SLOW GIN

Their preceding album Eponymus II impressed me already a lot, but I'm really even more fascinated by this one here (for which I have to say thanks again to Diddy). Although the style is basically the same, jazz rock or metal played with high energy, they combined their maniac highly technical style of the previous one with more accessibility by introducing some melodic lines, some more quiet keyboard sections and almost gothic-alike broad keyboard walls. Like this they managed on here to bring their highly intricate style to its perfection. Nevertheless their music is still centered around Antoine Fafard's energetic bass playing.

After a short electronic and spacey intro the title track is starting with a killer riff followed by a pattern which is alternating between guitar riff , bass solo and keyboard section driven all the times mainly by the bass play. Next song Spaced In fitting to its title has a few spacey moments dominated by synths and sequencers and some electronic choir which sounds like coming from a Mellotron. Minor Blast is a rather quirky one with high speed bass riffs and guitar attacks, but as well with a respiring break of slower and more relaxed bass and keyboard play. The Thing is the most quiet piece I've ever heard by them, almost lyrical but doesn't mean that the bass play is any less awesome as before. Here the guitar becomes a bit more evident. Excellent song and very relaxing! The next ones E.M.O. and Bright Space are as well not as furious as we're used to by them. The former one is an excellent composition dominated by bass and keyboard and there is as well a part with great drum play. The latter one has a kind of "New Age feeling" saying this not in a devaluating meaning but rather as a compliment to the band for their ability to blend perfectly elements of multiple quite different genres. There are as well a few very nice guitar parts. This track in fact stands for the whole album of being an ingenious mix of jazz-fusion, symphonic rock, space rock, metal and New Age. Glassophere Part III is again different and very unusual for them compared to their former album. It's a very short one more in a symphonic vein with keyboards, guitar and excellent drumming. In the two parts of Blue Ron Pipe they are moving more towards free-jazz and we get the pleasure to listen to guest musician Ronald Stewart on tenor sax accompanied by spacey synth sounds and keyboard. Then it's becoming really psychedelic with vocal samples played in reverse mode. In part two Fafard's breathtaking bass playing returns in a rather freaky and spacey composition with guitar attacks and very strange electronic sounds. Great one as well.

CONCLUSION

SPACED OUT proofed with Slow Gin once again that they are a very innovative and excellent band in modern Progressive Rock and moreover here they managed to bring their style to perfection and to blend perfectly multiple different music genres. I can't resist to rate it with the full score!