STRANGER HEADS PREVAIL

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It took until 2016 for the next album, during which time they got a new bassist and violinist, but even though some personnel had changed they stayed true to what they had been producing on their previous works. They even started this one with an a capella introduction as they had with the last. Again we are being treated to a band that want to mix so many different styles and musical influences that it is superfluous to even mention them, but when Coheed and Cambria lay down next to Frank Zappa who is cosying up to Mars Volta, then one knows that one is in the presence of something quite special indeed. It is fresh, it is exciting, it is invigorating, and most of all it is just great fun to listen to!

This is not a prog band that wants to copy either Genesis, King Crimson, VDGG or Yes, but instead what to get out there and make a name for themselves performing the music they want, and no matter what everyone else may think of it. Interestingly, the vast majority of progheads who have come across their music think that they are amazing, so how come they aren't more well-known? Certainly they had missed me by totally, of which the only advantage I can think of is that now I know about them I have a few hours' worth of music to discover instead of just one album. That they can mix this complexity and intricacy in a way that makes it so easy to listen to is an art in itself, and something that very few bands ever manage. Full of light and shade, dynamics aplenty, this is an incredibly exciting album and one that I could listen to all day. Each time I play it I make more discoveries, with each musician being an integral part to the musical whole. If, like me, this amazing band had passed you by, then now is the time to discover some of the most interesting music you will find in the current prog scene.

Review originally published in www.therocktologist.com

What an amazing band!

While the years of this decade have passed, Thank You Scientist has developed a wonderful, unique sound that shows a truly interesting crossover of prog rock, metal and jazz that now has landed in their second studio album entitled Stranger Heads Prevail, which shows a step forward from their previous releases. This album was one of my 2016 favorites, it hit me since the first listen, I still remember I was blown away saying things like "holy sh*t" or "wow, this is so good", expression I still use while listening to it by the way.

Eleven tracks are here, making a total time of 67 minutes of solid music that will make you have a great time. It opens with ""Prologue: A Faint Applause", a two-minute song that works of course as the introduction to what the album will be about. The vocals are acute and sweet, while the music has a circus-like feeling. It leads to "The Somnambulist" which shows much more energy since the very first seconds, that blend of genres I previously mentioned can be appreciated here, I love that metal spirit made by guitars, bass and drums, wonderfully complemented by a brass section and a subtle violin that appears here and there. Of course, Marrano's voice plays a main role during the whole album, being a crucial element of Thank You Scientist's sound.

Maybe, just to point out as reference, the sound might remind you of Coheed and Cambria and A.C.T., the main difference is that magnificent use of sax, trumpet and violin that we can appreciate and love in "Caverns". This great track could fit in the heavy prog label, with that inherent jazzy sound. In the final part there is a killer guitar solo. "Mr. Invisible" was the first track I listened from the album, and I must say it still is my favorite. What a song, my gosh! The jazz feeling is simply delicious, I love how in spite the challenging composition, the music could be catchy and easy to dig. I love its changes, the soft parts and then when it becomes heavier; I love the instrumental passages and the ones with vocals, I love how the musicians understand each other perfectly and share their talent with us.

"A Wolf in Cheap Clothing" starts slow, after the previous vertiginous track, this seems to share a moment of tranquility, just before its explosion that arrives a few seconds before minute two, so then Thank You Scientist once again offers a wonderful blend of jazz-prog-metal that no ears should let escape. "Blue Automatic" offers endless figures made by guitars, bass and violin, the guys are amazing musicians with so much technique. With some other bands/albums I sometimes have an issue with the Djent-ly sound and with those samples of virtuosity that lack of emotion, with Thank You Scientist that feeling has never appeared in my mind, on the other hand, these guys make me feel much interest in keeping my ears listening to every single minute.

"Need More Input" is a killer! Man, the contrast of their passages, how first it is laid-back and then explosive and exciting, later soft and expectant, and later more powerful and with infinite notes played that create so many textures and nuances. There is a great instrumental passage with a mid-eastern feeling and then one with a balkan-feeling, amazing. This is another favorite of mine, without a doubt. There are no weak tracks in this album, fortunately, so you will be positively surprised with all the songs That surprise came to me with "Rube Goldberg Variations" due to its delicate sound that create exquisite jazzy nuances when trumpet, sax and violin take the leadership. They even dared to create a Latin-jazz passage, so we can reaffirm how talented they are. This is the only instrumental track off the album, by the way.

"Psychopomp" has also that mid-eastern sound combined with a gypsy feeling. The song develops different structures and as usual, countless colors, textures and changes. The song's length is over nine minutes, but they pass so fast with a blink of an eye, which means it has naturally grew on me. "The Amateur Arsonist's Handbook" is the last lengthy track of the record, and in the end it sums up what their sound is about. "Epilogue: And the Clever Depart" brings the last minute of the album, a soft goodbye track.

Listening to this album is a great experience, but now I am truly excited because I will see Thank You Scientist on stage next Progtoberfest at Chicago, and am sure it will be an unforgettable experience. Please, do yourself a favor and listen to them.

Enjoy it!

After the bombastic, high octane, bombastic debut of Thank You Scientist filled with all sorts of influences and concepts, their followup is a high octane, bombastic sophomore album with all sorts of influences, but the sound considerably maturing. While the foundation of the band is still clear to see, with the pop and ska elements being fused with jazz, metal, and the insanity of The Mars Volta all still being there, but with more room to breath within tracks, along with certain compositional problems no longer being present, namely the lack of any track that goes too far off course and ends up losing its way. The album overall has a much more refined sound most noticeable in the improvement of aspects of each song to latch onto allowing each song to be immediately distinctive, causing the album to be much easier to get into when compared to their often dense (yet still great) .

Even from the opening notes of The Somnambulist, you can tell that the album will generally have a more restrained feel to it, as despite the chaos that takes place within the first 15 seconds, everything still feels very subdued. Overall, while nothing particularly amazing for the band, the rest of the song is an enjoyable, jazzy rock piece that is quite a suitable opener. This slight lukewarmness is immediately destroyed by my personal favourite song by the band, Caverns, jumps between riffs excellently in the intro before transitioning into a section almost devoid of brass, instead having a wonderfully interweaving melody involving the guitars. The lyrics are also excellent, with the powerful chorus conveying them well, and the change of tone into something sounding completely hopeless and distraught sweeps through. I also really love the heavier, slower riff at the end and how much it sounds like part of Haken's Visions, which I just find to be a fun touch. Mr Invisible then comes in after such an intense song with its amazingly funky bassline and just like Feed The Horses, strong Michael Jackson vibes, making for a really great, enjoyable song.

The next 3 songs all fall into what I'd consider TYS's general sound, quick time changes with overtones of pop, jazz and metal, each with moments of incredible amounts of energy, yet each of them also balance it nicely with quieter moments in order not to create a neverending onslaught of noise. Out of these, Need More Input stands out as being my least favourite song the band has put out, with barely a moment of interest to be found on it. The final three songs manage to be much more interesting, with Rube Goldberg Variations being an infinitely more entertaining instrumental than Suspicious Waveforms, with this one flipping through styles at a rapid pace, while also being by far the most crafted song the band has written so far, constantly progressing while still holding onto the key elements of what makes it great. Similarly, Psychopomp manages to maintain perfect focus throughout its 9 and a half minute runtime, having a really nice Middle Eastern sound to it, while also containing riff after riff, with the one in the chorus being absolutely perfect, despite the simplicity of it. The album closes off quite well with The Amateur Arsonist's Handbook, which is much faster paced and rock oriented than anything else on the album, and also contains a jaw dropping violin solo.

Overall, despite the fact that this is by far a more mature album by the band than the debut, I'd put them at about equal with each other, since I feel like this one hits a couple of spots that feel slightly off, along with the entirety of Need More Input, leading to me having very similar opinions about both, amazing albums, but not the band's full potential. I look forward to seeing what's to come for Thank You Scientist, as I feel like they have the potential to create a straight up masterpiece. And as one last small note, don't end your album with a cheesy acapella piece when the full fledged track before it closed it off perfectly, that's just bound to leave people with a bad taste in their mouths.

Best songs: Caverns, Rube Goldberg Variations, Psychopomp

Weakest songs: Need More Input, Epillogue: And the Clever Depart

Verdict: The easier of the albums by the band to get into, with a much less dense overall sound and many moments of wild experimentation that are far less caffeinated than you;d find on their debut, suggested to those who enjoy the Mars Volta or complex, jazzy music in general, although this album is far from inaccessible to more casual listeners anyway, at least in parts.