EARN HEAVEN

This is a new discovery for me, and I am not ashamed to state that the cover art was the main trigger, a very common practice back in the groovy 70s when album art was at its glorious peak (Roger Dean, Hipgnosis, etc?). My second full bore audition (on a long drive home) was the culminating event that crowned this recording with approval for review, as the sterling vocalisations and dual guitars really took me into the prog stratosphere. Earn Heaven is the third essay for this talented band from Poznan, composed of guitarists Bartosz Bak and Wojtek Deutschmann, aided by bassist Filip Bielicki, Maciej Hoffmann on the drum stool, as well as keyboardist Wojtek Slepecki. They have recruited a new singer (never heard the previous one but I am looking for the two previous albums) but all I can say is that Krzysztof Podsiadlo has a unique voice that is quite hard to describe, definitely original and no one's clone, and it really caught my full-fledged attention and admiration. It's virile, husky, haunting, agonized, passionate without any histrionics, perhaps closer to Wayne Hussey of the Mission, as well as others from that era (Jim Kerr, Peter Murphy etc..) and is a sheer delight to listen too, as my jaw dropped a few times as I was grasping the steering wheel. The other main attribute is how one guitar 'crisses' while the other 'crosses', weaving a complex electric texture that is perfectly intertwined, very much in a teamwork style, giving a dense platform for the compositions to establish cause and effect. Its not necessarily heavy but can be noisy, with some whistling Moog stylistics not unlike early Roxy Music era Eno. The bass /drum combo keeps everything nice and tight.

After a couple of great short openers, the real quality rises like heavenly cream to the top, the 5 minute "California" showcasing immense vocal talent, as Podsiadlo can modulate his voice with seemingly limitless effort, showering the speakers with unbridled emotion and angst, as the sonic megalith (as in the cover art) floats gently over the emerald lagoon. A tremendous tune.

A roiling organ bulldozer announces the frantic "Rise Up!", a hypnotic ride that has dripping emotion in every groove, intensity, and defiance in each note, pounding effortlessly towards some symbolic horizon. This segues perfectly with the utterly gentle "Live Stained Jewel", another spotlight moment for tectonic vocals, raging guitar barrages, binary beats, overtly all united in a relentless roller coaster of sound. Two 6-minute tracks raise the roof on this amazing musical journey, establishing the obvious positive outcome of high ratings. The crunchy "False Idol" is the prefect example of how the woven guitars play together, riffing, phrasing, and adding flicks of electric fury where needed, veering from simple lines to complex patterns with utter ease. Add on the expressive voice that shows endless energy, and we have another winner. The wolf hound howl on the backing vocals at the end is masterfully undertaken. The second one, "Take Me" targets a more modern direction, seemingly spooky at first, building up a frenzy that once again features superlative singing: what a stylist, often close to the edge of keeling overboard, I love it, though at first listen I was not so sure if it was a bit off key. The echoing synths and solemn organ runs offer welcome colorations to the epic guitar assaults, a fascinating tune in so many ways, groovy musical moods in opposition to energetic vocalized ranting.

The melancholic sway of "Shelter" is most welcome after all that fury, a simply shining love song that has Podsaidlo sounding a lot like the Tea Party's Jeff Martin, obvious as the arrangement just grows into a growling surge, albeit only to press some inner demon point. A momentary lapse of calm, I guess. The screeching guitar foray only adds to the glimmering contrasts, and the fuzzed-out bass is volcanic and the drum beating frantic. Next up, perhaps my favorite track, the magnificently addictive "Offroad" with its 'she-bee-dee-bee' vocal chorus, combined with an infinite guitar flicker and a lead vocal so spectacular, that finally forced me to hit the proverbial (and imaginary) golden buzzer on my van's dashboard. Insistent, atmospheric, dense, and jaw-droppingly clever. Closing out the musical menu with the longest piece, "Behind the Smile" best encapsulates the quality of this Polish band, an intricate voyage of bluster and banter, liberally sprinkling a variety of glistening filigrees of sound, aural surprises in partnership with textural comfort. The lead vocal is once again note worthy for its agonizing eruptions of power, amid the instrumental peaks and valleys, the impeccable shifting of gears apparent at each turn.

Obviously, this is 'driving the automobile' music of the finest order, perhaps best enjoyed not in the comfort of your den but out on the motorway, heading to your next destination. Appleseed will take you there.

4.5 Adam's fruits