MOLOK

The ninth installment in Gazpacho's studio discography is the album 'Molok', originally released in 2015 on Kscope, a daring conceptual record that dares to pose the profound question about the existence (or non-existence) of God. And while the album itself does not give any definite answers, it uses this thematic thread in order to build around it the story of a man's journey who conceived and subsequently builds a machine that has the capacities to simulate the beginnings of time, with the machine named after the Biblical demon Molok, whose name brings along the ritual of child sacrifice. The story is rather intriguing, inventive and ingenious, and fits perfectly the bizarrely eclectic and strangely ordered world of Gazpacho, a band that has always been able to defy categorizations and stride forward with a pace of their own, drawing in a crowd of introspective devotees, as one might assume.

Needless to say, 'Molok' bolsters the band's signature art rock style that combines elements of neo-prog, folk rock, worldbeat, and alternative music - quite a fascinating mixture of styles that has served the band well, and while this album goes into a lighter direction, it remains one of the most focused, enriching, eclectic and expressive releases of the Norwegian rockers. Opening track 'Park Bench' immediately impresses with its abstract, minimal arrangements, which unfold into a full-blown chamber pop piece that takes equal amounts of inspiration from Marillion and Radiohead. 'The Master's Voice' is a lovely art rock number with quite a subtle sound design, while the third track 'Bela Kiss' plays around with some folk tropes, despite working as a straightforward pop song. Six-minute-long mini-suite 'Know Your Time', explores the more atmospheric side of Gazpacho's music, with the next song expanding upon its mood, flow and tempo, almost like a coda. 'ABC' is a more upbeat entry with a cheerfully soothing chorus, a bit like something you would expect to hear on a Coldplay album (with all the sadness included, of course). Around the album's end 'Algorithm' works as a fine interlude and introduces a touch of worldbeat to the album, while 'Alarm' only seems to pass by, giving way to the closing track 'Molok Rising', a 10-minute post-rock journey encapsulating Gazpacho's signature blend of neo-progressive writing with strands of folk and world music, definitely an ambitious and essential piece of atmospheric rock from this Norwegian group. And the entire 'Molok' album is an excellent excursion into their musical world, offering a beautifully chilling collection of songs, a work that brings together several essential elements of their past and ties them together into a very provocative but also endearing concept, which is what progressive music is all about after all.

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