DISASTER MOVIE

Sometimes I feel like a prog version of Indiana Jones, a dashing explorer constantly chasing some distant and mythic treasure that will amaze and astound, perilously scouring the globe and the labyrinthine web for a nugget of sonic panacea. Having lived the glory days of the 70s and then the doom and gloom of the 80s, then the subsequent huge global revival, still going strong today, I have come to realize early on that there is so much fantastic music out there often unknown, and that I would never be able to catch up, as there are so many brilliant stars in the progressive galaxy. This is why I waste zero time on reviewing bands or artists that I can't or won't enjoy and ergo, fully concentrate on promoting, aiding and abetting and generally singing praise of worthy bands in need instead of self-serving, ego-boosting power tripping negative criticism (We can leave that to Rolling Stone). By all accounts, 2023 is shaping up to be one the very finest prog vintages ever, as the weary emergence from Bunkerville, Planet Earth has seemingly fuelled endless amounts of inspiration from musicians the world over. And there are still many pending projects set for release before December 31.

Tim Pepper of the Id reached out to me on my FB page Prog Rogue and suggested I check out his latest venture, Disaster Movie gave it a rapid sniff and promptly there and then, was hit by thunderbolts of lightning, very, very frightening, and infinitely exuberant Galileos! The opposite of 10cc's "I'm Not in Love"! Instantly fell head over heels, as if out of the blue, I had found nirvana (no, not the band, silly). Had the police shown up, I would have had a cardiac arrest. I have just discovered what modern prog should sound like in 2023: crisp, electronic, melodious, catchy yet intelligent tracks, devoid of clichés (they really sound like no one else, little hints here and there) but completely absorbing from beginning to end and verging on salient genius. The seven and a half minute "Prelude in Dm/Overture/The Voyage" certainly sounds like your prototypical prog track name as an intro and set the setting perfectly, as the listener settles into his comfortable and plush Imax recliner, placing into the built-in receptacles, the 3-and-a-half-ton popcorn bag next to the 4 ton mega/maxi soft drink and the velvet curtains opening and as Roxy Music once famously claimed, "Dim the lights, you can guess the rest"! A magnificent and yet melancholic piano and distant orchestrations hold hands in evolving into a neo- classical whirlpool of cinematographic euphoria, all in glorious widescreen bombastic splendour. The ship has set sail and the passengers prepare for the luxurious journey. Vocalist Tim Pepper whips out an amusingly obvious cockney accent as he describes the story to be told, from the not too posh protagonist's perspective, as howling gales of mellotron whoosh through the speakers, absolutely gripping symphonics, rolling like tempests over the whitecaps. The ominous grey clouds thunder across "The Storm", as the percussive roar sows the seeds of the catastrophe, the first high point of the album is reached with the stunning "Aftermath", a sea shanty dripping in sorrow, guilt, shame, and despair, as Tim recites the tragic poetry, lyrics depicting the full extent of the wreckage. This has a distinct Genesis/IQ/Robert Wyatt feel, but hauntingly draped in a modern electronic sheen. I am at a loss for words as this is a 9 minute + piece of genius that I plan to treasure until my ship sinks to the bottom of the sea.

Gleaming electronic keyboards, with a razor-sharp electronic guitar backbone are featured on the swirling "Tailspin", Tim singing with convincing passion (the repetitive "BE someone") and clearly evoking the dilemma that surges deep into the weary soul, the chorus' melody intoxicating, a churning, sweeping gem that glitters in the circular guitar vortex, pleading for salvation. The melodies just keep beaching with "I Never Wanted To", a monumental ballad that builds up into a chorus to drown for, as the keyboards, a scuttling electric guitar from Peter Albrektsen that scours the ocean wide, a supremely gifted vocal once again (I detect a hint from a classic rock song that I will leave you to discover) and that melody that just grabs the heart and squeezes ever so gently. For a second, I actually imagined Uncle Phil Collins singing a prog tune, had he decided not to "Sussudio". The outro implies a vibraphone lullaby to say, I am sorry. "The Spectre (A Message)" has nothing to do with 007 but proposes rather another exciting track, Tim modulating his voice once again, pronouncing every word, clear as a Caribbean lagoon. With a simple piano carrying the tune, armed once again with a resonating main air to expunge over, Beretta or Walther in hand ("You're not alone") is absolutely awe inspiring! Another extended track, "Human" is a showstopper with is protracted monotonous and sorrowful threnody, gradually turning up the intensity into a full-blown vocal that haunts the soul, shiver me timbers, a shrill organ/synth twirling insecure, as if searching for some clemency and kindness. By the time the title word is shrieked loudly for all the sirens to hear, amid the colossal (or should I dare say Titanic) mellotronic hurricanes, it convinces. Cannonading tectonic thuds and a buzzsaw guitar welcome "Deliverance", with a pleasing voice so as to contrast with the bluster, a pleading desire for absolution of any kind, the desire for liberation paramount. This segues lovingly into "Homecoming", an apotheosis, a climax of a story that seeks to end on some kind of heroic note, as the bells ring in exalted delight, the drums leading the long march home. "Oh, but Toto, we're home. Home! And this is my room, and you are all here? Home, there's no place like home."

The End Roll the credits: Tim Pepper-All vocals, keyboards Peter Albrektsen- Guitars, keyboards Mark Murdock- Drums

Fans of IQ, Tony Patterson, Returned to the Earth, Nova Cascade and Riversea, will lap this up like an elixir for the heavens, a quality band that deserves a wider, wildly clapping audience. This is heading smack into my top three 2023 list. Keep your movie stub and get this pronto from bandcamp, the cast are wearing their lifejackets and waiting for your rescue.

5 Tragic cinemas