. While she has a good and intriguing voice, I don't find the vocals of Gaia Vittozzi to be a good fit on this occasion. Ever so slightly off in the overall picture, in a subtly different tune to whatever theme or motif that is dominating at any given time. The echoing effect given to most vocal parts perhaps a contributing feature to my perception, but most of all I suspect that this is a case of my rather extreme sensibilities as far as vocals are concerned kicking in here. The opening and final parts of Psiche the sole exception to this, as these parts utilize her voice perfectly as far as my own personal taste go. A second aspect that I found to be negative are the case of thematic shifts and alterations, where I found many of the transitional phases to be too crude and the shifts to not quite fit within the overall scope of the compositions, resulting in a subjective perception of some songs loosing momentum and breaking up. The tendency towards a lo fi sounding production not always to my personal taste either, but that is solely a matter of personal taste.
But critical perceptions aside, there's also a lot of talent at display here. Those less critical of certain features than me will most likely find this to be a charming affair anyhow, as long as sophisticated psychedelic music is a style they enjoy, and even spoiled music consumptionists like myself should be able to find the occasional gem on this disc. My personal choices in that department Drunk Flight, an elegant excursion blending a relatively freely wandering bass guitar with various instances of partially broken and twisted electronic sounds and effects. And later there's Oblivion, an initially folk-tinged affair that incorporates an elongated standalone theme with an enchanting, psych-dripping guitar motif as a dominant feature.
"Bearing" is a slightly flawed album as I regard it, although in this case that is a matter of personal taste to a much greater extent than any objective aspect of this production. Musically we're dealing with a fairly sophisticated specimen within the psychedelic rock universe, and those with an interest in such endeavours might want to spend a few minutes of their time to check whether or not this is a disc that appeals to their personal taste. This is a talented band after all, and for the right listeners I suspect that "Bearing" will be perceived as a disc both charming and enticing.
My rating: 52/100
Track list:
1. Paralleli 4:46
2. Una pedina 5:44
3. Chiaroscuri 4:36
4. Onde 5:16
5. Le parole 4:17
6. Ziqqurath 6:11
7. Bearing 4:51
8. Drunk Flight 6:56
9. Living Casket 6:19
10. Psiche 7:03
11. Oblivion 6:57
12. Stasi 6:48
French act CHEVAL FOU was active from 1970 until 1975, with Jean-Max Peteau (guitars, vocals), Stephane Rossini (drums, vocals) and Michel Peteau (guitars, vocals, saxophone) as permanent members and, I assume, at least a couple of guest musicians contributing to the proceedings whose names have been lost in time. They never released anything while active, but in 1994 the short-lived French independent label Legend Music issued a compilation of recordings by the band made back in the early 70's. As the same label reissued Cheval Fou's successor outfit NYL's sole release with additional bonus material at the same time, it is likely to suspect that the label got access to recordings by both these projects at that time. Out of print for a good few years by, this compilation was reissued by new indie label Psych Up Melodies in the fall of 2011.
And this compilation of recordings by Cheval Fou is of a character thaqt makes it a production for the specially interested to seek out. Relatively harsh, slightly primitive psychedelic rock is the name of the game, with a firm emphasis on fireworks drums and tight interwoven guitar constructions with occasional freakout moments. Dual guitar motifs with one dark-toned and a lighter toned contrasting psych-tinged or soloing a common feature, staccato guitar constructions interwoven with the drums another regular feature. In style and expression often closer to the excursions made by German bands at the time, and as such music of a kind and character that might well interest krautrock aficionados.
The backside of the medallion is the quality of the recordings scavenged to assemble this disc. If they are live in studio or live on stage I can't tell, but what's certain is that they weren't made with any thought towards making them commercially available. Most likely time has taken it's toll on the tapes that recorded them too, but at best these recordings corresponds to what you'd get on low quality bootlegs in yesteryear. Two rounds in the studio remastering them to as high a level as possible makes them listenable, some of them even passable, but by and large most people expecting to listen to material at a certain minimum quality will find this album wanting.
That is, apart from final track La fin de la vie. This one exception appears to be a good quality studio recording, and of such quality that I wouldn't be surprised if I learned that at least some of it had been recorded at a much later date. Elegant, repetitive tribal rhythms and spoken words reciting a story of some sort, at first by a child and later by a grown man, with dampened fluctuating instrumental textures placed way back in the arrangements. Some kind of simplistic precursor to later day projects such as Trey Gunn's Quodia project from a few years back. Less refined and in French, but sharing many obvious similarities.
All in all an album for those with a special interest in early 1970's French psychedelic progressive rock, with qualities that should make it an interesting experience for like-minded krautrock fans. As long as they can cope with the rather extreme lo-fi quality that define all but the last track on this disc.
My rating: 68/100
Track list:
1. Mercury Messenger 2:11
2. Kheops 5:34
3. Etna 7:05
4. Hannibal 18:04
5. Meteorites 5:55
6. Isthar 1:48
7. Actreids 2:46
8. Croisades 2:33
9. Dans L'Oeil de L'Oeil 4:45
10. Birth 1:23
11. Marion Dreams 2:31
12. Sunset Laser 8:19
13. La Fin de la Vie 12:44
Italian quartet JOHNFISH SPARKLE first appeared as a trio with their debut album released by Swedish label Transubstans Records back in 2009. Since then a fourth member have joined their ranks, they've played quit a lot live I believe, and in the fall of 2011 they released their second full length production "Flow", again opting for Transubstans to handle that particular matter.
