AMPLIFIER

So the real question: what is it like? (I can't write that without thinking of the Blackadder spanish infanta: "But, what does he like"). Is this classic unmistakable Amplifier?: yes.

Well the next obvious question is: "If I haven't listened to Amplifier before what does it sound like: what am i getting myself in for?" OK, no band likes being compared to another but it's a review so I'll indulge you.

Right we have smatterings of Porcupine Tree (without the miserable "music to slash your wrists to vibe"), a sprinkling of Kings X in their Out of the Silent Planet/Gretchen/Faith Hope Love prime; and a hint of piquant Oceansize. But these are merely

Matmos is typical Amplifier, but the The Wheel is simply majestic. Layer upon layer: test your hi- fi: but not over produced.If I had a criticism it would be that the guitar tone lacks a harsher bite.

Extra Vehicular fades in, clean separated elements: guitar arpeggios, bass, drums. Maybe the bass is a bit too flabby & rounded. I liked the character of the Warwick that came through on the earlier albums.

I love the guitar tone throughout the album. it's clear that there has been considerable personal tweaking to get it just so. The acoustic has a lovely tone, it's not Andy McKee but hey.

Where the river Goes' vocals will instantly chime with Kings X fans

****** The Album cover

the first prog album I bought was Yes Songs the only reason I bought it was that it was a triple fold out and the album art was cool. Took it home & loved the music. For me that's always been a part of the prog scene. The slow demise of LPs has cut down that sense of pop art in your hands as you listen to prog but Echo Street is a marvellous piece of kit to own: it's a small hardback book. **** So a fab album to add to the collection. I think this is an important album as it helps define Brit prog at the time of PT's demise.

If spacerock is your bag this is an excellent must have. Otherwise it's good but not essential.

Fractal EP consists of four extended improvised tracks that remained after the production of their previous album, Octopus. The tracks have that essential quality of improvisation - fluidity. They traverse naturally from effects-drenched jams into seemingly more coherent and quasi-structured compositions. As natural with improvisation, it can get a little bit confused, but the beauty of Fractal, is that such psychedelic meanderings really do lend themselves to pure improvisation. After all; set the delay pedal to a long delay, and all of a sudden, you're Pink Floyd. The band play well off each other, hitting chaotic cues with remarkable clarity, progressing through musical sections with relative ease. Of all the movements, 'The Chase' comes across as the most cohesive composition, even erring on the side of post rock, with relaxed instrumentation and a charming atmosphere. There's no excessive amount sonic saturation here that may deter those usually wary of improvised music. And while Fractal is hardly going to be as 'tight' as one might expect from such an artist, it seems to be a competent late night chill out soundtrack, without the elevator-muzak implications.

In terms of what I was expecting from this release, the cohesiveness and pleasant nature of the music was a surprise. It's not brilliant, it's a little one-paced and doesn't really push the listener beyond a causal "oh, that was a nice percussion fill" or quiet appreciation. Fractal appears to be a scaffolding. The external shape is there, some of the plastering is taking shape, but the building still needs to be constructed.

The crescendo of noise on "Motorhead" is very similar to the 35007's "Tsunami", given tha main difference the fact that this song has lyrics, and when they sing they can effectively remind a bit to PT or even other heavy-prog bands.

Also "Airborne" reminds me to 35007, again the album "Liquid". This track is even more similar to "Tsunami" than the previous. It's likely a coincidence due to the fact that both the bands are making heavy psychedelic music, but listening to this song I can easily confuse Amplifier with 35007, at least until they sing as the voices are quite different, surely less Dutch...

"Panzer" has lyrics and is more similar to the debut EP of 35007. I have to say that both Amplifier and 35007 have some of Ozric Tentacles in the instrumentals.

"Old Movies" is the first non heavy song with guitar harping, slow drums and some loops. When the distorted guitar enters in the chorus they remind a bit to Porcupine Tree. However any reference is just to describe the music, the band is original enough and this is a very good song.

"Post Acid Youth" is opened by a bass solo. I remember an old Joy Division's song with similar sounds. This song has a little flavor of new wave, but I can't remove 35007 from my mind.

"Half Life" starts with a sequence of chords reminding to Beatles, just more distorted, but this song doesn't sound like anything else. It's rock, they are not inventing a new genre, but I can't think to any other artist to relate to this song. It's a good rock song coming from the past with new fresh sounds applied.

"Drawing No1" can seem Floydian but, again, listen to 35007's Liquid to find something very similar.

"Neon" is opened by a U2 like guitar and drums. Luckily they change quickly. I don't like U2 at all (I'm probably one of the few, I don't know). This song is quite dark, imagine Radiohead playing with the singer of Coldplay (for the falsetto), but paying attention to the instrumental part only will show you that it's not effectively so different from the other tracks of this album.

"On/Off" is the most Porcupine Tree song of the album in terms of vocals, but the obsessive guitar behind, even though on major chords has a Krautrock flavor.

Heavy sounds are back with "The Consultancy". In this song I see echoes of Beatles of the psychedelic period. One of the best album's tracks, very energetic.

Probably on every psychedelic album there has to be at least one song that sounds "Floydian". "Drawing No2" is the one. Bass and keyboards to setup a relaxing ambient, then sliding guitar and drums, finally some dissonant noise of a "saucerful Of Secrets" type and the gapless transition to the following track "One Great Summer". This is a song that could remind even to Mostly Autumn as well as to bands like Phideaux. I had several impressions from this song, even Hogarth's Marillion.

"UFOs" is a good closer. Psychedelic and spacey based on bass harmonics.

The overall impression is that this band pays more attention to the compositions respect to the often mentioned 35007. Their work is made more of "songs" than of "jams". This is a very promising debut, not totally psychedelic, maybe but full of good music in any case. Having rated Liquid with 4 stars I can't rate this one less. Looking forward to their more recent works.

Split across two eight track CDs, one white on black, on black on white and coming with a thank you document providing access to a special website and the digital download of the stunning four track Fractal EP, as well as full of tiny stickers of the artwork in a unique Radiohead/Nine Inch Nails style marketing experiment, Amplifier really give thought to the delivery of the album and engaging fans imaginatively.

Initially I came across the band on a sampler cd of modern progressive rock artists, where the song 'Interstellar,' blew me away coming across as some sort of missing link between Kyuss style desert/stoner rock and King Crimson's three latest studio albums, with a Roger Waters fan on vocals.

This turned out to only be a tiny part of the band's overall style, one section of their grand and eclectic sound that mixes modern alternative rock with the progressive spirit. Tracks like 'Trading Dark Matter On The Stock Exchange,' and 'Fall Of The Empire,' are exciting and captivating, and the album as a whole is simply as marvelous as it is ambitious, full of lengthy tracks that feel equal parts spacey and grungey.

The album flows brilliantly from beginning to end and is best absorbed of many repeated listens as a complete piece. No tracks feel out of place or weak, nothing brings the general level of quality down for even a minute.

I also really enjoy the production of this record, the mix and the treatment of vocals and background keys are really well handled and make the album sound important and grand without being either over-polished or intentionally retro.

Overall, The Octopus is one of the best and most interesting albums you are likely to hear this year and I strongly recommend it to anyone who likes any sort of intelligent rock music, prog or otherwise.

The enigmatic icon of the octopus logo led me to this album after seeing the logo appear in various forums and finally I have had my ears blessed with this incredible spacey music. Amplifier move from psychedelic prog passages to aggressive distorted metal blasts. The vocals are clean and come from another dimension removed from the music totally at times. They use echo effects and psych prog nuances to immediate effect. Influences must include psych prog acts as well as more recent Riverside, Anathema and Porcupine Tree. The music is always creating indelible melodies and very authoritative statements of fresh prog served up with blistering space rock. Some of this concept album is on the dark side, some expletives are heard, and at times the music is loud and overbearing but is never dull. The three musicians are tight and unrelenting on every track; Sel Balamir is the main focus on grinding and spaced out vocals; Neil Mahony is the bass engineering section and this is topped by Matt Brobin on drums. There are many guest musicians spattered throughout including some female vocalists to augment the sound.

This album is a beast running for 2 solid hours over 2 CDs. There are so many highlights on this incredible album. In no particular order, the songs that instantly lit up my mind include the 8 and a half minute 'Fall of the Empire'. This cranks along with killer riffing and strong emphasis on spacey guitars and odd time sigs. The Wave is like Hawkwind, especially the lyrics repeated, "In Another Dimension". 'Golden Ratio' generates cold atmospherics with echoed vocals and excellent phased guitar licks, using effects pedals that build to the raucous melodies. The guitar riffing is gold at time such as on the pounding guitar driven 'Interglacial Spell'. The sound is very heavy driving nails into concrete metal with ambient keyboards sustained over the top. The lead breaks are the type heard on psychedelic Hawkwind albums. 'The Emperor' is another blaster with effective and spaced out acid fuelled punctuations of sound. The heavy riff is broken by simple high pitched guitar tones. The melody is infectious with quieter passages and breaks. Belamir's vocals are excellent multitracked in places giving a vibrant full sound "over the edge of the ocean, the edge of devotion keep circling" It is a loud sound when the band go into full flight and let loose on their instruments, and it is an exciting sound.

Highlights are scattered throughout. 'Trading Dark Matter On The Stock Exchange' is an instant classic with magnificent atmospheric passages of guitar. The vocals are clearer and well performed by Balamir and it has a great melody that gets lost in layers of guitars. The lead break at the end is stellar, soaring into the stratosphere; revelling in arpeggios, and high impact melodic sweeps; absolute bliss.

'The Sick Rose' that begins the second CD has a creepy intro that reminds me of Roger Water's preternatural screams on 'Careful With That Axe Eugene'. The ambient atmospheres of keyboards generates a dark illusory peace, and a moderate pace follows with some otherworldly melodies that may remind one of Spanish or Greek music. The vocals add to this feel, then it locks into a distorted series of guitar chords. It builds over strong percussion and notable basslines with a repeated phrase "it's a life destroyed".

Also on offer on this epic work is the bass driving mini epic 'Interstellar' sounding like Led Zeppelin on acid. The time sig here is an incessant delightful off kilter motif. The melody melts into your mind and then is joined by dirty guitar distortion and some inspired harmonies. Once again this sounds like Hawkwind meets King Crimson. The unremitting riff is hypnotic and makes this one of the most memorable tracks. As soon as it starts you are met with that pulsating hammering riff and it is a pleasure to indulge within.

The concept of an octopus is prevalent in many of the tracks creating a conceptual framework. At times the music is more beauty than beast, such as on 'Minion's Song' that is piano driven, though no less dark in lyrical content than the rest; "well, catch them, catch them hold your waters, with fame and paradise not forsaken sing along to the Minion song, emerging from the jaws of each lion, treading on in a far constellation ride away on the wings of the Minion"

'Planet of Insects' has a chilling sound with multilayered keyboards and a powerful guitar grind. Sounds like Muse's guitar style in some ways with Porcupine Tree sounding vocals, though Amplifier are distinctive in style. Once again a consistent riff throbs consistently over the verses. There are some great slides down the strings on this track and it is heavy on every level. The lyrics are enigmatic; "it's all I know and ever see are your insects crawling over me" and you can interpret these any way you like. The buzzing sounds at the end add to the haunting atmospheres.

'White Horses At Sea / Utopian Daydream' is another fantastic track that is challenging and ambitious in structure. Riverside style vocals with crystalline guitar tones begin the track. Soon it builds to the mid section which consists of blasts of distortion and keyboard. There is a King Crimsonesque feel in the style of guitar finger picking also. Utopian Daydream continues quietly with otherworldly atmospheres, a sole piano plays, till we hear the voice say "excellent" that may be mistaken for Smithers from "The Simpsons" .

One last track worth mentioning is 'The Octopus' that begins with complex effects and a pulsating bassline. The melody is stunning, very stark and then Balamir's vocals alienate the soundscape further; "I never let you go" The guitars are terrific building an atmosphere of dread, though those melodies also hold a semblance of beauty. Then it builds into a swirl of chaos, with some metal guitars and a dark wall of sound. The effervescent music is present on every track, there are no filler tracks, and it keeps getting better with every listen. If you have 2 hours on hand this is one of the best ways you can spend them. Both CDs are equally powerful, some tracks will appeal more than others as always, and there are some awesome unforgettable moments that will astound, and some tracks go for too long, so not a masterpice, but on the whole this is one of the great releases of 2010/11.

this is an 11 star album.

simply bands no longer do this anymore. if you're prog you must get this. tom schulz, dan fagan these guys dedicate. Beefheart. Zappa. More Dedication.

For me the closest comparator to this album is Topographic Oceans: not in sound but in sheer vision and balls.

Yes, I got the stickers, yes i got the bumf, yes i got the diatribe. but you know what ... this album bloody well deserves It is simply better prog then anything else in years.

If the first Amplifier albums could be said to nod towards commerciality (even if only with a thousand yard stare) then this one gives the bird. As far as I am aware there is no other band in Britain or Ireland getting anywhere near close to this.

Still no major deal for this awesome outfit. If I win the lottery they'll have all the studio time they want.

You will not get better prog than this in 2011.

Despite being labelled on this site as a 2010 release The Octopus wasn't actually commercially available until early 2011.

The Good: This is the third studio album from the Manchester band but having heard of them I didn't really know what to expect. There are 16 tracks here, spread equally across two discs and with most clocking in at well over five minutes it is definitely a lot to digest! But like a seven course meal of the highest quality it can bring almost infinite pleasure if consumed in moderation. Full of kicking riffs and spacey soundscapes the style reminds me of both Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd, but it is far from derivative. Each song is carefully crafted and I am surprised at how engaging some of the longer pieces are despite minimal variation, a true sign of masterful song writing. I'm not going to go through the album in detail as I'll let you explore it yourself, but if I had to pick my favourite songs it would be The Runner and The Wave from disc one, and Interstellar and Forever and More from disc two.

The Bad: Somewhat ironically its only shortcoming is its length.

The Verdict: A surprise package that I highly recommend opening.

That said, judging between songs, there seems to be a lack of that much diversity; there is little to mark the identity of one song from another. Forgivable, perhaps, in a concept album such as this, but the lack of any standout tracks leaves one feeling that listening to this album (which sprawls out over 2 discs lasting 2 hours) is a somewhat forgettable experience.

There is very little to criticise this album for. Each track is more than competently played, and progressive, but, after a handful of listens, I can't help but be left with the rather unsettling thought that this was the aim the musicians had in mind: to make an album with which nothing was wrong, rather than to take risks to create an album that was right.

Sadly, then, I feel that this is somewhat prog-by-numbers. A talented band, which, ultimately, leaves me cold and unenthused.

1.5/5, rounded up to 2