BËIRUTH

Not necessary to accentuate that this is instrumental - except some distorted voice samples to be exact. Three songs are around the 20 minute mark. As for the first impressions you might come to the conclusion they are something like a reincarnation of the 60/70s. And this special blend of trippy spaced out rock music and lots of electronics is undoubtful near to bands like Ashra, Agitation Free, Tangerine Dream but also Can. Thoughts about plagiarizm are not coming into my mind though - this sounds new, fresh, innovative. No solos are available, the songs are dominated by a cosmic flow with lots of interesting variations and a dark melancholic touch.

The album opener Penumbra Oifusa starts wonderful spacey and relaxed - they are fading into the song when bass and synths are stimulating each other for the journey first. Repetitive played rhythm instruments are leading the track furthermore backing the swirling guitars and synth patterns. But suddenly for some minutes this is even reaching for a heavy vibe, gathering speed, grooving, finally behaving dramatically. Great jamming coupled with some alienated voice samples. The shorter Alamut is provided with an oriental touch mainly caused by the percussion and stylistically getting nearer to some Tangerine Dream output.

C.C.C.P. is also charming first - my favourite piece (probably as long as I'm able to get deeper into the title track). The bass is heavy rumbling here - simple, puristic at the beginning but perfectly accentuated though - this is great! Bubbling synths and sawing guitars are developing more and more and the song unfolds - until this is partially rocking in a proper sense. But the song collapses soon to a gripping ambient finale later culminating in oscillating synth waves. This might be suitable for a movie soundtrack.

Horizonte De Sucesos finally needs time - time to capture the hidden brilliance. The song is embracing several styles - starting weird, somewhat sinister with a mysterious ambience and evolving to Hawkwind's heaviness by and by, last but not least taking over to the repetitive groove reminiscent to bands like Kraftwerk and Can using pulsating synths.

BEIRUTH are on the way like an old hand band with well thought out long tracks crossing the space and krautrock border. This will please fans of both genres. A surprising album! I hope the band intend to stay on these roads because they have plenty to offer - I really would like to confirm this a masterpiece - but willl wait for the follower ... 4.5 stars.