FIREWORKER

Jan Henrik Ohme's vocals sound like a less neurotic, more emotional version of Thom Yorke's own approach to singing, and that's not bad at all. I must say, however, that the most likable (for prog ears in any case) part of the recipe here is the instrumental and choral touches recurring with impecable symphonic effect along both main suites opening and closing the album. There you will undoubtedly spend a great while of progressive grandeur

There's also the already common resource to a Sci-Fi based story articulating the concept behind this, which is not my cup of tea (in that respect, a book is always better), but, being very personal and elaborated, it may appeal to many fans. Otherwise:

02 Hourglass is a rather bland emo-ballad. 03 Fireworker, the eponymous track, is a nice powerful, well crafted and played, progressive song. 04 Antique stands half-way between the previous two.

Finally, lend an ear to the exquisitely towering electric guitar chordal progressions & riffs, reminiscent of Fripp's own sound circa Lark's Tongues and Starless & Bible Black era, you won't regret it.

It's been a long time coming --I'm giving up on Gazpacho.

I became a huge fan of this band when I heard Night, just before their just as excellent Tick Tock came out. Unfortunately, their last few releases haven't been on par with either Night, Tick Tock or March of Ghosts. This is a shame because this band was so promising back in the noughties.

If you've heard anything they've done since March of Ghosts, there's nothing new for you here. Maybe one song'll stick with you for a day, maybe you'll be impressed by the choir section. Other than that, give this one a pass.

If you haven't heard Gazpacho before, give this one a pass anyway. This won't make you into a fan: it's plodding, lacks highlights and melodies, the structures are muddy and, as syrupy as the man's vocals are, you might even find yourself wishing he would shut up and let the music do the talking. Try Night or Tick Tock instead.

Demon, Molok and Soyuz were all mediocre releases lacking in musical inspiration. I couldn't help but keep a candle lit for these guys given the promise of their previous albums; however, that candle has been extinguished by Fireworker.

This album is a return to form by Gazpacho after two somewhat mediocre albums like Molok and Soyuz. It's their best album since Demon, and a step in the right direction for a band with great albums in their discography (Night, Tick Tock, March of Ghosts, Demon). It's almost 20 years for Gazpacho of making splendid music. This album grows on you and is a pleasant twist to their traditional atmospheric sounds, which are in full force in this one. The highlight of the album is "Space Cowboy," which is a masterwork, to put it plainly, while the smaller songs ("Hourglass", "Fireworker", and "Antique") fit greatly with the two longer songs. The final epic is called "Sapien", which a great tranquil song to end what is overall a great album. A solid 4.5 for me.

GAZPACHO is one of the groups that has carved out a place for itself in the melodic and atmospheric and symphonic and melancholic spleen, rock art universe! A feat of resisting all the drifts and the young wolves who try to do as well. GAZPACHO is releasing here its 11th album in nearly 20 years, at a gap between baroque art and intense hypnotic variation; this is where they are strongest, not hesitating to embark on beautiful eidolic dreams interspersed with metaphysical questions. GAZPACHO only looks like himself and let's take a closer look.

"Space Cowboy" begins the album with one of the 2 masterpieces and a dreamlike movement juggling between chaotic breaks and phases of a heartbreaking hypnotic sweetness, symphonic breaks with choirs ' la Carl ORFF, the dark and dantesque finale, a title which makes me put it directly in loop, it will be difficult to review the other titles, short, lively, explosive, a progressive continuation as we imagine more of it nowadays and which almost makes you forget the heavy words on the sexual tendencies which inhabit us. "Hourglass" and the 1st of the three triptychs revealing a majestic ballad with piano and violin, touches of notes evoking purity and sweetness, a title allowing to recover from the first title without a doubt. "Firewalker" or the album hit for a playful, pop, bass tune that does its job to highlight Jan's voice; little musical break then return to this celestial voice, fiery, catchy title, at times the voice of Lana DEL REY comes back to me for the charming and mischievous side of slipping between the notes! Good, a title which denotes a little but which is good. "Antique" sets off again on GAZPACHO stamped GAZPACHO, slow and heavy rhythmic, a crescendo on the piano and voice which is only waiting to fly away, a cello comes to move even more, we get closer in fact to the angelic sound with questions about our very existence, the depth goes with the crystalline notes, the base of the depressive oxymoron with a little abyssal clarity in this world of darkness. "Sapien" or extra-sapien for the cosmic flight of this track, minimal and muffled intro, pending tempo, hypnotic rhythmic which concludes with the second great title of this album; a dreamlike title made up of climbs, explosions, climates, atmospheres rather than solos and deluges of notes; sometimes I find there the most beautiful notes of a MUSE in its progressive tendency, sometimes the rhyme of a MARILLION which haunts through this mirror like a soulless ghost.

GAZPACHO struck a big blow by mixing up some of his old albums, some dancing, others melancholy, others still oozing musical and identity questions about our future; a huge album I'm writing. A concept album in 5 parts that you listen to in one go, either with the two long tracks in the end, or as on the CD; be careful not to be controlled remotely by members of the group; also be careful to keep a landmark in your room so as not to leave indefinitely in their musical space where you will no longer be a ghost himself haunted by his personality disorders. GAZPACHO also owes its aura through the voice of Jan, this melancholy 6th instrument which is meant to be soothing and which allows you to plunge into this musical gap between progressive rock, alternative, depressive, melancholic and bewitching: immense, spectacular, poignant.

Despite a name that conjures up sunny Andalusian afternoons at the beach, Gazpacho are a creature of cold, dark Scandinavian nights. Hailing from Oslo, the Norwegian sextet has been around for about two decades, their debut album dating back to 2003. Their career truly picked up in 2007 though, with the release of Night, which in prog circles is still regarded as one of the greatest albums of the noughties. After Night, the band released one after another a string of incredibly beautiful albums that received many accolades not only in the prog-rock camp, but also among metalheads ? their gloomy, melancholic and subtly metallic sound appealing to fans of bands like Anathema, Katatonia, Porcupine Tree, and Riverside. Be warned, though: if you're looking for massive headbanging riffs, fast tempos, distorted guitars and screaming vocals, this band isn't for you. Gazpacho will instead appeal to those who lean towards the darker, more atmospheric side of metal, like the bands named above.

Fireworker is Gazpacho's 11th album and is a strong return to form for the band, after a couple of full-lengths (2015's Molok and 2018's Soyuz) that did not quite match up to the fantastic music the band released between 2007 (Night) and 2014 (Demon). For those of you who already know Gazpacho, sonically Fireworker finds the band halfway between the difficult experimentalism of Demon and the melodic accessibility of Tick Tock. If you are new to the band, the album can be described as dark, cinematic art rock that veers into sinister bursts of metallic distortion in the most intense passages. It's music where piano, keyboards and moody bass grooves take center stage and form the backbone of the songs, while the guitars are used only sparsely, but all more effectively, to punctuate the most dramatic moments. There is a great use of dynamics, with the songs shifting between quietest moments with only voice and piano, and loud peaks of crushing guitar distortion. The arrangements are spacious and colorful, thanks to the wide range of sounds and effects employed by Thomas Andersen, Gazpacho's keyboardist and main songwriter, and Mikael Krømer's tasty use of violin and mandolin.

There isn't much traditional song structure in Gazpacho's compositions: there are no verses, bridges or choruses. Instead we are treated with ever-evolving music that never rests for too long in any single place, but keeps changing and moving between calmer section and dramatic crescendos, in a constant flow of melodies and sounds that are propelled forward by singer Jan-Henrik Ohme's extraordinary ability to morph his voice to fit any mood and intensity of the music. Ohme is indeed one of the best assets of the band: his singing is warm, but intensely melancholic. His voice can be compared to a cross between Marillion's Steve Hogarth and Radiohead's Thom Yorke. The vocal lines are poignant and melodic, but never straightforward or predictable, to the point that they may fail to properly sink in the first time you hear them. This is in fact a general characteristic of Gazpacho's music: it is undeniably difficult and requires multiple listens to be appreciated, or even liked. I confess that I did not actually like this album the first half-dozen times that I listened to it. However, as I started growing familiar with the shifting sequence of sections in each song, I became more and more immersed in the album's sound to the point where I found myself completely addicted to it: it's now been in my CD player for about a week straight, and I suspect it will stay there for a while longer!

There's really a lot to like in Fireworker. Call me a nerd, but I find the symmetric, onion-like structure of the album absolutely beautiful. It is comprised of five songs: two long and multi-part songs at the beginning and end, two shorter, piano-based atmospheric tracks in second and penultimate position, and the folksy, uptempo title-track in the middle. I love the sonic similarities between each of the two pairs of songs in the outer layers, and how they bookend the title-track, which is altogether quite different from any of the other four tracks. It gives the album a sense of circularity and closure that perfectly matches its story, where the protagonist embarks in an inner journey to discover the most instinctual, primitive and dangerous part of the self (the "Fireworker").

The two longer tracks are the obvious "prog epics" and also the highlights of the album. "Space Cowboy" clocks in at nearly 20 minutes and is divided in four sections that shift between several moods and styles. We have calmer piano-driven parts, foreboding choral passages (amazingly, the choirs are actually synth effects), an hypnotic middle segment which explodes in one of the heaviest bits of the album, and a dramatic, symphonic finale. The other longer track, "Sapien" is my favorite song on the album. This song is built around a palm-muted, rhythmic guitar pattern that repeats for nearly its entire 15 minutes, giving the song a dream-like, hypnotic quality that brings me back to albums like Night or Tick Tock. Jan-Henrik Ohme delivers some of his most beautiful vocal melodies on this one, including a sinister, Nick Cave-like segment at around the 2.30 mark. Thomas Andersen's emphatic use of the Hammond also shines here, and I absolutely love the eerie vocal samples and sound effects that are scattered through the song and add beautifully to the dark mood of the track.

Overall, Fireworker is an incredibly rewarding album: one of those rare full-lengths that are more than a mere collection of songs, but a true musical journey that takes you to new, adventurous places and that will stay with you long after the needles has left the grooves. However, it is also a difficult album, with no easy points of access and that requires a substantial time investment to be fully appreciated. It is also not an album that follows the conventional metal aesthetics, and so not everyone reading this may enjoy it. But the most prog-leaning metalheads out there, especially those who are looking for a new fix of dark melancholy outside of the traditional musical territories, should definitely check it out!

(Originally written for The Metal Observer)

For nearly 20 years, Norwegian sextet Gazpacho have excelled at creating atmospheric reflections on somewhat thought- provoking or troubling themes. With Fireworker they have outdone themselves, creating a concept which in some ways encompasses all that has come before and pushes the envelope even further.

The band currently consists of Thomas Andersen on keyboards and programming, Jan-Henrik Ohme on vocals, Jon-Arne Vilbo on guitars, Mikael Kr'mer on violin and guitars, Kristian 'Fido' Torp on bass, and Robert R. Johansen on drums.

For Fireworker, the album feels ritualistic, it has these feelings of purity but also threating in nature. There are moments here that are heavier than I've heard from the band since Tick Tock. While the band's typical atmospheric and spacious artiness is in full effect, the band takes a few risks. Their albums often explore intellectual and philosophical topics, coming across as poetic and emotional, typically. The characters in their stories often experience tragedy, inner turmoil, and powerful transitions. This 'Fireworker' character is the deeper side of all us, an instinctual decision-maker that often overrules our senses and logic. And we often try to philosophize why the 'Fireworker's' decisions are okay, why they make sense. Looking at the world today, this is a fascinating way to describe why some people act the way they do. Much of this comes out in a loud-quiet dynamic that feels as if the protagonist is confronting this side of himself. In fact, it feels like something of a purposeful expedition to battle the side of himself that reacts in fear and violence.

Spacecowboy, to put it bluntly, is a work of genius. This song introduces us to the inner battle of the album. The song teases us with a climax a couple of times and ends up giving it to us in grand fashion. Spacecowboy may arguably be one of the best and certainly one of the most ambitious pieces of music Gazpacho have ever created. The next three songs, Hourglass, Fireworker, and Antique are more atmospheric in approach. Hourglass is a slower track with lots of beautiful ambiance and gorgeous violin. The title track has a folk-rock side to it that I really like, and parts of it almost feel like a soundtrack. It gets heavy, especially for Gazpacho. Antique is melodious and nostalgic, like an old familiar friend. The final epic is called Sapien, a title that seems to indicate an acknowledgement of our human nature. This song is quite reserved, except for a few moments where the tide rises with power and force. It is a beautiful track, though: one that eases us into the ending with class and grace. It does such a superb job of building an atmosphere.

Gazpacho has a thoroughly rewarding album here, and I think fans will love it.

Rating-96%

Recommended Tracks: Spacecowboy, Fireworker and Sapien.

I remember the buzz about this band around 2007 on here and the frustration that none of the North American vendors carried their music. I ended up getting a cdr of "Night" from a buddy in The Netherlands before their music was finally made available over here. So I have their 2005 "Firebird", 2007 "Night", 2009 "Tick Tock" and 2010 "Missa Atropus" before I bailed and waited to hear if they did anything close to "Night" which is by far their best recording. In fact if I hadn't have played it a couple of months ago I probably wouldn't have taken a chance on this their latest studio album from 2020. This may go down as my most regrettable purchase since getting back into the game. It's been a long time since I've popped a cd out because I didn't have the patience but that happened.

One thing that made this different was the choir that comes and goes on that 19 1/2 minute opener "Space Cowboy" and the next track "Hourglass". There is nothing in the liner notes that even mentions them let alone gives a credit. That opener is a long one and a little too sparse at times. It did get surprisingly heavy after 9 minutes. "Hourglass" is close to being ballad-like with the piano and vocals but then the choir replaces the vocals followed by the choirs being replaced by violin. I don't like the title track. Just a little too commercial sounding and the drums sound bad. "Antique" is another relaxed tune with vocals and atmosphere although we get some brief power after 5 minutes. "Sapien" ends it and again mellow stuff but with brief outbursts that come and go. There's vocals and not much else after 11 minutes before picking up some late without vocals.

Man this was so hard to get through but I'm at least thankful that I own "Night" a very special recording. This one went over my head.

I talked about Gazpacho before with Night, but I wanted to do another review for them since I think they are one of the best contemporary Prog rock groups of our generation. I have never been disappointed by any of their releases so far, and while I may think some albums are better than others, I cannot deny that they are a really high quality band that deserves a lot of recognition. Their eclecticism and forward thinking movements lets them be an amazing band and one that I think any Prog fan should try out. That said, I gotta hand it to them, their latest album from 2020, Fireworker, is a hold no bars fistful of their brilliant executions of music, and one that deserves all the praises it can get.

This album has been a bit of an obsession as of late, and one that I am surprised I didn't listen to much in compared to say Night or Tick Tock, because this album is so good.

Every Gazpacho album is, in some way, a concept album, and this is no exception. Unlike the dreamy loose tales of Night, or the more narrative driven story of Tick Tock, Fireworker takes a more Lovecraftian approach with its story, being about a omniscient monster that is willing to propagate in the minds of everyone and everything around it, kinda like, say, The Radiance from Hollow Knight. The creature on the cover (which I absolutely love) may be this monster, since it is huge and otherworldly, covered in harsh shadows with glowing red eyes. It is a monster that, in some shape, is in our minds at any moment, scraping away rationalism and disgust of our actions to try and justify them whether they are big or small. This conceptual narrative drives the album forward, making this one of the biggest sounding albums the band has created.

Musically, I find this to be one of the most interesting and memorable albums the band has released. The biggest moments on this album are definitely the two big epics, the first and last songs of Space Cowboy and Sapien. I absolutely love Space Cowboy as a song. The band isn't unfamiliar with these big and winding epics, heck they made an album that was practically one big epic, but I think Space Cowboy might be the most prolific song the band has ever made. Strong heavy chords, winding orchestral bits and pieces, a choir, and a giant-winding feeling that persists throughout. To say it isn't an amazing song is an understatement, because it is also when the band started to test new waters. Gazpacho is not really a heavy band, per say. They have heavy concepts and lyrics that invoke thought, but sonically they are as hard hitting as a soft blanket. Here, though, through the Lovecraftian concept, they test out more Prog metal methods with heavy guitar chords, very tight drumming, and singing that isn't your typical lush affair. This is probably their most gritty album yet, and I am all for it. It has some mud and dirt on it, and judging from its 2020 release, it was made at the right time when pretty much everyone was getting their minds fireworked. Sapien is also really good, being very moody and somber, carrying the last remaining weight of the album up its own steps in a glorious fashion.

The songs in between, Hourglass, Fireworker, and Antique, whilst being a lot shorter, are also really good. Sure, not as good as the two big epics, but they still get the job done. Fireworker is my favorite of these three. Such a powerful song from the band that doesn't waste anytime, getting right into the chase with very grandiose melodies and poetry that creates for an incredible, but short experience. The only problem I have with these songs is that they are so short, which makes their quick ends feel bittersweet, but I can definitely see them as a much needed bridge from the heavy Space Cowboy to the moody Sapien. Their purpose should be counted for.

I think this is the band's best musical endeavor since March Of Ghosts in 2012, since before this release, Demon, Molok, and Soyuz were very greatly made, but never really reaching the highs many other albums before has. This album shows the band still got it in them to create an amazing Prog rock album featuring their distinct, but ever so changing sounds. I find myself coming back to these songs over and over again when I have an itch for them, no matter the time of day. It really is one of the band's best works in a long while.

If you haven't heard it by now, do yourself a favor and listen to it. Not only will you get your worth of good music, you'll also be experiencing a really well made record that deserves your attention. It is an album you play at the middle of the night and let it wash all over you. It is an album that deserves all the attention it can get for you to embrace every last nanometer of sound. This, Night, and Tick Tock are the best Gazpacho albums by far to me, and this Norwegian band of misfits are some of the best Progheads I have heard.

Fireworker is a wonderful album full of sometimes slow keyboards, occasional opera-type vocals, and sometimes featuring violin and mandolin.

It's generally relatively soft and mellow, but that's contrasted with it's heavy moments. This album drips with atmosphere. While I find some of their earlier stuff a bit droning and depressing, I don't find that here. Not to say that there aren't sad moments, but they don't control the album. The music itself has enough variety to keep one's attention. It may get slow but it never gets boring.

Only five tracks, but like a lot of prog, two of them are extremely long. My only complaint is the nature of the vocals. Ohme isn't a bad singer, but I'm not a huge fan of the Radiohead-like vocal style. But everything else shines through, and it makes a great listen. 4 stars.