HARVEST MOON

• Away Time Must Have a Stop, 2008

When I reviewed Votum's 2008 debut I managed to include references to bands as diverse as Therion, Nightwish, Negură Bunget, Pink Floyd and Porcupine Tree, as well as of course mentioning Riverside as these guys are also Polish. Back then I said that however you wanted to describe them, it was essential you search them out. A few years down the line and they are back with their third album, and with Millenium and Riverside also releasing superb works in recent months it appears that 2013 is going to be a bumper year for afficianados of the Polisg prog scene. Somehow the band have managed to become even more diverse yet at the same time have brought in control and a restrained power that makes this a wonderfully rich album.

There are times when they bring in the power of Opeth, but move to RPWL and folk influences without even batting an eye. This is music that popintedly refuses to stick in any particular subgenre and is happy to meander all over the place wherever it needs to be. It is going to appreciate to those who want their prog to have bite, and there is a section in 'Cobwebs' where they are a straight out metal band, nothing more or less. But, for the most part it is the threat of darkness as opposed to a straight metallic attack that gives this the edge. Sure, they can be Dream Theater when they want to be, or they can be full on emotional Anathema, with harmony vocals and gentleness and picked guitars. Or not.

If you have yet to come across Votum then you need to increase your musical education as this is a great piece of work. www.votumband.pl

Send comments to kev rowland (BETA) | Report this review (#954773) | Review Permalink
Posted Monday, May 06, 2013

Another heavy prog band from Poland. There sure is some great music coming out of Eastern Europe! And this one clocks in at no less than 69 mintues! Harvest Moon kicks off with a real gem--a piece that betrays very little of the heavier, more metal-oriented stuff to come. 1. "Vicious Cir ... (read more)

Report this review (#929072) | Posted by BrufordFreak | Tuesday, March 12, 2013 | Review Permanlink

While everyone (including myself) is swooning over Riverside's newest release, another Polish band quietly released their third album. Votum released "Harvest Moon" in close proximity to Riverside's SONGS, and I honestly don't know if this will hurt them or not. However, I do know that it will ... (read more)

Report this review (#913434) | Posted by Second Life Syndrome | Wednesday, February 13, 2013 | Review Permanlink

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