OUT OF THE BARNYARD

Fright Pig is a full blown prog band that utilises the symphonic ELP sound of Hammond organ with heavy distorted guitars and dreamy vocals; a little like Kansas, or Shadow Circus. 'Re: Creation' kicks "Out of the Barnyard" off with a synth soaked song, replete with Porcupine Tree style vocals and lifting into layers of heavy guitar riffs and odd nuances that are reminiscent of Gentle Giant or even the theatrics of early Gabriel era Genesis. It is an unusual blend of styles but certainly captures the attention of the listener. The time sigs spiral all over the place and the musicianship is a tour de force of keyboard finesse and rhythmic bass, drum and guitar foundations. There are some wonderful harmonies and layered vocals throughout and a solid melody drives the song. 'Incident at Pembroke' is an instrumental that opens with a Flamenco guitar vibrations, in many ways akin to the Celtic sounds of Ayreon's 'Loser'. The distorted guitar chords break in to remind us this is no ordinary artist. Fright Pig merge styles constantly and are hard to pin down but captivating all the time. There are some great lead breaks on this track and the maypole dance jig gives it a curiously Irish flavour.

'The Meaning of Dreams' is a song about nightmares of dark and disturbing things. The Hammond is a dominant force and the melodic singing is more forceful here, and again multilayered with nice harmonies. The guitar is solid and at one point chugs out some metal sounds as the keyboard playfully runs away. It is great when the band take off, especially with extended keyboard and guitar trade offs. The twin lead guitar break is fabulous, resounding with high string bends and fret melting speed picking. This may be the best track on the album; a sheer delight.

'Barque at the Lune' is as whimsical as the satirical title that stabs at Ozzy Osbourne's infamous song. It is basically a reimagining of the lead break from that song with some added bells and whistles. Killer lead guitar throughout.

'Darkest of Forms' is a progalicious track with more Keyboard attacks and guitar crescendos to savour. 'Presumido' is an instrumental with tons of heavy duty guitar riffing and some gorgeous acoustic guitar. There is a Spanish feel towards the end when the high speed guitar picking takes over. The grandiose track is supplemented with splashes of Hammond and waves of galloping metal chunks.

'The Claustrophobia of Time' ends the album with pigs slopping, and grunting, mimicking the album cover. Then an Emerson like Hammond run cranks along til it breaks into angelic synth tones. The vocals are welcome and speak of weird symbolic experiences; "the good, the bad, sublime and sad, all make their presence known." An extended instrumental break has some spacey sounds and a psychedelic vibe for a while, then it breaks into glorious swathes of synth, till a grinding guitar riff is heard and an ascending Hammond.

Overall "Out of the Barnyard" is a tremendous Symphonic Prog album with a myriad of styles culminating in one amazing aural soundscape. The musicianship is extraordinary and it has enough variation to appease any proghead who enjoys musical innovation, Hammond mixed with heavy guitar, and a bold inventive approach to the genre.