PERMAFROST

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This is studio album number four for these Avant minded Spaniards. Interesting that there is no sax on this record for the first time since the debut. That doesn't mean it sounds exactly like their self titled first album as that one was much darker and oppressive in my opinion.

"Erosive Forces Of Wind And Water" opens with a melancholic melody as abrasive sounds join in. The organ starts to take the spotlight as the intricate drumming and guitar continue. Check out the guitar after 2 minutes as it becomes nasty and angular. I must admit KING CRIMSON comes to mind but this is a much darker version of that band's sound. "Lead Poisoning" continues with the complex melodies as drums, bass, guitar and keyboards lead the way. Some nice organ runs in this one as well. There's a dark atmospheric calm before 4 minutes with some angular guitar. "Boots, Nails, Watches..." opens with piano and atmosphere as the guitar is picked. It turns darker as the organ and angular guitar get louder. It calms back down but it continues to be haunting. "Thermokarst" is a little chaotic to start before the bass and drums begin to lead the way. Organ and guitar help out as well. Check out the drumming 2 minutes in then the angular guitar that joins in. Nice.

"Trapped In The Sea Ice" is really interesting early on as sounds come and go. Actually the whole song really draws me in to the mood. So much going on here. "...Books, Saws, Handkerchiefs..." is mellow with prominant bass, intricate guitar, piano and atmosphere. Very cool sound here. Angular guitar comes in then it's replaced by mellotron-like waves of sound. This is my favourite track. Next up is "Graves Of The Crewmen Buried On Beechey Island" which has an almost pleasant vibe going on. Yes this is shocking(haha). The mellotron-like sounds before 2 minutes changes that mood but not for long as themes are repeated. "...Two Double-Barreled Guns and 40lbs. Of Chocolate" is eerie to start. The pace picks up a minute in as does the intensity. The tempo does continue to shift though at will. Some nice organ runs after 2 minutes then this darker mood takes over with drums, bass and angular guitar. This is my second favourite track and a great way to end this record.

Well you pretty much know what your going to get with an OCTOBER EQUUS album and these guys never disappoint. A solid 4 stars and if you can get your hands on any one of their four studio albums do not even hesitate.

I'm one of those who believe that instrumental music can have a concept and tell a story. You can take the track titles or any other element able to address your mind and make you concentrate to the subject and in this way better appreciate what the music says. Instrumental allows more freedom to the imagination.

This is one of those albums. As the previous releases of October Equus there's a strong RIO flavor in the vein of Art Zoid and Univers Zero, but the music is more approachable even by listeners not used to the genre.

The concept is made clear by the inside pages of the CD booklet. The permafrost is the ground whose temperature is below zero for almost all the year. Literally "permanent frost". This gives the idea of a cold land, but the key is the copy of a piece of paper signed by Lord Franklin, the unlucky explorer who died with his whole crew searching for the North-West passage (there's also a Pentangle's song about him).

Musically it's dark but not too much. There's room for all the instrumentists even though is the guitar which has the most relevant parts. It's singular as the track which for its title should be the most dark and sad, "Graves of the crewmen buried on Beechey Island" is the most relaxed, instead. Everything is already happened and it sounds like an elegy. On this track all the band members show excellent jazz skills and this jazz element is one of the reasons why this track doesn't sound too dark.

It's my opinion, and I can be wrong, but I think that what makes a track very dark is when the passages are so unusual and apparently disconnected that the listener struggles in finding a structure to follow and has to surrender and let it go without the possibility to anticipate a single note. In this album, and mainly in this track, the jazz structure is audible enough and this makes the things simpler for the listener. You won't be able to anticipate any single note even now, but a structure is perceivable.

In any case I think that the music succeeds in commenting the story of a crew of sailors lost and dead in a frozen deserted land at the borders of the world. Read the titles, look at the pictures inside the booklet, follo the music and enjoy.

Not less than 4 stars.