LOVE DE VICE

Warsaw-based band Love de Vice were formed in 2007 as Playfinger by friends who had been playing together since 1993, Andrzej "Messi" Archanowicz (guitars), Tomasz "Kudel" Kudelski (drums) and Robert "R.I.P" Pelka (bass). For this new venture they were joined by Robert Wieczorek (guitars) and Krzysztof "Krzychu" Slaby (keyboards), later deciding they needed a proper singer and when Pawel "Ozzie" Granecki (vocals, guitar) joined they changed the name to Love de Vice. They released their debut in 2009, following it with the next just a year later, but it took until 2016 for the third, by which time Wieczorek had departed, and they were a quintet (with quite a large number of guests).

They are included on ProgArchives as crossover progressive rock but to my ears that is quite a generous inclusion as for me this is much more a band who have been heavily influenced by different bands from the Eighties, and have been musical magpies, taking bits and pieces from here and there so each song can be quite different to the next. They have also used the vocal talents of Katarzyna Granecka to provide lead vocals on the title cut which gives a quite different take on their music. They can be a clean rock band with some slight Neo influences here, more of a pop rock band there, heavy users of strings in another, and brass in yet others, resulting in something which feels quite disconnected from each other. I do not know if their other albums sounded like this, but I note this one took a lot longer to appear than was originally conceived so I don't know if this was a continuation or a battle to get it finished. What I do know is that it never sounds Polish, with Ozzie having good clean unaccented vocals, and if I had been pushed to ask where this had come from, I would have guessed late Eighties/early Nineties UK and a label like One Little Indian or possibly Island.

It is enjoyable, albeit somewhat fractured in its approach, and is quite different to anything else I have had from Poland.

A nice surprise from Silesia

Skipping quickly past the rather misleading band name, this DVD of a performance by Love De Vice in 2011 represents something of a pleasant surprise. Recorded on the 11th November 2011 (11/11/11) in Katowice, Poland, the title refers to that city's location in the historic Polish/German/Czech region of Silesia.

Since their 2010 "Numaterial" album, keyboard player Jacek Melnicki has been promoted from guest to full band member, replacing Krzysztof Slaby in that role. Although they have released two albums to date, the songs performed here are largely new, intended for a forthcoming album.

Overall, the DVD has a very prog feel, drawing in diverse influences from bands such as Pink Floyd, Genesis, King Crimson, Deep Purple (of which more later) and of course the band's peers such as Believe, Osada Vida, Riverside, etc., from their native Poland. The sound centres around the rich emotive vocals and superb lead guitar of Andrzej Archanowicz who is very much the leader and front man.

The songs are generally long, with complex arrangements complemented by a relaxed approach. The addition of cello played by National Philharmonic musician Mateusz Szmyt and dilruba (a variation of the Hindu sitar played with a bow) played by Tomasz "Ragaboy" Osiecki adds welcome additional colours and moods to some of the songs.

Also included is a cover of Deep Purple's "When a blind man cries". The term adaptation would be more appropriate really, as the band develop the original themes superbly, adding their own identity to an old favourite. Both of the older songs, "With you now" and "Letter in A minor" are taken from the "Numaterial" album, the latter being the epic masterpiece that closes both that album and this gig.

Although the songs are sung in English, the narrative between the songs is spoken in Polish. Helpfully however for those from other parts, sub-titles are added in English. I get the impression that Love De Vice were not the headline act on the night as the audience, while receptive and polite, seem relatively restrained and the running time is around an hour and a quarter.

Looking at the technical aspects, the concert was recorded by Metal Mind Productions, so it goes without saying that the quality of the production, recording and editing is superb throughout. The sound is available in both 2.0 and 5.1 surround. Extras on the DVD include an interview with two members of the band, plus the usual discography, photos, etc. Also included is a video clip of "Foggy future", a song from the début album "Dreamland".

In summary, a remarkably enjoyable DVD containing a style of prog that seems at odds with the band's name. I would not hesitate to recommend the music here to those who seek high quality melodic prog.