RIO/AVANT-PROG

This Is NOT the End was my first exposure to Present, and I like it a lot. It has a lot less of the chamber music-influenced stuff I associate with Univers Zero, but it has plenty of exciting, experimental, and overall-weird passages. This release is the band's first since 2009, but it is, despite its title, the band's final release. Trigaux, the band's driving force, passed away in March of 2021, in the midst of recording.

"Contre" opens with jittery, nervous energy. Crunchy, syncopated guitars and whirring synths make for an anxious, disorienting atmosphere. Trigaux's vocals are slurred and demented, and the verses have the tense feeling of something you'd hear in the background of a spy thriller. Strings squeal, guitars twist, and the indefatigable rhythm marches onward. The lead and rhythm elements feel like they're pulling in opposite directions, but it's deeply satisfying.

Coming next is "This Is Not the End, Part 2". It shares some thematic and tonal throughlines with "Contre", but it's darker and more subdued, at least at first. Piano, violin, and clarinet lend a mournful character to the piece. There is a lot of repetition here, but it's utilized effectively. It builds tension, and the gradual changes are satisfying. (At least for the first ten minutes or so; the last couple minutes do feel a hair dragged-out.)

This Is NOT the End ends on the 26-minute first part of the title track. The various elements?guitar, piano, and clarinet, mainly?circle about each other nervously, as if they're pushing the limits of their own sonic territory. There's a sense of some impending storm being held back. The start-stop rhythm and occasional louder burst of noise add to that feeling of foreboding. Parts of this composition can linger for longer than entirely necessary, but the mood it cultivates is still enjoyable.

About two-thirds of the way through its runtime, this cut veers off into a wild, wiry riff. Stabs of Mellotron, piano, and reeds lend gravity to this passage. After the long buildup which preceded it, this is an especially impactful moment. Part 1's climax is powerful and enthralling. Though Roger Trigaux didn't live to hear its completion, this feels like a fitting end for the band he helmed for over 40 years.

Present's final album is a dark, stormy opus. Avant-garde influences abound here. Unusual keys, chords, and instrumentation swirl over zeuhl-inspired marching rhythms. Parts can perhaps linger longer than they should, but the overall effect of the album is potent.

Review originally published here: theeliteextremophile.com/2024/05/20/album-review-present-this-is-not-the-end/

1. "Mr. Softee" (6:45) so much bombastic power in Hermann's piano play, but then you get these amazingly-inspired collaborators to join in--young artists who totally shared and committed to Hermann's vision--and who had worked together for months pounding away at these songs in order to perfect them to Hermann's liking--and you can't help but be impressed. There is some very strong jazz funk in the bones of this song but the influence of Frank Zappa is also definitely obvious as well as modern classical composers like John Cale (with whom bassist Mike Visceglia had already been working). Other free jazz and European jazz trends can also be heard. Too bad about the sudden fade out at the end; the song/jam obviously went on longer (and I for one would love to hear it) but I get it: you only have two 19-minute sides to work with. Excellent song and music: commanding the listener's attention in very much the same way Norwegian band SEVEN IMPALE did with their debut album, 2014's City of the Sun. (14.75/15)

2. "The Szuite" (12:30) a classically-styled and -constructed suite that definitely qualifies more for the neo-and pseudo-classical chamber type of music that Belgian/French bands Univers Zéro and, a little later, Présent would soon be doing. So many times as I listen to Hermann's piano play I feel as if I'm listening to the piano music or stylings of Franz Liszt or Sergei Rachmaninoff! After 90 seconds of brewing and bubbling the music bursts forth in a fullness with a very somber and serious yet melodic SEVEN IMPALE motif. (Of course I realize that my reference points are totally reversed since the band members of Seven Impale wouldn't even be born for another ten years or more. It's just what I know, here, now, in 2024, to compare this music to.) Lots of repetition of riffs for Dave Samuels to show off his prodigious talents on the tuned percussives, and then there is a rest period for the rest of the band while Hermann solos on his piano for about 11:24, very much carrying forward the ideas and melodies expressed by Dave's work during the previous minute or two. Here I am rather reminded of Keith Jarret's sound and work from his massively popular worldwide hit, The Köln Concert (an album that was released in January of this same year that Hermann and band were creating, perfecting, and, eventually, recording this album). When the other musicians rejoin I am more reminded of UZED again in some very complex, classically-oriented avant-garde music (which is masterfully composed and performed). These performances are just so tight, the composition so mature and perfect, it's really hard to find fault or flaw. Even if I don't always like the styles represented, here they're so good, so sensible and flowing (and, often, melodic--which is, unfortunately, important to me) that I do. I love this! (24.5/25)

3. "Between 7 & 11" (5:08) a song with big, funky, heavily-treated jazz bass that transpires with lots of syncopated, stop-and-go rhythmic elements coming from the careful, deliberate drums and percussion instruments, as well as that of Hermann's percussive piano. There is some kind of presence of an electric synth or treated percussive instrument flitting and floating around in the background of the opening couple of minutes. Then the song kind of restarts, with lots of staccato bursts and note play from the whole band as well as from Vadim Vyadro's tenor saxophone while Hermann fills the spaces between whole-band forays with impressively fluid piano runs and Rachmaninoff-like chord progressions. As the song develops both the speed and seem to compact and compress, culminating in more jazz-like soloing from Vlad's sax. Impressive if more mathematical song. (9.333333/10)

4. "Transcendental Floss" (6:08) This song is much more in line with some of the more rhythmically expressive jazz and jazz-rock artists of the time like McCoy Tyner and Tony Williams and Billy Cobham. Thank goodness for the presence (and talents) of such incredibly adaptive Jazz-Fusion artists like drummer Bob Goldman, funk bass player Mike Visceglia, and virtuosic vibraphone, marimba, and percussion player Dave Samuels (who had a long career as a vibraphonist/marimba player in the jazz/Latin music world) cuz there is some awesome funk going on here! as well as a very familiar SEVEN IMPALE vibe. Interesting final coda before the song finally cuts out. (Also SEVEN IMPALE-like) (9.5/10)

5. "New York City, 6 AM" (6:45) opens with some interestingly processed/treated/engineered percussion play--which cuts out after about 90 seconds whereupon Mike's deep, chunky "underwater" bass enters and leads the band into its slow, pensive, almost minimalistic weave. This is so rich! I love how all of the layers and instruments (and engineering effects) play with one another. The music may not be as sophisticated as the previous songs, but the construction and engineering are absolutely masterful! Definitely capturing an early morning big city vibe. The biggest problem with the ending of this song (and album) is that it leaves me starving for more! (14.5/15)

Total Time 37:16

I understand why so many people have trouble categorizing this music. I personally feel the music of this album is more Jazz-Rock Fusion (as Mike Visceglia and Andy Edwards elucidated: 1975 was the absolute peak for all possible combinations of existing musical traditions), but the piano play is definitely Avant Garde/RIO--the kind that bands like Univers Zero and Present would soon be exploring. The contrast in styles between Hermann's piano play and the lively and virtuosic jazz-rock play of the rest of the band is one of the things that makes the music so intriguing. After hearing the story about the headstrong personality of Mr. Szobel, I kept wondering how Hermann even allowed, much less was open to, this "jazz-rock dilution" of his music--if it had anything to do with the demands of Arista (his record company). But the more I heard about Hermann's demanding, controlling personality, I couldn't help but conclude that the eclectic cross-pollination represented in the album's music must have been fully idealized by its leader and composer. The fact that Mr. Visceglia so clearly claims to having spent "months" living in Hermann's Manhattan loft practicing these pieces attests to Hermann's shared passion for the product that resulted in Arista's 1976 release.

This music is so well performed (and recorded in single takes--with everyone playing live, together, in the recording studio, all at the same time!) that the listener can really tell how hard the musicians had worked to render it as perfectly as Hermann wished. Truly an incredible achievement of musical documentation!

A+/five stars; an unquestionable masterpiece of progressive rock fusion music. This is definitely one of finest studio albums I've ever heard (as well as one of the highest rated albums I've ever reviewed).

I have long moved past being amazed at the artists discovered by Cuneiform and their seemingly endless mission to make music available which the vast majority of people will ignore or decry, as what they do is so incredibly essential for those of us who understand and long may they continue doing so. Did you know it is their 40th anniversary this year?

Right from the opening we understand we are into something quite special as here is a band who have improvisation at their heart but are approaching it from a quite different angle to many of the bands as this is not jazz, but something darker and more experimental, angular and with many edges as they refuse to conform to expectations and produce something which is very left field indeed, even for the then somewhat resurgent progressive scene. It is as if King Crimson have decided to work at their most extreme experimental boundaries and then they have brought in influences from their previous genres to create something which is difficult to listen to, being quite obnoxious and challenging. However, it is also essential as one needs to understand just what rocky path the guys are going to be taking next, how it is going to diverge and split again as they continue up the tricky terrain, never taking the easy route. Having brothers in a band is always a benefit as they know exactly how each other thinks and where they are going to go, but the others are also joined into that mindset so while there are times when they let the listeners in on the secret with more melodic passages there are plenty of ideas where they act as a guide to us who are totally lost.

This is my first experience of NeBeLNeST, but I can see at some point I need to check out their other releases as well, as some 25 years after this was first released this is still an essential work for those of us who want our prog to be uncompromising and totally left field.

While this is still solidly RIO with a refusal to conform to any set norms or styles, there is no doubt they felt inspired to bring the guitars more to the fore than previously. This means that some of the music moves into more of a prog metal style and listening to the opening of "This Is My Wife" one realises this has much more in common with Zappa than one might expect before moving more into a metal and avant mix than even he might imagine before dropping into a wonderfully emotional fretless bass and percussion duet. It is the sheer breadth of styles they embody which makes this such a fascinating release, from a duo who are more than happy to be fully instrumental when the mood takes them, bringing in vocals when they feel the time is right. It is difficult to comprehend it is just the two of them creating this soundscape as it feels much more like a full band, with people bouncing ideas off each other as opposed to spending countless hours in a studio creating this line by line, thread by thread.

They seamlessly switch between prog which is more mainstream and the avant garde, often within the same song, making for very interesting listening indeed as one never knows which path the music is going to take, only that one cannot expect a musical pattern to be followed bar to bar, and even when one gets lulled into a false sense of security such as with the bass on "Pollock" one is sure it is soon to change into something quite different. Overall this is a fascinating album which progheads will do well to discover.

UNREST found classical trained bassoonist / oboist Lindsay Cooper fresh out of Comus and replacing saxophonist Geoff Leigh which in the process took the band into an entirely new direction as she would become a key member in the band's distinct Rock In Opposition repertoire. After a lengthy demanding tour with Faust, the band lacked enough newly composed material for the duration of a second album, therefore UNREST found HENRY COW upping their free improv game significantly and finding clever new ways of extending limited material into sprawling and mind-blowing musical motifs that were as dramatic as they were intimidating. Perhaps the most notable examples of HENRY COW's bizarre sense of reinterpretation comes with the opening "Bittern Storm Over Ulm" which deconstructs The Yardbird's B-side blues rock "Got To Hurry" and resurrects it as an unrecognizable display of progressive rock and avant-garde jazz freakery. Cooper's distinct oboe style immediately sets the album apart from its predecessor.

The following "Half Asleep_Half Awake," a John Greaves contribution is perhaps the most "normal" of the diverse swath of sounds and styles offered on UNREST with the most consistent bass groove and the only track to cop a bit of the Canterbury jazz vibe that traversed the debut thus adding a touch of warmth and familiarity before launching into some of the most alienating soundscapes of the HENRY COW playbook. The Frith penned "Ruins" shifts gears completely by evoking the classical world of Hungarian classical composer Béla Bartók and adopting his use of Fibonacci number sequences to forge the abstruse beats and harmonic orchestral effect which in conjunct with the avant-rock guitar and jazz accompaniments offered a bizarre mishmash of a rock-based futurism the early pioneers of rock and roll never could've envisaged in their wildest dreams. After a jittery and skronky display of contrapuntal excess, the track takes a hairpin turn into the world of 20th century classical before reprising the unique chamber music effect and finally an energetic rock-fueled outburst that cedes into a etheric sustain closing sequence.

While primarily favoring a penchant for the trenchant instrumental workouts with improvised tape manipulations and pushing the musical avant-garde to the excesses of the extreme, "Linguaphone" showcases some rare vocal contributions albeit in wordless utterances in the context of chaotic noisy effects in the vein of Faust only augmented by Cooper's oboe sprinklings and Cutler's spasmodic percussive accents with pointillistic appearances of other band members channeling their inner Stockhausen. "Upon Entering The Hotel Adlon," a titular reference to a hotel in Berlin where German occultists started The Third Reich, showcases the most energetic display of rock run amok found on the album with spastic drumming patterns accompanied by frenetic free jazz saxophone squawking and bat[&*!#] crazy bass thumping seemingly displaying every conceivable time signature move coalescing all under the guise of a single track. The short "Arcades" offers a comedown moment with sparse instrumentation that slowly oozes angular rhythms and discordant sustain power.

As the album winds down with the Greaves 1972 composition "Don't Disturb Me" and deconstructed to only be resurrected in the form of "Deluge," the band pulls out their best sprinkling effects over a stabilizing bass groove which finds sputtering sounds bleeping in and out of existence while slinking sax naughtiness slithers to and fro between the cracks thus concluding one of the wildest prog experimentalism of the mid-1970s. UNREST fittingly describes its contents well as a menagerie of manic effulgence with a keen sense of uncompromising creativity. Add to that the amazing adaptability of eking out an entire album's worth of innovatory musical developments with only a handful of precomposed scores to work with. The improvisational skills were as impressive as the musical breadth of this team of musical agents seemingly operating out of a completely different world than any other act of the day.

While UNREST truly can be considered the pinnacle of avant-prog liberties run taken to the apex of creative freedom with no attempts to pacify the music normies of the era, it certainly latches on to the subconscious which picks up on the hidden patterns and structures and beckons for a deeper understanding. Perhaps one of those albums nobody will truly comprehend, it was certainly one that firmly established that HENRY COW was no one-trick pony, or should i say moo moo cow and had the chops to deliver an ever-evolving stylistic approach that seemed to have no limits. Although it requires a number of active listening exposures to even begin to sink in, UNREST is an acquirable taste that reveals much more than random noise chatter shrieking by in chaotic procession. Woefully ahead of its time, HENRY COW and albums like UNREST required several decades for zealots of extreme music to fully appreciate. While not as immediate as "Legend" nor as perfectly structured as "Western Culture," UNREST and its propensity to set sail across the vastness of what the world of sound had to offer resulted in some extraordinarily fascinating albeit bizarre musical experiments.

Once again this was primarily the workings of former Henry Cow members Lindsay Cooper who composed the music and Chris Cutler who wrote the song texts which as the debut delved into Marxist politics and personal alienation. Zeena Parkins returns with her array of electric and prepared harps, accordion and on this second album offers something new with an e-bow guitar. The most striking difference between the two NEWS FROM BABEL albums is in the vocal department. Dagmar Krause dominated the debut but this time around only appeared as a guest on the two ending tracks "Victory" and "Anno Mirabilis."

In fact five vocalists in all appear including Robert Wyatt on four tracks, future English film director Sally Potter on two tracks and Phil Minton who was a guest trumpeter on the debut but on this one makes a reprise as a lead vocalist on one track. Guest musician Bill Gilonis also contributes the occasional bass and guitar sounds when needed. Given the diversity of vocal styles on LETTERS HOME, this second coming doesn't offer the same consistency that albums by Art Bears or "Sirens and Silences / Work Resumed on the Tower" and although Robert Wyatt is a Canterbury avant-gardist legend, somehow his frail vocal style sounds totally out of place in the presence of a style of music pretty much built around Krause's unique singing style.

Another major point of separation is that LETTERS HOME seems to rely a lot more on the cabaret aspects of the NEWS FROM BABEL sound with the rock and jazz counterparts placed a little bit behind the scenes. The roaming through the avant-prog jungle approach of the debut also seems to have been tamped down a few notches with a greater emphasis on repetitive catchy motifs that establish and underbelly before unleashing the crazy counterpoints. All of this conspires to create a completely different album than its predecessor but unfortunately just doesn't rise to the same level of perfection to my ears. The album evokes the hodgepodge effect with a nonchalant randomness to the moods the different vocalists bring to the table.

It's certainly a brilliant album musically speaking with the same knotty angular nuttiness that the debut offered and plenty of blistering complexities laced like a time signature playground where no rules have been established. Pretty much anything Lindsay Cooper and Chris Cutler touched guaranteed a high quality alienating effect that no other musicians have even come close to replicating in the same manner. A slight step down in the inconsistency department as i find the vocal choices to work against the continuity rather than enhance it. Personally i would've rather seen Dagmar Krause as the sole diva in the house on this one but as it is it's still an excellent slice of high quality avant-prog which at this stage ended yet one more chapter in the extended Henry Cow playbook.

We have 34 songs, a running time more than 90 minutes, and a trio out to break your brain. This is not music to put on and relax to, or play in the background, it has the intensity and drive of punk, mixed with King Crimson at their most eclectic, Art Zoyd, Can and so much more. There is RIO, mathcore, prog metal, a refusal to conform to standard tunings, melodies, or time signatures with all that matters is the connection between the three musicians who are so in sync with each other that one can only wonder how many hours they spent together honing their craft. This is not music which will ever find a wide audience, but those who understand what is happening in front of their ears know their minds have been expanded by experiencing something which is very different indeed.

There is an intense ferocity at play, uncompromising and abrasive, with music often played staccato at pace, with little room for pleasantries as they take the ideas of Zappa and Beefheart and move them to a whole new plane. The only way to enjoy this is to leave your preconceptions of what music should sound like at the door and open your mind to something very different indeed. You need to understand that it is unlikely you will enjoy this when you play this the first time, but for those who are willing to give this the time this is something very special.