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Lite - Phantasia CD (album) cover

PHANTASIA

Lite

 

Post Rock/Math rock

4.04 | 57 ratings

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Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
4 stars I can't say math Rock is one of my favourite styles of music but certainly there are exceptions. That "Discipline" album by KING CRIMSON seemed to spawn a myriad of bands seeking to do the same thing. And while impressive when done right often I'm left cold. So yes this Japanese band surprised me with this 2008 album called "Phantasia". I did not see this one coming just like in grade four when my teacher came up to me from behind and hit me on the side of the face with the book she was holding. Well done! Two guitarists, a bassist and a drummer make up this all instrumental quartet and we get some guest cello on the final track.

"Ef" is a top three. I mean how good does this sound right out of the gate. That guitar and bass especially as the drums join in. It settles to a catchy beat before 1 1/2 minutes then laid back guitar joins in. Love that bass before 2 minutes. This is just gravy before 3 minutes, so good! "Control" has a stuttering start before settling in with impressive drumming and guitars. It settles back before 2 minutes but it's heavy, then it picks back up to the end.

"Infinite Mirror" makes me dizzy just thinking about it. This is my favourite track. Fast paced intricate guitar lines as a very catchy beat with bass kicks in. I can't stop moving to this. It builds before 1 1/2 minutes to this insane groove that sounds amazing. It settles back again before kicking back in before 4 minutes. "Shinkai" has Post-Rock styled guitars to start. Drums and bass join in just before a minute and soon that's all you hear as the guitars stop. They're back quickly though. Love the bass and drums on this one. Heavy stuff before 3 1/2 minutes.

"Black And White" has such a clean and clear sound to it just like the whole album. Guitars intertwine as the bass joins in. Riffs before 2 minutes and the drums that follow impress. It settles right down after 3 minutes then builds. Excellent! "Interlude" is just that, a short 1 1/2 minute piece of mellow intricate guitar and what sounds like water. "Ghost Dance" opens with guitar as drums and a full sound kick in quickly. Check out the bass before a minute along with the guitar. Great sound here. A calm then it kicks in hard before 2 1/2 minutes.

"Solitude" starts out with static as melodic and laid back guitar plays over top. It kicks in around a minute, no static here. Again a nice clear sound and it's still laid back. Such a pleasant sound. It kicks in hard at 3 1/2 minutes then settles back a minute later before hitting us one more time like teacher. "Phantasia" has outbursts of power early on and check out that guitar. Nice. So intricate and well played as he picks and strums. Quite an impressive track overall but not a favourite.

"Fade" is my other top three. Oh yeah! A nice heavy sound here with lots of bottom end. It settles back a minute in and settles even more 2 minutes in as beautifully picked guitar leads the way as it builds until they hit us hard 3 minutes in. It settles again and this sounds incredible with those massive bass lines and that guitar. They kick back in at 4 1/2 minutes before settling back one more time. "Sequel To The Letter" ends it with intricate guitars ala "Discipline" then drums after a minute. Cello 2 1/2 minutes in provides a different flavour to this closing number.

So yes I highly recommend this album, I haven't heard anything else by them but this one blew me away.

Mellotron Storm | 4/5 |

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