AMINO ACID FLASHBACK

If you'll read sites around the Net as well as their own thoughts in the CD booklet, supposedly Ohm's second studio album "Amino Acid Flashback" shows a marked step forward for the band, shows progression, musical maturity, etc. Perhaps that is true from a technical perspective but listening to both side by side, this reviewer prefers their first self-titled release which sounds more spontaneous, more exciting, and frankly, more alive.

Amino does throw more at us in terms of nuance, sound effects, and complexities. That doesn't necessarily translate into a better listening experience for me. There has also been a personal change; the new drummer in the group is none other than Kofi Baker, son of Cream's Ginger Baker. Let's just say that as far as rock drummer kids go, Kofi blows Zak Starkey and Jason Bonham out of the water. He is an exceptionally gifted drummer who boggles the mind with some of his fills.

I'm not saying the music on Amino is poor or not appealing. It is still good, challenging, rocking, and technically amazing. I'm just saying that I'll choose the first one over this one 4 out of 5 times for those long road trips. If you're new to Ohm I would certainly recommend the first album if you like a saucier guitar. If you tend to like a drier instrumental experience with more emphasis on effects and controlled textures then you might prefer this one. Both will be appreciated by fusion/instrumental rock nuts.

This is the second studio album from the American Fusion band OHM. Chris Poland (MEGADEATH) on guitar, Robbie Pagliaro on bass and Kofi Baker on drums.The latter is the son of the legendary Ginger Baker (CREAM). In the liner notes Chris talks about how he and Robbie have been playing on and off together for some 25 years.They actually played this style of Fusion together early on so they've come full circle here with this project called OHM. The music here reminds me of some of Holdsworth's solo stuff more than anything else.

"Davinci" hits the ground running. I really like this catchy tune. Check out the drums and guitar before 2 1/2 minutes to the end. "Tara" is lighter sounding and it reminds me of Holdsworth's "IOU" album. It does get heavier half way through though. Great sound 3 minutes in. "William's Amino Acid Flashback" has some killer bass in it. It settles before 1 1/2 minutes. Check out Poland after 3 minutes. "What If..." has some excellent drum work from Baker as other sounds echo. It turns intense late. "Joog In Da Boot" again impresses with the bass and drum work.The guitar kicks in before 1 1/2 minutes as he starts to light it up. Nice.

"Compass Of The Heart" features some tasteful guitar early but the drums and bass are anything but (haha). The guitar is more aggressive later. "Icarus Falls" has some beautiful guitar work on it before 2 minutes. "Rooms Of Telemetry" reminds me of Holdsworth's "IOU" album again.The guitar starts to solo before 2 1/2 minutes. Check out the bass 4 minutes in. "Skint" is an uptempo track with an impressive instrumental display. "Spun" is by far the longest track at around 7 minutes. I like the rhythm as the guitar plays over top. It turns heavy after 2 minutes. This is the heaviest section on this album. It settles a minute later as the tempo continues to shift. "Tattoo" opens with some great sounding guitar as drums and bass join in. Gorgeous. It then turns more aggressive. Love the drumming here.

If your into Fusion this is a no brainer really. Lights out playing from all three guys. Personally I would have prefered more heaviness but that's my only complaint.

Mellower, More Composed Outing

Ohm: is a power trio comprised of guitarist extraordinaire Chris Poland, best known as the first lead player in Megadeth, bass-master Robertino Pagliari, and a succession of drummers. Their longest standing skin abuser was Kofi Baker (son of Cream's Ginger Baker) who was a full band member by the sophomore AMINO ACID FLASHBACK. Despite his pedigree, Poland is first and foremost a fusion player who to this day loves to recount Dave Mustaine throwing his Weather Report tapes out the window while Megadeth was touring. Ohm's sound is a heavy fusion that is modern, textured, and virtuosic. Both Poland and Pagliari use a wide variety of effects that give the trio a very characteristic sound. Poland's tone in particular is completely singular, perhaps one of the most identifiable guitar sounds in all music.

After a phenomenal debut, Ohm concentrated on tighter compositions, mellowed a little, and produced a very solid outing that adds meaningful breadth to their catalog. However, AMINO ACID FLASHBACK really is a second album, a fleshing out of the band's sound. A new listener should absolutely get the first album first, as it is still the standard for the band. One reason is the appearance there of David Eagle on drums who is a slippery octopus. Kofi Baker is a very good drummer, miles ahead of his father, but Eagle was a magic ingredient that really completed the trio like no other.

While all of AAF is solid, "William's Amino Acid Flashback" and "What If" really are notch above the rest of the material. The first is the heaviest and most aggressive of the album, with a simply blistering white hot solo from Poland. The second is the most complex, the most likely to appeal to a prog fans ears. The sounds and textures are spooky and trippy, and Pag gets plenty of room to showcase his monster talent. While Poland gets called "under-rated" and "under-appreciated" on almost every review I read, Pags is just as amazing to my ear. Certainly, he is absolutely essential to the Ohm sound. When I hear Poland playing with other bassists, they simply pale.

There are quite a few ballad-y type songs on this album, including the second track "Tara." Along with the more mid-tempo opener "Da Vinci," this track leaves a much less overwhelming first impression compared to the debut album. The more I listen to this album, the more I've come to appreciate it, but the debut simply blows me away.

Bottom Line: Great addition to your modern fusion library, but not essential. 3.5 rounded up because Chris is my fave. (If you want more explanation of his guitar style, I've described it in detail on other reviews on his solo page, other Ohm albums, and on the Ohmphrey side project)