D'ACCORD

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D'ACCORD appeared on the scene like a beat of the drum when they released this production in Summer 2009. I didn't notice that directly but recently stumbled upon the album. Probably it may not work for every prog fan - but at least for me. If I should compare with other bands Diagonal would be a clue ... no, I won't call up the compositional aspect as such - the bands are surely differing with many things. Predominantly it's the special retro 70's attitude featuring intriguing vintage organ and piano work which impresses me.

The opening song Play By The Hall Rules starts like a quite simple rock n' roller reminiscent to the organ driven Deep Purple. But soon it all evolves to something tricky then ... the album highlight in my opinion. As for the spectacular reference (but only for that) comparable to 'Time Flies' from PorcupineTree's 'The Incident'. There is something epic here for sure - the song owns a special dramatic outfit passing through diverse twists and turns - finally even provided with a fantastic melancholic mellotron drenched part - Genesis reminiscent ... so they also drift into symphonic territories. A wonderful catchy workout!

Daniel Maage's voice is rather sophisticated and suits really fine - expressive, accentuated but also powerful - however the band also lives from the instrumental passages. Reaching the peak that early it's nearly impossible for the other songs to hold the same level. Did I mention Deep Purple before ... oh yes ... next song This is the One can be noted as adopting their style at best - and when Maage takes the flute even Ian Anderson's Tull come into my mind.

And then the album gets back closer to the trickiness of the opener. Again typical mellotron layers can be found on BiN - however the multiple guitar variations from heavy riffing, to jazzy and even psychedelic respectively spacey are striking here first and foremost. Coming to the next song it's time to play the blues. Time to Play could be also practically named 'Time to Sing' - partially polyphonic Daniel Maage shows his complete vocal bandwith here, supported by nice female background voices.

There's room enough though for the instruments to shine, speaking of guitar, piano but also uncanny saxophone additions. The playful Capitale Venditio blends relaxed periods, featuring a nice piano solo, and evocative parts where the guitar leads you through the transitions with much safety. No mistaking - some influences are quite clear - nevertheless D'ACCORD have reached for a unique outfit. Don't know why, but keyboarder Fredrik Hådn is not listed as a regular band member although he's a great benefit.

4 stars are well deserved for a strong skillful debut which holds a real masterpiece with 'Play by the Hall Rules'.

D'Accord debut album is good enough to be listened. Very vintage sound, based on heavy keyboards, and mix of heavy -prog and hard rock elements from early 70-s. Plus Ian Anderson's flute.

The music, if not too much complex, is brewed according to classic prog tradition. Songs are melodic and even bombastic in some moments. At least, this short album is not boring.

There are two problems for me with this album: the first is vocal. In many moments it sounds too raw, not fully incorporated in all music played. And some voice nuances are really annoying ( I like Rush or The Mars Volta vocals, but there is a different case). Another problem is do I really need this re-make of great heavy prog from early 70-s? From the band founded in year 2008?

All in all - strong debut, and I believe they will find their listener.

Fans of classic organ-and-guitar-driven heavy progressive rock take note: D'AccorD absolutely must be on your list. Yet this is a group with an interesting sound even with all those traditional elements present loud and clear. The lead singer has a voice eerily similar to that of David Bowie, to my ears- in fact, imagine Bowie fronting a band like Uriah Heep, toss in a flute, and that seems to sum up this act quite well. However, the music on the album is more eclectic than even this description allows. Now I am neither a big David Bowie or Uriah Heep fan, so one might think I would find this album unappealing, but strangely enough, I don't. I think it's quite good, and I can comfortably say that although I find the compositions themselves to be the weakest aspect of the album, since they don't exactly flow, there's an exciting and retro charm to this whole affair.

"Play By The Hall Rules" The first track, a rather lengthy one but essentially two different songs joined together at the hip, begins with an extremely catchy guitar and organ riff, and it gives an excellent idea of what this band is about and what they are capable of. I do not know if this is intentional or not, but the Mellotron in the second half of the song is the same or about the same chord progression as that at the end of Genesis's "Watcher of the Skies." Later, there's a repetition of the word "now," which is of course reminiscent of the climax of "The Musical Box," also by Genesis. Independently, these could be construed as coincidental, but together, this borrowing sounds intentional.

"This Is the One" The heavy rock returns, led by the barrage of guitar and organ. The drumming is powerful here but not overpowering- a good sound, I'd say. The shrill vocals are not to my liking however.

"BiN" Initially another riff-based rock track, the verses occur over more delicate guitar- a nice change of pace. Bluesy guitar leads collide with a chugging flute line, making me think of early Jethro Tull (not so much for the flute itself, but because of the tone of the guitar combined with the flute). The Mellotron offers further diversity, and works surprisingly well with the howling lead vocals. Slide guitar and a return to the roots of classic rock conclude the song.

"Time To Play" Light keyboards and gentle vocals make for a subdued opening bit. Despite the occasional heavy electric guitar, this sounds more like classic Bowie, juxtaposing lounge-like bits with flamboyant caterwauling, and there's even a raunchy brass segment. The quickly quavering organ solo is fantastic here, operating over a potent riff. What follows is delightful blues guitar. The major problem with this one for me is its structure- there's just way too much going on throughout and the transitions aren't always solid.

"Capitale Venditio" The softest moment of the album is the beginning of the final and longest song, employing gentle piano, lazy woodwinds, and subdued drumming. In fact, it's a complete change of direction, especially when the hushed falsetto comes in- like Radiohead does jazz. Suddenly, however, heavy drums, wah guitar, and a descending organ riff assumes command, turning it into a more theatrical affair for a while. The warm, extended guitar solo is a brilliant touch and impeccably executed.

A potent tribute to ProgArchives top ten albums......

........ Just replace King Crimson with Uriah Heep and you get this album. D'AccorD has fused these giants from the 1970s together in their debut album at the same time as they have made this their own music. That's a remarkable achievement in my view.

For those of us who loves the greats from the 1970s, it is pretty impossible not to be carried away when this album opens with the twelve minutes long Play By The Hall Rules. This song introduces a vintage sound, which is kept throughout the album, and some unashamed Genesis references. That in addition to Uriah Heep, Premiata Forneria Marconi, Yes and Pink Floyd references. Everything fused together and added D'AccorDs own personality. Daniel Maage's vocals and Fredrik Hådn's epic Moog lines really comes to the fore here and makes this the best song on this album and it is close to being a masterpiece. There is a live video of this song in the D'AccorD interview and I would refer you to this video if you don't believe me.

The next songs is more Uriah Heep and Jethro Tull dominated in addition to the references mentioned above. D'AccorD adds their own personality throughout. They are not copycats. Their album is "just" a reminder why we love prog rock. Best of all, it makes me grin like a cat which has just got cream. Yes, this album has some flaws. Mostly a couple of not so good songs. But it is still a very impressive debut album. The future looks bright for this band and for us who loves the bands on ProgArchives top ten list.

4 stars