Been around about six years…
or put out their first self-titled 7" about six years ago,
the band looks as though they escaped from a Jesse James movie
or something and it's early twentieth century depression-era and
not a lot to smile about. "III" is their third full
length -- sure had to figure in there somewhere.
First of all, these guys are catching way
too many outlandish comparisons to other groups and they do an
all-instrumental thing here -- so lighten up! Okay, now I see a
little glint of the "Progressive" suggestion by tunes
four and five… I thought "War of the Worlds" to open
was interesting, a fairly slow one, not in a drudged up and sky
falling sort of way. Then they track the lead guitar going
over this plodding rhythm and it's awkward at first but then
again so are beards and long hair in this day and age -- and
this guy Yanni's flying clear off the fretboard… Well anyway
such was my first surprise here.
Secondly by mid point, the astral
ingenuity kicks in, they become a momentary King Crimson lost in
time. Much as I wanted to come up with something clever like
"Stinking Lizaveta…" and I mean, what is that, a
type of cheese sat past its expiration date too long? Three
gangly looking wanted poster types making abrasive noise,
cutting edge with a dulled blade, raspy, dark, dreary,
melody-free… a real choker. Or in short, they stink!
But we won't do that here, disappointed as
I am, I do find some redeeming value to this as an interesting
and surprisingly unique design -- I'd paint a coat of Heavy Rock
and Fusion for starters, Yes with certain lighter textured
progressive instrumental parlances but mostly full-bodied volume
capacity, a world in black and white, sullen, shifty and
subliminal without too many sleep inducing qualities.
