DOOMSDAY AFTERNOON

There's a lot to say about "Doomsday Afternoon", the sixth album by American band Phideaux and I'll gladly do so. First, let's talk about the lineup. While Phideaux started as a project of multi-instrumentalist Phideaux Xavier and drummer Rich Hutchins, supplemented by various guest musicians on their earlier albums, "Doomsday Afternoon" showcases Phideaux as a nine-member band. Since most of the band members were previously involved in the project, they know exactly what the music needs. Everything fits perfectly. There's beautiful guitar work by the masterful Gabriel Moffat, who also serves as the band's regular producer. We hear Mellotron and Moog that sound like we've never heard these instruments before, the piano works overtime and the vocal performances by the female vocalists add to the album's beauty.

But that's not all. The album also features a significant number of guest musicians. One notable difference from most albums is the presence of an orchestra. Matthew Parmenter's vocals and violin parts add great value, as do Martin Orford's keyboard antics in the beautiful Formaldehyde. Every aspect of the album is beautiful. Over the course of 66 minutes, you're exposed to a charm offensive of progressive art rock, folk and psychedelia, with plenty of gorgeous melodies and excellent orchestrations. The music is filled with tasty arrangements, but no part dominates or aims to steal the spotlight. The result is a lovely pastel-colored blend of Pink Floyd, Moody Blues and the orchestral numbers of Caravan.

This ten-track album is the second part of a trilogy that explores a world destroyed by the government, a world you wouldn't want to live in. The title "Doomsday Afternoon" is not entirely coincidental, resembling the Moody Blues song Tuesday Afternoon. However, the lyrics here are much grimmer. Back to the drawing board.

The album is divided into two acts. With a digestible complexity, it offers a multitude of tempo and mood changes, with certain themes recurring throughout the album. It's delightful to hear bassist Matthew Kennedy and drummer Rich Hutchins excel in their roles. A complex album like this requires a convincing opening and that's exactly what you get.

The first track, the eleven-minute Micro Softdeathstar, feels like an overture, immersing you in the subtle atmosphere of the album from the start. Matthew Parmenter's lead vocals are perfectly balanced with the music, setting a high standard for the rest of the album. The band doesn't disappoint with the following track, The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice, a relatively short instrumental piece featuring simple piano playing and a delightful guitar solo. The orchestra sounds unbearably beautiful here and it's worth noting that French horns were chosen over trombones to achieve a mellower sound. The melancholy pours out of your speakers and it doesn't stop there. Candybrain is intriguing, thanks to the vocals of Phideaux Xavier himself, but the incredibly beautiful Crumble surpasses all limits. How can such a simple piano theme hit you so hard? The first act concludes with the second part of The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice, which is the vocal version and five minutes longer than the first part. Pay close attention to Joel Weinstein's exuberant guitar work.

'Act 2' begins with another strong track. Thank You For The Evil has a tight rhythm that beautifully frames the song's great buildup. Matthew Parmenter's vocals carry it forward and the Moog delivers a fantastic finale. The transitional track A Wasteland Of Memories leads to the three final pieces. There's an incredible vocal version of Crumble that will melt you as a listener. The following track is the aforementioned Formaldehyde, a song reminiscent of Mike Oldfield, featuring not only Martin Orford on synthesizer but also a beautiful guest performance by Stephen Dundon on flute. At this point, the atmosphere is wonderfully intense, fitting the album's concept. The actual closer, Microdeath Softstar, underscores how cleverly everything fits together. Listen to the drums rushing with a slightly hurried timing, while violin and guitar rush alongside them. Your heart will skip a beat as the opening notes of the album are repeated.

"Doomsday Afternoon" holds a special place in terms of ranking, both within their own discography and in terms of global recognition. Since its release in 2007, I've been very happy to have this album in my collection. Through my method of reviewing layer by layer, I've come to appreciate the album even more. It absolutely deserves a spot in my top five of all time. And that wraps it up nicely.

Orginally posted on www.progenrock.com

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