KEOR

What amounts to a one-man computer-generated album from Frenchman Victor Miranda-Martin.

1. "Petrichor" (11:28) folk-picked acoustic guitar with nature sounds opens this one before Victor Miranda-Martin joins in with his singing voice.I like the start here. It's quite BEATLES-esque. At 3:50 some metal power chords enter and take over. Hard to believe these drums are all programmed and computer-generated. A dreamy Thomas Thelen sound palette is employed while I am also filled with reminders of bands like VON HERTZEN BROTHERS, VOLA and KLONE (without the djenty guitars). (18.75/20) 2. "The Nest of Evil" (8:43) a little of the spacious, mysterious side of STEVEN WILSON represented here--at least until the Buddy GUY-like bluesy guitar in the third minute. This quickly morphs into an ever-shape-shifting piece-- not unlike, again, the works of prolific German solo artist, T (Thomas Thelen)--though never as dense or complex as Thomas' work (one of the things that repells me from thoroughly enjoying his work). Ends with a kind of "Machine Messiah" feel. (17.5/20)

3. "Snivel by the Pond" (7:36) orchestral percussion and nicely picked folk guitar support this rather cinematic opening even being joined by clarinet. Then things quiet down to leave only a classical guitar and Victor singing gently in a breathy upper register voice. Clarinet returns to supplant voice for a minute before Victor's ethereal, almost eerily ghost-like voice returns for the second verse. In the sixth minute a carnival-esque sound palette takes over--still sounding quite cinematic even classical (in a Tim Burton/Danny Elfman-kind of way). By the time we get to the seventh minute it's pretty much turned all traditional European street music. Nice! (14/15)

4. "Terence" (8:01) orchestral swoons followed by acoustic guitar with tuned percussion instruments as Victor's gentle voice enters. As it builds, between vocal passages, there's a little NOT A GOOD SIGN feel to this one-- symphonic yet rockin'--while the soft, pastoral multi-voiced vocal passages have a very engaging Genesis/FROST* feel to them. In the seventh minute we get into some really heavy, almost-metal work (with some machine gun kick drumming!) Again, the FROST* comparisons are warranted. Nice song! (14/15)

5. "Abyssal Bloom" (14:01) the first five-plus minutes of this song are an exercise in djenty guitar soundscapes with some STEVEN WILSON-ness--especially the creepy, high pitched ethereal vocals. In the sixth minute the music takes a radical turn: toward eerie cinematic again. (Again Danny Elfman or Tim Burton would be your best comparisons.) And then, in the ninth minute, to a very sparse landscape with very delicate, beautiful THOM YORKE-like vocals backed by minimal piano notes. In the twelfth minute the soundscape ramps up with loud tremolo electric guitar (kind of MONO or MAUDLIN OF THE WELL style) as Victor and MIDIed piano continue singing in their beautifully na've voice and melody despite being almost buried in the sonic mix. It's quite a dichotomy the mix between the urgent and insistent guitars and the calm and relaxed vocal and melody. So cool! My favorite song on this album of great music and songs. (29/30)

Total Time 49:49

It is still, for me, difficult to believe that the music of this album is all generated by one man (and his computer). The music is quite good, complex and nuanced, while bridging a kind of pastoral, cinematic world with that of a kind of ALCESTian Dream Pop--often at the same time.

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of progressive rock music--one that does exactly what progressive rock is supposed to do when it's at its best.

Quench your PT / SW thirst here

Let get the obvious out of the way, this album sounds a lot like a Steven Wilson project, mostly Porcupine Tree era. In fact, at times sections feel like they are an obvious tribute. Just listen to the fist verse of The Nest of Evil. Sound like Index to you? Keor (Victor Miranda-Martin) clearly took a great deal of SW inspiration on this album, much like he appeared to do with Alice in Chains / Opeth in the previous album, Hive Mind.

Here's the thing, if this WAS a Steven Wilson project recording, it would be a VERY GOOD ONE, considering it end to end. There are no fillers here. The album is very consistent in atmosphere and mood. Dark. Like Storm Corrosion dark and melancholic at times. The heavy parts rival In Absentia at times.

Other influences that come to the surface are Opeth (frequently), Sigur Ros (or similar post rock). There's even a bit of a tribute to the Scorpions and Uli Jon Roth (The Sales of Charron) with the guitar intro, again, in The Nest of Evil.

Ok, no big deal, right? If we disqualify every band that sounded like or copied others at times, we would have very little music to listen to. The art is often in the way the artist combines these influences and adds their own personality to the mix.

This album is full of personality, however familiar. It is a very enjoyable, creative work of art and expression. The compositions are very good with a really nice flow of the tracks. The lead guitar guitar is well worth calling out. It is very restrained in terms of the low number of solos, but where they are included, they are very good. Right up there with many of the heavy prog/metal best. Victor's vocals are nice and authentic, with nice melodies. Of the music itself, the mellow parts, post rock parts and heavy parts are all of equal, high quality. Masterful, really.

If you're a Steven Wilson / Porcupine Tree, late Opeth, or any form of heavy prog fan, you will like this very much. With the direction Mr. Wilson is taking his music of late (he can do what he wants and doesn't owe us a thing!), this might just be the album you need to quench the thirst.

If this was a Steven Wilson album, it would definitely be a 5-star effort. I need to subtract half a star for the originality thing. However, I need to add a half star in tremendous gratitude to have such a great album in this style, to quench MY thirst. 5-Stars!

Magnificent

This album deserves a far better written review than I can give!

With wonderful, engaging songwriting and clever, inventive, confident guitar work, (I especially love his nylon string rhythms) this album covers a lot of ground crossing the boundaries of several genres, seamlessly and seemingly effortlessly. These are the workings of one Victor Miranda-Martin presenting his music via the name KEOR.

While there are a few nods towards some of his influences, Mr. Miranda-Martin has crafted an album that bears his mark through and through. And though it would appear that Victor is primarily a guitarist, it would be unfair to call this a "guitar album". His abilities as a composer, arranger, guitarist, keyboardist/atmosphericist, and ultimately vocalist make this a pretty remarkable effort for what is essentially a one man band.

While initially some might not necessarily consider Victor to be amongst the greatest of all prog singers, there is no other voice that I think could've done justice to this material. I especially love how well he harmonizes with himself! Mr. Miranda-Martin obviously knows his strengths as a singer and has played to those strengths rather quite well on this outing! Great songs, great guitar solos that genuinely fit within the song, not as flashy showboating (although, he does have incredibly serious guitar chops), nor as being obligatory, but as an integral part of the structure and forward movement of each song, very well done (but not virtuostic) keys and atmospherics to underpin the proceedings.

I'm finding it hard to express what it is that I find so wonderful about this album, and that's a real shame, as I think this is such a high quality release.

Edging sometimes into progressive metal, but not staying so deeply or so long in that area as to call this album prog metal. There's much more going on here than that. Eclectic Prog is as good a definition as I could think of. Quirky, but consonant overall.

I'm gonna do the easier thing; rather than bore you with my insufficient verbiage, I'm gonna suggest that you go to the KEOR page here on PA, where you'll find a link to his bandcamp page.

I'd suggest trying "Terence" (the chorus of which is rabidly infectious and the song reminds me somewhat of Sanguine Hum's "The Weight of the World") first, then "Petrichor" (which might seem more "progressive" to some ears). See what you think! I think it'll be well worth your time!

For me, this is 5 Stars *****

As always, your mileage may vary

Grace and peace, Cylli (Jim)

[Edited: due to the fact that the original review was so terribly rushed (and just plain awful) when initially done. Still not happy with this review, but I'll come back and edit again when my sense of trying to be a wordsmith may hopefully return}

KEOR is the name of the project by multi-instrumentalist Victor Miranda-Martin from Montpellier. KEOR's music combines heavy guitar sounds with moods, crazy progressive rock compositions. His previous album reminded me of the progressive research of the great Devin Townsend and had undeniable positive feedback. This tea room has been his outlet, his muse, his scourge, he says. "!!! "Intro just intro for aperitif time in fact, "Blossom" on a crazy track, djent, Townsend, Zappa if it was still present, syncopated metallic rhythm, energy, power, melodic break which surprises with a beautiful melody and it always leaves with the shouting voice, one in the background, the drums clear, aggressive. "A - Warlike" on an even heavier and more frightening rhythm, Tool, Teramaze, Townsend, electric heavy à la Rammstein for the devastating riff; station wagon with Indian bansuri flute and an infra-bass of a sudden which denotes even more, some sea sounds for satisfaction and a sigh, off sounds that end up disturbing, well it's really war. "Took a Nap" hold his cardiac arrest sound then air fresh air, mysterious too, world creation tune, phrased voice, tune of 'when do you wake up from your nap?', The metronomic drums lead the rhythm and I note the crazy side in all its acceptance. "Underworld" on a jerky bass, we find the basic djent sound, nervous, aggressive; There is Red Hot in it, Suicidal Tendencies, Living Color, the bass does its little quirky limit show, the finale with this serious percussion that makes you react while sound effects come and go. "Learning God" avant-garde, minimalist air, a banjo comes to be present, the plaintive voice, the percussion invite itself; it looks like a tote, a jumble, it calms down even more almost unbelievably; halfway through it starts with an imbroglio, we find there a drums creating the rhythm and voices on film music, street noises, laments, it suddenly reminds me of one of the Beatles songs; the final to the basic riff sets out again on the cataclysmic meanders. "Marta / I Am Keor" for the end, presentation of Marta and Keor, a mantra then a last tune which sends me back to certain sounds of Anyone, which moves dangerously away from the progressive banks as we have seen them from a good moment.

Keor released a powerful, expansive, diverse, personal album. Of the anachronistic, unstructured and destructuring progression that has a meaning, half orchestral, vocal, explosive, recorded in a cave inside the misty mountains surely too. Keor or the extreme at the start of the year.

Petrichor, this earthy smell that one feels after a shower, is the title of the album Victor Miranda Martin, a French musician of Montpellier which I knew existed before listening to this masterpiece and he gives the name of KEOR. That, chronic end, it only remains to listen so it is good and from the boat drunk PROG, bye! Well, for those who want to make the effort to read to me, and because in the atrium was told to do this column, I am starting! KEOR is its singular, unique, innovative, it's catchy, puzzling, "spleenant" and a bit annoying so I find a bit of everything I love. From WILSON already for melodic frames, the TOWNSEND for instrumental flights, the TESSERACT or the OPETH for the power of sound, OLDFIELD for pranks more questions, the KRG for mixing sounds sometimes rock, sometimes trippy, sometimes flamenco of FLOYD for atmospheres and general atmosphere, as some of these riffs "djents" that give power to the "progressive rock" of yesteryear and post-prog finally sounds in MONO plunging you into a state of bewilderment absolute music, almost catatonic. KEOR is an OMNI (meaning unidentified musical object) it is a musical fresco extraordinary sounds with blanks mostly 90's and current sounds. KEOR is too good, since it synthesizes almost all genres from prog rock style simply. Let us come to 5 rooms (from 8 to more than 14minutes) to see what it is! "Petrichor" with his plaintive voice brings the sound of their early PINK FLOYD, and eventually a riff straight out of 'The Wall', a killer. The choirs cling well to the melody and allow pride to different atmospheres, with acoustic guitar, clarinet and voice plaintive then saturated electric guitars and explosion: the ear is disoriented to adapt to these successive breaks and plunges you into a state pre-hypnotic. "The Nest of Evil" takes us on a colorful with air guitars, soaring freezing of TOWNSEND type and batch of machine guns, various and structured breaks reminding the calm before the storm, a guttural rise at the end of course bringing the noise an aircraft mild end of term; it is in the journey! "Snivel by the Pond" is a sweet song with vintage crunches at the end, with a clarinet, an air of waltz to symphonic, piano weighing bringing even more sonic diversion! It is bombastic, cliché moments but both sublime oxymoron to perfection! "Terence" and its introduction birds go ogle the Wilsonian side with a sound almost pop moments, noted a guitar solo to 6 minutes is worth the trip and a piano hammond latency basic look great. "Abyssal Bloom" occurs late in the course with great composition about the prog metal, but with a piano and flute combination on one side and distorted guitar, heavy even on the other, all welded by a captivating voice; heavy riff of a sudden giving way to an airy guitar and her little voice all complemented by school piano notes Wood, one we banged on it to try to make out more noise! Then return to a more post-rock in the end, the apotheosis! You'll understand if you do not like is that you do not like the progressive melting pot and stay in your classic dinosaurs, otherwise you will be overwhelmed by this sidereal album from another time, nay -I from another galaxy! I recall that my extreme rating 9.5 stops for me, you will understand that we are there near perfection simply.