PROCOSMIAN FANNYFIDDLERS

They have given themselves weird pseudonyms, they have a crazy band name, the album title is bonkers and the lyrics are insane, which of course means only one thing. Yes, I love this, as all the craziness is only masking an incredibly complex band who are mixing together styles and somehow having them all make total sense. These guys are all masters of their instruments and are weaving together threads of musical insanity so the listener has no idea where the music is going to lead. This is prog in its truest sense, I mean how many use a trombone without reverting into jazz at some point? The majority of these guys were there at the very beginning more than 20 years ago which means they know exactly where they fit in to the maelstrom and this clarity allows them to go off at tangents knowing there will aways be room for them to come back in. Not everyone is playing or singing at the same time, although that does happen, so not only do we not know where the music is leading we do not know how we are going to get there. I must admit I did also find it funny they have a song here called "Still... You Turn Me Off".

If I had seen this album in a CD rack somewhere I would have passed smartly by, but now I have heard it I can only wonder what the others are like as this is a delight from beginning to end. This is progressive music which is heavily regressive in some areas and massively experimental in others, driving forward and creating something which is incredibly exciting and well worth discovering.

A band that not just don't take themselves very seriously, but have the chops to make great music.

Also, it's very important to note that a band that writes about: a dog priest, a cucumber sexy toy, an Ethiopian mountain and a very 'given' lady; get many extra points in many ways.

Father Dog is one modern classic and I am each day happier I discovered this Norwegians. Bring it on the next albums (and the previous too)!

A must to have album if you have sense of humour and don;t think Progressive Rock HAS to be about pseudo-intelectual lyrics!

The fannyfiddlers may not take themselves too seriously, but their music is exactly the opposite, the 20-min. attempt on ''Prevarications (Improvidents of the night)'' comes as a great example of their furious, complex and fully active style.Again the YES and YEZDA URFA references are unavoidable, this track features lots of variations, climate changes and time signatures, mostly revealed via the keyboards, acoustic instruments and a frenetic rhythm section and less on electric guitars.It follows a Symphonic/Psych/Folk Rock style with rural soundscapes, semi-symphonic instrumental interludes and sudden breaks with nice female vocals and lots of Mellotron and flute.The rest of the way features more or less the same style, very much 70's-influenced with emphasis on the psychedelic and bucolic sound of the band with the exception of the longer tracks, which still contain good thoughts on symphonic-flavored Mellotron and organ.Acoustic instruments are dominating the sound, violin enters the scene, the electric guitar becomes more pronounced, the instrumental themes are pretty chaotic and the use of analog keyboards creates a vintage atmosphere.Trully complex and adventurous music, which often tends to be slightly forgettable due to its high composing quality.EARTH & FIRE is another act to come to mind during these pieces due to the female voice and loads of Mellotron.

I think this one is a tad less convincing than ''The rolling court massacre'', but quite interesting of a release.Remaining an underground full-blown Prog band just shows that these guys and girls were committed to produce extremely progressive and unaccesible music.''Return of the sweaty owl'' is just that.Full-blown Retro Prog with some incredible skills exhibited.Warmly recommended.

Procosmian Fannyfiddlers, a Norwegian act, tries to change that since 1997! Requiem Fatigue (2009) is their 8th album and boy, what a blast to listen to this!

Their music is absolutelly hard to pinpoint and Eclectic is the perfect match for them, they have everything inside Progressive Rock a chaos, but a great chaos. A sonic chaos! The lyrics are something apart, funny and highly intelligent, clever at the highest point. Not to mention you open the booklet and it's just a laugh to look to this guys making fun of themselves (and having fun) with silly pictures and names like Hebbe Santos, Fist, Boddus Lust, Eric The Awful, Black-Metal Ekker, Sleazy Teigen and Pornographic Johnson.

I say that if you're tired of serious music all the time you should try this guys out, lighten up your day a little bit and still be Prog as hell.

I think I've found my new favorite band!

The album is divided in two long, multi-parted suites, about 25 minutes each, delivering the strong vintage influences of the group, which sounds a lot like legendary acts such as YEZDA URFA, GENTLE GIANT, THE MUFFINS or MAELSTROM. Procosmian Fannyfiddlers play a quirky Progressive Rock with dominant Folk and symphonic influences, although their sound is generally offered as a Fusion of different styles.The music is complex with endless thematic changes and complicated textures, full of impressive interplays, delicate, rural instrumental lines and more grandiose, keyboard-based preludes.This whole charming package is colored by over the top, sarcastic and humourous male and female vocals with a very ZAPPA-esque approach, while another band close to their style is Americans RASCAL REPORTERS.The different movements are nicely connected with dense instrumental passages and sudden breaks, often flirting with a chaotic atmosphere, and the armour of the group includes heavy flute doses, plenty of Mellotron and organ waves as well as electric guitars and mandolins.The female-fronted parts have also a nice and ethereal Scandinavian flavor, quite useful for the flow of an otherwise very complex album.However, the music is at moments fantastic, equal to the Prog league's monster names, with frenetic shifts and technical efficiency, delivered in trully retro-drenched stylings.

Unknown but trully talented group, offering an emphatic and devastating Prog/Symph/Folk Rock with plenty of interesting moments.Requires a respectable number of listenings, but its value is guaranteed at the end.Strongly recommended...3.5 stars.

This ia an album that is actually a rock opera. So to get one thing clear, this albumed cannot be enjoyed truly, without the lyrics at hand.

The album starts of with the opening scene, when you can clearly hear that a gun is fired, then it breaks into an accoustically driven, folkish melody, which eventually goes out in flames. From there on, we have a vocal piece, where a woman called Aunt Mary is being arrested, after some talking, music starts, in the style as the opening song, and there is a dialogue between Aunt Mary and Chief Inspector Gene van Damn - and implied by the lyrics, perhaps an ex-boyfriend - and the song ends with her being dragged to The Rolling Court where she is to be trialed.

After a short introduction to the case, witnesses of her obscenities are on stand, giving their testimonies - all while music is played in the background. This is the song where the main theme of the song is being introduced, and this theme is nicely fitted into the overall sound of the record. It is a beautiful mix between guitar and mellotron/organ and the theme is one of the main spectacles of the record.

The next song is bit of a puzzle, suddenly we hear something reminicent of a drum-machine, but i have been assured by secure sources that it is just the drummer playing in an insane tempo. There is also some oriental guitar plucking in there. Mix this weird time signature with a vibrant mellotron, and you have one crazy, but excellent track. All the while, Aunt Mary is confessing her actions, but not regretting any.

For the next piece, the testimonies goes on, while the music is, once again a nice mix between guitar, organ and good drumming.

Now comes the end of act 1, and we have the introduction of a flute. It is a short piece, where the judge proclaimes that there wil be a break, but that there is no time to use the WC. This is followed by an instrumental, signaling the pause. This is a nutty tune, with people chatting, pictures being taken, while the band plays a jazzy, muzak, elevator song, joined by an accordion

From here on, the music is the same style, but it is clear that is increasing in intensity, and that there is a climate to come. You get some more testimonies, accompanied by great music. This is my favourite part of the record, and it can't be explained in words, it has to be heard. The music is the same style, only more intense and - i would say - more harmonious. I'll just skip the words, and let others hear for themselves

Track 12 has some excellent drumming and track 13 - the closing piece - has some excellent interplay between the mellotron and guitar. In Track 11 and 13, the main theme is again reintroduced and played beautifully around. And for the lyrics, I will not reveal how it ends, I won't take the fun out of it.

This is an album that I urge people to hear! It is one of the most accesible, but best albums that Procosmian has made, in my opinion. If you are keen to get into this band - which i promise you that you won't regret if you do - this is a good start.

The story is FANTASTIC, the music is splendid, and the vocals are doing an excellent job telling this story! I for one, love the voice of Hebbe Santos!

5 big stars from me!

The album opens with backwards sounds and a clock ticking before "Captain Mystique" brings us some dark folky symphonic rock. Later just acoustic guitar arpeggios and female vocals. Some wind-like sounds. After awhile the rhythm section joins in, then the sampled Mellotron first appears being followed by wordless harmony singing. Male vocals towards the end as the song builds to a symphonic climax then goes back to the acoustic guitar and female vocals. "Lingerie" has some modified percussion and female vocals. After she says "I talk to the dead" it goes full-throttle into some kind of punkabilly. Then some jazzy classical oriented rock. Later the music gets folkier and jazzier with male vocals. After some 'chorus' like female vocals the music turns into dark symphonic rock.

"Vinegar Woman" starts off as some kind of post-punk/goth rock/chamber rock hybrid, then goes folky and acoustic with female vocals. Male and female vocals do the 'chorus' part. Lovely violin before it briefly turns into some sort of folky math rock. Back to the folky part but now with the whole band backing. "Cult Of Coal" begins with 'Here Comes The Bride' played on organ. Then it quickly switches to a darker atmosphere featuring picked guitars and vocals. Gets lighter with the male vocals and return of organ. Full band and female vocals come in; the music is much more folky now. Out of nowhere comes some indie/alt. rock guitar playing with flutes playing over top. The drummer really stands out in the last half of this song. Nice 'Latin' beat at the end.

"Tautology Of Love" opens with the sounds of children playing. Then the music goes chamber prog and then folky and then a mix of the two with some jazz-rock thrown in. I like the guitar tone in this song. Great drumming in this track...too bad it wasn't recorded better. "Crying At The Crap Show" opens with mournful violin before some slightly jazzy guitar leads the band into some bouncy folk-rock with alternating male and female singing. The 'chorus' part here is fairly memorable. This song changes between lower-key and more bombastic moments throughout. Backwards sounds and skronky trumpet at one point. Gets very symphonic at the end.

"Procession For A Floating Body" starts out like a procession for a dead body. The funeral march turns into a folky section with female vocals. Gets jazzier in the middle with a little bit of trumpet. Ends as folky symphonic rock. I could see how this would not be everyone's cup of whatever but it may appeal to some. Nothing truly original here but this does not sound like your typical prog album of 2012. The almost lo-fi sound quality adds an atmosphere to the music but the rhythm section still should have been more clear sounding and upfront in the mix. More high points than low points on this one. I'll give it 4 stars.

This is a funny album. Read the lyrics and listen to the goofy tunes and the way they're played. From the cover of the album down to the lyrics and the cheerful tunes, this album just oozes from silliness and I find it fun to listen to.

Requiem Fatigue is their eighth (8) album, said to be written on acoustic guitar. The music is frenetic but not overwhelming with a wide instrumental palate: guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, violin, flute, piano and vocals. This last "instrument", the vocals, which each member "plays", are a driving force in each song, led by Hebbe Santos (female lead vocals) and Pronographic Johnson (with his rasp and drunken-sounding vocals). At times I was reminded, for some reason, of Hammers Of Misfortune's vocals, particularly in their first work, The Bastard, where a medieval-like, troubadour-like vocals type is employed. This is first and foremost what gives the Fannyfiddlers' charm. To that is added their intricate playing, shifting time signatures and humorous lyrics.

A melodic affair, this album is entertaining with explicit language and weird and funny stories with each song having a distinct melodic line. But I sense a lot of people will be deterred by the style of this band and what may appear as amateurish and completely silly approach. Reviews I've read on other websites (DPRP and Sea Of Tranquility) prove this assumption. However, while I don't subscribe to their disdain of this release and while finding merits in this album and its music, I can understand why they prefer to veer out of its way. But for me the downsides in this album have more to do with the musicianship and vocals (which at times have a fault) and with being too goofy for humour's sake (as I perceive it, which may very well be totally wrong).

That being said, if you'd like to venture out into "foreign and uncharted" progressive territories and listen to something unusual, even if not of too high quality or standards as others perceive it, then this eccentric release is a good place to try it out.