SPACED OUT

Q: What gives Fusion a bad name? A: An album like this.

No, don't get me wrong, the genre is not against my religion - rather the opposite! Indeed, I am prone to salivate over complex works that demand due attention. That's provided those works "groove". This album is not one of them.

The band is listed under Jazz-Rock/Fusion and under that genre it fails to impress. I hear more of a hybrid between some Metal approaches on Avant-garde foundations coupled with emotionless "jazzy" fills. .

Listening to "Evolution" leaves me in two minds and rather frustrated. The musicianship is just brilliant, the technical skills of each artist are excellent. It's the compositions that leave a lot to be desired. Fragmented and rather nervous rhythms fail to provide a suitable vehicle, but sufficient enough to irritate. Generally directionless compositions studded with bursts of rather sharp solos in places create needless confusion and frustration (in me) soon sets in.

Considering that we are dealing with experienced and highly skilled musicians, I fail to understand the title "Evolution". Perhaps it wasn't meant in musical terms?

Would I listen to this album again? Highly unlikely.

Spaced Out are back with their fourth studio album, although these days it is mostly Antoine Fafard as not only does he write all of the material, provide bass and keyboards but on this album he has also provided guitar for the first time. He has been joined by drummer Martin Maheux and guitarist Mark Tremblay and the result is something that is a step change from what Space Out have been doing before. While the songs are often very much led by the bass there is now a higher keyboard content in the music, with a greater interaction between the players. While the band have previously been introducing some jazz into their work there has now been a move far more into 'straight' prog territory, but with a great deal of complexity.

This is an instrumental album, but it just doesn't seem like it as in many ways this is just an album without words ? there just isn't room within the musical structures for lyrics or voice. Easily their strongest and most complete work to date ? this is Space Out showing that instrumental progressive rock can be extremely dynamic and vital, who needs vocals? If you enjoy prog then you will get a lot out of this. For more details visit www.unicorndigital.com

Spaced Out's 5th studio album sounds just like it's cover, like some sort of mysterious misunderstood leviathan cautiously creeping from a deep slumber. Evolution's fire-breathing atmospheric fusion stylings on this, their fifth album, are saturated with mindboggling combinations of dark bass melodies, harmonizations, polyrythms, manic double kick drumming, angry synths and screaming guitars. Definitely not dinner music or music for elevators even though the CD booklet notes suggest otherwise.

This is a dangerous album that doesn't let up for one nano second. After discovering their 2003 album Slow Gin, I thought to myself "well, this is it. The final plateau in fusion has finally been crossed, I can throw in the towel and move on with my life". I was so wrong when the next monstrosity, Unstable Matter, appeared in 2006 followed by this 2008 crontrivance. Even though all the music ( as on previous Spaced Out albums ) was composed, arranged and written by Université de Montréal music graduate and bass maestro Antoine Fafard, on Evolution all the parts were distributed to the individual players, Marc Tremblay ( guitar ), Marc Maheux ( drums ) Éric St. Jean ( keyboards ) and Alex Argento ( keyboards ) and recorded separately with the resulting frankenstein being a testimony to the massive talent that is present here. Spaced Out's is so difficult to categorize that even Fafard himself has difficulty defining it himself calling it " everything-but-the-kitchen-sink " type music. I've heard it referred to as prog metal, metal fusion as well as a number of other hybrids. Whatever it is it ignores all musical conventions.

The two most down to earth tracks( if you can call them that ) are Octavium and Replication Junction are the closest that the album comes to " traditional " jazz / rock fusion but are still what jazz purists nightmares are made of. My personal favourite is the furious " Furax II " that features some spectacular double handed bass tapping from Fafard that gives way to more conventional lines and then more insane double handed bass tapping . It is also the heaviest & most metallisque track on the album that features guitarist Tremblay at the top of his game with some crazy shredding. " Nemesis " is also along these lines with a ca. 1970s Chick Corea-like keyboard solo from Éric St Jean who has been with Fafard since the beginning of Spaced Out. All the instrumental tracks have cool abstract names that are one way in another tied into the general theme of growth and progress.

The only reservation I would have about the album would be that, even though it is well structured compositionally wise it tends to go off the deep end on the technical side at times. Just a bit ( sarcasm ). If you haven't checked these guys out yet and you're into bands like Liquid Tension Experiment, Planet X or any late seventies Alan Holdsworth then this is definitely not to be missed and could arguably be the best of it's genre going ( another album is on the way as this is written ). Let's go for 5 stars on the evolutionary scale for Spaced Out's Evolution. A modern jazz / metal / rock fusion masterpiece.

I ordered this album just after hearing part of it for the first time ever on the US internet radio broadcasting hosted by Tom Gagliardi. There is no room for progressive, fusion, etc newcomers in South America, invaded by low quality & bad taste production, what makes you stick to old things, sometimes unnecessarily. This is the case. Spaced out outcome "Unstable Matter", as a 2006 release, sounds classical & fresh at the same time. Very well played, creative, obviously influenced by many other fusion & prog bands but yet honest and genuine. Demands more than 1 listening session. Play it open minded. You'll like it.

HELDON + AREA ???

What a powerful sound this is ! When "Seven The Seven" started with heavy drums, I could not help myself shouting "Waohh". They are not only heavy and loud but also very technical. So, the sounds remind me of violent guitar of HELDON (or Red of KING CRIMSON) and technical jazz-rock progression of AREA.

Actually, the highlight of this band is fast and technical bass guitar plays. The combination of the bass and drums sometimes sound like instrumental part of RUSH such as YYZ. This prog music suits physical exercise, so please try this music on when you have.

Spaced Out forth album fom 2006 named Unstable matter released at same label Unicorn, is anothe r worthy album in jazz fusion field, but again only a good album towards great in places and nothing close to a masterpiece, at least for my ears. On this album Space Out raise a bit the bar in musical terms, is even more complex then the one reviewed by me earlier, is with a metallis ctouch here and there, and sometimes is something a la Planet X meets Dream Theater but without that stunning keybords playing, but with a good doze of great musicianship and fusion elements. Not better then Eponymus to me, not bad either, Spaced Out did another great album in their career, but I manage to give only 3 stars again, same proble here, the instrumental passages are sometimes to complex, and to repetative without keeping my ears and brain very entertaining. Here on this album they remain to a 3 line up , the keybordis from Eponymus album left the band, the instrument remaing for handleing to the main man of the band and the bass player Antoine Fafard. He did an exemplary parts again, showing that he is one of the best bass players from the new generation, with a great lines and inventive chops. There vis some excellent interplays between musicians, specially the ones between Fafard on bass and Martin Maheux on drums, excellent moments showing their true talent in this field.To me this album sounds like an organized chaos, a good release for sure but is not quite very enjoyble in places. Anyway 3 stars again for this album, a band that needs to be checked out. The cover art and the booklet is excellent. A good album for sure.

Sapaced Out is a canadian jazz fusion band having a relativly known albums in prog rock circles and very high rated aswell. Eponymus is , of course their second album from 2001 released at Unicorn. First time when I puted my CD to listen I was knocked out by the bass lines made by the main man of the band Antoine Fafard, who is also the producer and main composer of the music. The music is quite complex, combining jazz fusion with some progressive lines here nad there. Anyway the musicianship is top notch, each musician know the instrument very well and created a good fusion album in the end with a very high intensity and up tempo arrangements. A very solid album, and a worthy band to be discovered more and more by the genre lovers, but I don't think this album at least desearve the status of masterpiece. Sometimes, the music is pushed to far to complex arrangements just for the sake of showing how good I am as musician , instead for the sake of the piece and composition, and for that matter easely may find this album uninstristing in some places. Anyway a good album, even great in places who desearves from me 3-3.5 stars, but no more then an great adittion to anyone's collection. I know albums better and way intristing from this field then this Eponymus

SPACED OUT is the Canadian answer to PLANET X!From this statement it has to begin this review to an album that marks,definitelly, a step ahead to a band composed by some unbelieveble talented musicians!The instigator of this project,the band leader is the monster bass player ANTOINE FAFARD,one of the most spectacular and impressive musicians in today's world,surrpunded y the excellent drummes MARTIN MAHEUX and the atomig guitarero MARK TREMBLAY!A "killer trio,partners in crime "helped this time by ALEX ARGENTO ,a great keyboard player from Italy. !Each SPACED OUT album was a brick to the foundation to build a very solid band,which has a little problem concening the compositions!Sometimes isn't enough to be a monster of technique ,to compose a real song ,with personality and identity seems more difficult than to brilliantly perform at instruments!The prog fusion delivered is in the vein of PLANET X,the Canadian band SPACED OUT propose us some outstanding moments of pure musical wizzardry.BIOMECHANIC,the opening song is like a HELLO!WE'RE BACK with a vengeance!Sometimes we feel that the agressivity of the SPACED OUT compositions is made this way for bringing humiliation to other bands or artists in this style.Of course,to get here needs many hours of practice ,but also a gift from God called native talent.What really miss is the human touch,the feeling of some emitional coomposition and the flood of notes that are invading us ,gives the feeling tahat maybee IT'S TOO MUCH!All songs are very complex musical structures and the technical aspect prevails,hardly we find the componistic basic idea.I feel that some tracks are based on jams and the momentary inspirational mood of each musician!Honestly,in today's music only PLANET X seem to have the technical qualities to be considered rivals of SPACED OUT! SPACED OUT is jazz rock prog fusion on steroids!!! 4 STARS for technique!

Another modern and very interesting jazz-oriented prog group,SPACED OUT's formation was an idea of super-talented bassist Antoine Fafard.He recruited Martin Maheux on drums, Mathieu Bouchard on guitar and Eric St-Jean on the keyboards and after this line-up the band recorded and released an eponymous work in 2000.Strongly inpired by a variety of musical styles and sounds,SPACED OUT presented an instrumental effort with,which sometimes sounds like a lesson of virtuosity,other ones the groovy rhythms are on the front.The music is led by the hyper-complex bass lines of Fafard and the extensive soloing of Bouchard,while keyboardist Eric St-Jean fills the compositions with nice electronic parts and background keyboards.In some spots their music reminds me a lot of DEREK SHERINIAN's solo works with their rich and complicated arrangements,some KING CRIMSON complex parts also pop up,then its time for some accesible jazz/fusion approach close to theIr compatriots UZEB.A great starting step for this instrumental quartet,who did it very well on their debut and could do it much better in the future.Recommended!

Another futuristic instrumental jazz/metal fusion masterwork from Québec superbassist Antione Fafard & Co. which is virtually beyond analysis proving that metal derived music can be worldly, wise and cultivated. A literal mass of insane harmonies, changes, bewildering drumming, slap bass, guitar shredding and basic no holds barred relentless freaking out which descends into a depth of chaos out that will leave any fusion fanatic frothing at the mouth. Underlying synthesized soundscapes sampled by Fafard abound and you never know what is going to happen in the next heartbeat. There are moments of respite from the fury on the more symphonic Art Pts I & II, Glososphere IV and the mathematical Singularity but this doesn`t mean you`re going to remember what planet you`re on once you indulge in this unmitigated sonic conflagration. Fafard ( who also plays some of the guitar parts on this one ) and his partners in crime, Martin Maheux on drums and the returning guitarist Marc Tremblay take absolutely no prisoners here and I can`t think of any band around that`s currently playing with this sort of individual intensity at such a high level technical brilliance. The last time I heard something like this was when I discovered The Inner Mounting Flame by The Mahavishnu Orchestra back in the early `70s.

A giant step from their previous Slow Gin CD which is just a mere tempest when compared to this maelstrom. I would sincerely recommend listening to Slow Gin prior to embarking on this menacing voyage through utter mayhem which will simply leave you gasping for breath when all the smoke clears. Mention also must be made of the trancendent artwork and booklet which is further testimony to the all out effort that Fafard put into this gemstone. Consumate perfection all round, your pets won`t even recognize you after this one.