SOYUZ

"Soyuz" is Norweigian progers Gazpacho's 10th studio album. I have seen quite a lot of different opinions trying explain what their music is like. And I will try to do it here but it is difficult. But what I can say is that it is prog, they are different from the norm and they like to really challenge the listener whose prepared to spend time trying to really unlock their music but at the same time people who don't have the time to get into their stuff can still be rewarded. What I'm saying is their music works on 2 levels and that is one of the things that make this band so special.

The album has a nice opening with "Soyuz one". I love the build up on this track as it begins another facinating Gazpacho journey weaving gently into the album. Then the track has these wonderful heavy then soft moments reminesant of "Even Less" by Porcupine tree but done with the Gazpacho stamp. The second track "Hypomaina" also has a gentle introduction but after that the band throw a bit of a curve ball and go into a terrority I have never really heard Gazpacho go in before. It actually sounds like Radiohead's "The Bends" era. And with "The Bends" being my favourite Radiohead album, this is no bad thing for me at all. This is an excellent track and nice to see a band who after 10 albums are still mixing things up a bit.

The thrid track "Exit suite" acts as a nice break after the heavier "Hypomania". What I like about Gazpacho is really they have 3 musical weapons. The guitar, the keyboard and the violin. Instead of creating say a guitar driven track or a keyboard driven track. They often give each instrument the limelight within each song. For example in "Soyuz one", there is a violin solo outro to the track which is just amazing and something which seems quite rare on a prog record. But again this is just another thing which makes Gazpacho stand out and keeps them interesting. The 4th track "Emperor Bespoke" is a great example of this with some bits focusing on the keyboards, some the guitar then some bits are a mix of both. This is an 8 minute track and is one of my favourites off the album. The soaring vocals on this track just top it off for me.

Then the album takes a bit of a down turn for me with in my opinion the 2 weakest tracks off the album being "Sky burial" and "Fleeting thoughts". The thing I don't like about "Sky burial" in particular is the 2 notes being played on the keyboard over and over again throughout the track. While with "Fleeting thoughts" there is just not enough happening for me in this track. But it was almost like these are the 2 calm tracks before the epic 13 minute centrepiece which is "Soyuz out". This track really just takes my breath away and just shows how good Gazpacho are at constructing long songs while keeping them interesting. The album finishes with "Rappaccini" which is a nice wind down track and a good way of finishing the album.

Overall this is a good album with many magical moments. There are a couple of bits which for me weren't as good but somehow they are positioned into the album in a way that they kind of made the best with what they had. I have heard quite a bit of Gazpacho's back catalogue this year and this one certainly fits into it very well. On the whole it is an album I would go back to try unlock more of the hidden secrets that lay within. And you never know hopefully those thoughts I had about those 2 tracks will just have been fleeting thoughts...

"Soyuz" is Norway's Gazpacho's 10th studio album. Trying to define their sound or vision aside from describing them as a crossover prog outfit is near impossible with each passing release giving us music that is complex. They are also notorious for there fascination with stories and concept albums. A trend that continues on Soyuz, a creative journey, capturing the sounds and themes of the passing of moments that can't be saved or frozen to be savored again.

The album begins with "Soyuz One," a song about the doomed Russian space capsule Soyuz and its captain Komarov.The track develops slowly in the typical Gazpacho style with sound effects and drum samples building the backing track. Vocalist Jan Henrik Ohme has a seductive way of singing that is both beautiful and haunting at the same time.

The second track "Hypomaina" also has a gentle introduction but after that the band throw a bit of a curve ball and go into a territory I've never really heard Gazpacho go in before. "Hypomania" is a song about someone who realizes that he is in love with his own projection of someone and not the real person. He has a crisis and ends up leaving. This is an excellent track and nice to see a band who after 10 albums are still mixing things up.

The third track "Exit suite" acts as a nice break after the heavier "Hypomania" and reminds me of Radiohead. One thing that really stands out about Gazpacho is really they have many musical weapons. Instead of creating say a guitar driven track or a keyboard driven track. They often give each instrument the limelight within each song. For example in "Soyuz one", there is a violin solo outro to the track which is just amazing and something which seems quite rare on a prog record. But again this is just another thing which makes Gazpacho stand out and keeps them interesting.

The diversity of Gazpacho's musical world is shown again on "Emperor Bespoke" with Krømer's delightfully picked mandolin and violin. The sing-song folky feel is then forcefully punctuated with Jon-Arne Vilbo's guitar break, before we return to the distinctive rhythm of the opening section. I am not entirely sure what this song is about but it sure sticks in your head!

"Sky Burial" deals with the tragedy of the scene it depicts, apparently that of a Tibetan Buddhist funeral practice that leaves the body on a mountainside to be decomposed by animals or the elements, although this isn't immediately apparent from the somewhat oblique lyrics. One little fault i find with Sky Burial in particular is the 2 notes being played on the keyboard over and over again throughout the track is very repetitive.

If one song represents the theme of the album, it's "Fleeting Things." Many of the lyrics hint at the final moments of a life. " As empires fall, Aiming to keep what's the essence of all, Bullied and broken, bloody and bruised, Living in moments, stolen moments." Finds the band as close to writing a true ballad as they've ever come. The hook here is undeniably incredible.

If "Soyuz One" is restrained in nature, "Soyuz Out" returns to the same scene but frames it from a different perspective, still navigating between electric beats and live drums but with broader brush strokes in the musical phrasing. This track really just takes my breath away and just shows how good Gazpacho are at constructing long songs while keeping them interesting and giving the record a sense of drama.

The CD finishes with "Rappaccini" which is not on the vinyl edition. It's a decent track, but for me is the weakest on the album. I feel it should have been positioned on the album before "Soyuz Out." I think the albums would end much better with a sense of tension.

Gazpacho continue to amaze with each release. This is an album that sneaks up on you and before you know it, you are listening to it daily, over and over. It has so much to offer musically, lyrically, and is thought-provoking and interesting at every turn. Soyuz is another winner from the Gazpacho and one that will no doubt be, one of my top albums this year.

Essential: A masterpiece of progressive rock music.