THE DAEMONS MOCK ME WHILE I SLEEP

This album is ... maybe ... 27th studio-recorded album by one of the most proactive artists and simultaneously one of delightful proggers (also in Progarchives!) Dennis MONTGOMERY also known as MUTINY IN JONESTOWN released in 2017, for a tribute to HP Lovecraft. Not known HP at all, but this creation tells me how he is active, aggressive, and acrobatic (!) versatile musician - all instruments are synchronized and matured for our ears. Pretty amazing. And one more, his material is a tad bluesy, cold-hearted, and sombre via the melody line filled with minor keys. Quite surprising, for his fine smile and lovely character. From the first strike "Dagon" (this track is my pleasure really, also with the last one) he shows colourful sound variations ... the latter phase is clearly for my passion, as if I enjoyed a bottle of red wine with complex, beautiful black-fruit-like flavour created in Yakima Valley. Sadly his voices are not so good though. As a result, this stuff is fantastic for an album on his own. Fine for the audience to enjoy various essence e.g. pop, psychedelic, Neo-symphonic or something. Overall cannot stimulate our shoulder in rapid succession, but I love it, and love him. ;)

This is the 27th studio album from Mutiny in Jonestown and the first album of completely new material since the 2011 release, "Necromancy". In addition, the album was released on 7/28/17, exactly 30 years to the day from when the band was formed back on 7/28/87. Now that some history is in place, let's go through the album song by song.

Dagon

The album opener clocks in at 10 and a half minutes and tells the tale of HP Lovecraft's story of the same name. The multiple synthesizers gradually build up to welcome you to the album and hope you enjoy the ride. The lyrics stick closely to the story so even if you're not familiar with Lovecraft's original, they still tell a tale that makes sense. Mellotron strings and lightly distorted Hammond organ sounds are featured prominently underneath the vocals and lead some of the instrumental sections. At around the 7 minute mark, a Fender pedal steel makes it's first appearance on the album leading into the final vocal verses. As the main character makes his decision to suicide rather than be slaughtered by the nameless daemons, a ripping guitar solo takes us out through the end of the story.

Astrophobos

This 7+ minute song is based on the Lovecraft poem of the same name and uses that for lyrics. Hammond organ and pedal steel make up the background under the lyrics until the song changes direction around the 2 minute mark. At that point acoustic guitar and Fender Rhodes take up the musical background. As the song returns for the finish, Hammond organ and pedal steel return to underpin the final stanzas of the poem.

The Colour Out of Space

This 12+ minute song tells the Lovecraft story of the same name which begins with the crash of a meteor, portrayed musically by three synthesizers. When the band kicks in a synthesizer solo gets things started. This is a long story to tell requiring a lot of lyrics so the verses are broken up by a repeating melodic guitar solo. When the foundation of the story is completed, the guitar solo gives way to a dissonant mellotron brass bridge leading into the next vocal section. The guitar solo following that section is perhaps the best on the entire album. After the last vocals, another long solo, this time on the Fender pedal steel carries the song to it's conclusion.

Despair

This is the shortest vocal piece on the album at around 4 minutes. Like "Astrophobos", this is another Lovecraft poem set to music. While it appears to be a simple repeating chord progression stated by pedal steel and Fender Rhodes, it actually begins each verse two tones lower than it started. This gives the song a downward spiral effect which mirrors the sad topic of the poem. Lovecraft grew up in a home where his parents' mental illnesses defined his early existence. He wrote this poem as a young man the day his mother was committed to an asylum for the final time, where she remained until dying 4 years later, never to return home. He spiraled into a deep depression shortly after writing this, likely because he knew his mother's fate was undeniable. The musical background spiraling downward attempts to portray this same descent into darkness.

Polaris

This 11+ minute piece is based on Lovecraft's story of the same name and is the final song with lyrics. Opening with a pedal steel solo, it leads into the vocals that setup the foundation of the story. Lovecraft wrote many stories about events occurring in a dream state, this song departs from the mellotron and organ background of previous songs to a swirling string synthesizer background to musically depict that state of mind. The best pedal steel solo on the album begins around the 2:40 mark. This leads into my favorite vocal section on the album where in the odd time of 5/4, the bass doubles the vocal melody. A slow ripping guitar solo takes us to a lyrical excerpt directly from the story, where the star Polaris speaks to the main character in his dream. The final lyric is the man replying to Polaris lamenting his failure to protect it's city while he realizes, "The daemons mock me while I sleep". The final instrumental section has the chord progression spiraling lower and lower while the melodic guitar solo rises higher and higher until all fades out.

Dagon Coda

This instrumental closes the album with the same pedal steel section played unaccompanied in the opening song Dagon. This time it's played with the full band as the synthesizer buildup that began the album returns to swallow it whole.

I'll just come right out and say it, this is the 5 star penultimate Mutiny in Jonestown album, the crowning glory to 30 years, 42 total albums, and who knows how many hundreds of songs. This album encapsulates everything the band tried to accomplish, sometimes successfully for an entire album, sometimes successfully for a few songs on an album and sometimes not even close. Heavy on lyrics and vocals? Check. Heavy on guitar solos? Check. Heavy on inventive and melodic bass lines? Check. Heavy on synthesizers? Check. Heavy on the drum style and sound I like best? Check. And most importantly?heavy on mellotron? Check.

If I could only choose one album that I wanted people to hear to show what this band could really do at it's best, it would be this one. I honestly don't know if I'll ever release another Mutiny in Jonestown album after this, and if I don't, that's just fine because this album said everything I wanted to say in exactly the way I wanted to say it.

Regards, Dennis

Hard to type a review as I know nothing about Lovecraft, but if I just focus on the music, in that regard this is my second favorite album from Mutiny In Jonestown, after intense No China Doll For You. It takes it's time and I have to wait now and then for the best moment, but when we're there, there we are !

The spine-chill at moving from lyrics section to lush string MTron + organ in Dagon at 3'19 is nothing short of MTron use at it's best. My fav parts apart from that are: Astrophobos 1'42 and 6'25 organ solo. Polaris 10'35 short but perfect. Despair doesn't make me despair at all... but no dameon I completely enjoy that piece and won't jump over parts to listen to the most exciting ones !

I guess reading some Lovecraft will deepen my listening experience.