THE NOON HOUR

Here's Why I'm a Progressive Rock Fanatic

Although I Can't Define It

Here's a masterful demonstration of a winning amalgam of fine musicianship, cunning compositions, intelligent and oblique lyrics, arduous arrangements, challenging ideas, and ferocious performances.

Where on EARTH Do Sounds Like This Originate?

I think in the psyche, the soul, the collective unconscious. NATIONAL DIET- which is a RAINBOW FACE variant with mastermind multi-instrumentalist Jake Rose and drummer/percussionist Conor Reilly- plus a plethora of other bass guitar and woodwind and brass-wielding musicians, develop a gritty, spiritual, intense album to consider, then to reconsider, and then repeat.

Six Tracks

Jake and Co. throw everything plus a few more textures into these tracks. We hear dark, stark guitar/bass patterns, jangling mid-range guitar sounds, eerie synths, symphonic touches, controlled (barely) chaos at times, hallucinatory passages that build from wistful dreaminess to nightmarish flourishes- and that's in the first verse! (Not quite, but sort of).

And in contrast with the RAINBOW FACE album "Stars' Blood", vocals are clean not growled- definitely my personal preference- and utilized to convey some provocative ideas in haunting, dreamy, straightforward, and sometimes choral touches.

Whereas in "Stars' Blood" I thought things were at heart often simplistic- albeit with sophisticated flourishes- on "The Noon Hour" such ideas as the universality and presence of spirit, the core things of the eternal life-cycle, and the inter- connections of all things, are coupled with graceful, ferocious, inventive, passionate arrangements.

Completed in the Final Massive Close

With "Addled Dreams of Youth" NATIONAL DIET pulls out all the stops- beginning with solemn bass/drums, jangling guitars, dreamy vocals, evolving into a psychedelic fog of miasmic sounds with driving drumming and swelling keyboards, controlled chaos, shifting yet again into heavier dramatic guitars and punchy bass.

We hear haunting violin-style guitar and theremin lines with chaotic licks developing, growing in hard-driving fashion...then winding down with devolving descending synth wails...and ends.

Why Progressive Rock?

This is why!

My Rating: Four flashing stars.

Just kinda wonderful combination of energy, brutality, delicacy, and incredibility. "The Noon Hour" was released in April 2022 by a novel power-rock duo NATIONAL DIET. Jake's been already renowned as a founder of a Heavy-Prog unit RAINBOW FACE but this creation will give the audience more and more massive heart attack. Look at this sleeve pic and we can imagine how chaotic and ambivalent this opus possesses. I've been recommended this fascinating explosive agent by Jake (thanks Jake!) and got critically surprised, shocked and amazed at their first sample "l Am Food" in that clearly are the four lyrical elements mentioned above. Their choir is mysterious subtle but charming. In such a deadly violent instrumental battle, they launch sorta sensitive movements and thoughtful vibes without suspicion. Quite eclectic that they play dramatically with no monotonous nor inorganic expression.

Particularly in the crazy prologue "The Map Is The Territory" pretty colourful essence should be included. Metallic machinery rock approaches and slightly tragic melodic sincerity could encourage the audience. It sounds like another pairing of kinda heavy powerful cuisine with fruity sauces and flowery aromatic red wine. We cannot help getting satisfied with such a fascinating unification. On the other hand, we can feel something like the similar vein to a US independent rock giant Stone Temple Pilots - a blend of heavy potential and melodic line - in the fourth track "Preserve The Past". What a comfort we can enjoy through their tempting musical marriage. This debut album is naturally enjoyable regardless of avantgarde environment behind their soundscape. recommended for all heavy dissonant rock fans.