SUBWAY

Therhythmisodd is a relatively new Swedish heavy prog act based out of Sweden. Formed in 2006, the band released their first studio album From Nowhere to Eternity (most likely a tribute to Mahavishnu Orchestra, who is an apparent influence) under the moniker "Trio" in 2008 and then released Raw Material, their sophomore album, in 2011. This short EP or long single which contains the single 13 minute track "Subway," is a fantastic showing of the bands power and rather direct influences, which seem to be a blend of aggressive jazz fusion McLaughlin style and heavy psych-based bluesy prog Caress of Steel-era Rush exemplified. The 13 minute jam session is quite similar in fact to the latter band I mentioned, with the heavy, complex, and spacey instrumentation harkening back to the 1975 album's epic "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth." The entire song is a powerhouse of the band's jamming skill, with raving guitar solos and thumping bass lines and intense drumming rhythms rotating around each other in a masterful fashion.

The song truly thunders along like a subway, with the fast-moving composition raging across the tracks of its own score. The track has occasional stops at its intense chorus, which ties the numerous solo sections. The musical ride is certainly an exciting one, as the band shows their apparent skill with their instruments and their ability to really bring out the best qualities in their strong influences. I'll be sure to check out more from this promising band. 3+ stars.

After a two year break without recording anything that was released (to my knowledge), Swedish hard rock fusion trio therhythmisodd returned with an EP to entice listeners and get them excited about what was to come. 'The full length sophomore 'Raw Material' was eventually released in January of 2011, and for all intents and purposes, that album was a step up in every way from 'From Nowhere To Eternity'. 'Subway' was not my favourite track from that album, but it does hold its own as a fitting example of what 'Raw Material' was all about.

The track is essentially a thirteen minute groove jam, much in the style of the old psychedelic legends. What makes things a little different here is that the sound is heavier, and there is a distinct jazz influence, particularly in the drums. As I mentioned in my review of 'Raw Material', possibly the greatest thing of the band are the awesome bass grooves; many rock bands make the mistake of toning down the bass in order to let the other guitars shine through more, but the bass here is as important to the sound of therhythmisodd as either the drums or guitars. The sound is very evenly distributed amongst the musicians. The one thing I could complain about the music however is the fact that it does feel overdrawn. That is not necessarily a trait that is exclusive to this one song by the band either.

A good track for jammed-out psychedelic heavy fusion, even despite the fact that I don't always care for its highly indulgent nature.