COMMON DAZE

You mean to tell me that Curt Cobain , Dave Grohl & Co did a progressive album in the mid- 90's after his suicide. Of course not , but it sure as hell sounds like it , though. After a short intro on the Cello to make sure that this is a typical melancholic Scandinavian band , we jump in the thick of things having an hard-edged prog (not metal but more in the line of Anekdoten) full of great KB ( never has the Fender Rhodes sounded soooo good) and screaching guitars and then comes this voice coming back from the dead howling , screaming , screaching , yelling just like the real sad leader of Nirvana. This was probably no accident that this got sung in such manner , but this works fantastically too . I got this album as soon as it got out , and it still gets a spin now and then , unlike many of its fellow albums from those years and newer ones. Only one album from them but what a pleaser (I do not give out the five star rating a lot). RAVANA , the Progressive NIRVANA !!!! An absolute must . (Syn-phonic might still have a few copies)

I had high expectations for this band from Norway. All the ingredients were there, including flute and cello.

The first song was great, a very ominous short instrumental which serves as an intro to the second song "Urban Child". The vocals for me though do not fit with this style of music. In the song "Reason To Live" the vocals are reserved and because of this, this may be the best song on the record. It has a similar style to the previous song 'Wounded", a style that is very Jazz-like. Nice piano and light drumming.

This record sure has it's moments, but for me not enough moments and a distracting vocalist. 3 stars.

Following a stark cello lament to kick off the proceedings, this relentless charge is off to the races with a mixed bag of styles, ranging from razor-sharp anger-coated statements that evolve into softer passages , where serene flute and agile piano tinkling interweave. A powerful concoction that will keep the listener on pins and needles, smoking guitars mercilessly plow into themes that suddenly yield to some outright jazzy piano soloing and a rather angry vocalist who belts out contemporary lyrics with hellbent urgency. With titles like "Good Grief", "Urban Child","When They Cry", "Wounded" and the stark "Reasons to Live" , this Norwegian band has a CD that should guarantee a jolly (oops, a SOMBRE) time. I like melancholy and I am a rather nostalgic kind of music fan but this does fall into the more Doom-Gloom "goth" style and while I do like most of it, it"s not really my cup of Aqvavit! Nirvana fans should worship this , no doubt. 3 razor blades