THERHYTHMISODD

After a two year break without recording anything that was released (to my knowledge), Swedish hard rock fusion trio therhythmisodd returned with an EP to entice listeners and get them excited about what was to come. 'The full length sophomore 'Raw Material' was eventually released in January of 2011, and for all intents and purposes, that album was a step up in every way from 'From Nowhere To Eternity'. 'Subway' was not my favourite track from that album, but it does hold its own as a fitting example of what 'Raw Material' was all about.

The track is essentially a thirteen minute groove jam, much in the style of the old psychedelic legends. What makes things a little different here is that the sound is heavier, and there is a distinct jazz influence, particularly in the drums. As I mentioned in my review of 'Raw Material', possibly the greatest thing of the band are the awesome bass grooves; many rock bands make the mistake of toning down the bass in order to let the other guitars shine through more, but the bass here is as important to the sound of therhythmisodd as either the drums or guitars. The sound is very evenly distributed amongst the musicians. The one thing I could complain about the music however is the fact that it does feel overdrawn. That is not necessarily a trait that is exclusive to this one song by the band either.

A good track for jammed-out psychedelic heavy fusion, even despite the fact that I don't always care for its highly indulgent nature.

therhythmisodd is a band from Sweden that has been met with some underground attention as of late. Last year, they came out with their 'Subway' EP that had people taking notice of them and getting excited about the bands brooding brand of 'metallic fusion'. 'Raw Material' sees the band stretching out their sound over a full length, and jumping on this bandwagon somewhat late, this is the first I have heard of them. While the band's sound is a tad too jam-based for my tastes, it is a strong album for what it is, and fans of hard-edged fusion will find a lot to appreciate here.

Although having a couple of shorter tracks on 'Raw Material', there is no doubt that therhythmisodd is a band that is all about the drawn out jam. Much like a psychedelic band you would expect to hear at some sort of hippie festival, therhythmisodd gets a groove going, and then lets a guitar solo over it, often to the point of overindulgence. From that definition alone, I would have said that I do not like what the band does here, but therhythmisodd manages to keep a strong and interesting rhythm section, thanks in no small part to the keen and pummeling bass work of Bjorn Ejelius. The drums are loose and rooted in fusion, and the guitar work here quite good, but the bass is the sound that sticks out most to me, mixed highly enough to be a driving force in what therhythmisodd has to offer, as well as having a near King Crimson-esque tone to it and a steady flow of powerful grooves. Using the fourth song 'Road Less Travelled' as a perfect example of this, therhythmisodd moves between long-form improvisations and more structured segments where the band comes back together and moves as one.

The music can feel a little too loose at times, and therhythmisodd definitely prove they have talent and promise here. Moreover, there are even some influences of world music here, like wordless vocals overtop the sludgy jams, and this gives a unique flavour to what the band offers. I do find myself a little bored when the jams go on for too long, but while therhythmisodd may fall victim to their indulgence a little too often, their material is promising and powerful, for what it is.

Therhythmisodd is a relatively new Swedish heavy prog act based out of Sweden. Formed in 2006, the band released their first studio album From Nowhere to Eternity (most likely a tribute to Mahavishnu Orchestra, who is an apparent influence) under the moniker "Trio" in 2008 and then released Raw Material, their sophomore album, in 2011. This short EP or long single which contains the single 13 minute track "Subway," is a fantastic showing of the bands power and rather direct influences, which seem to be a blend of aggressive jazz fusion McLaughlin style and heavy psych-based bluesy prog Caress of Steel-era Rush exemplified. The 13 minute jam session is quite similar in fact to the latter band I mentioned, with the heavy, complex, and spacey instrumentation harkening back to the 1975 album's epic "The Necromancer" and "The Fountain of Lamneth." The entire song is a powerhouse of the band's jamming skill, with raving guitar solos and thumping bass lines and intense drumming rhythms rotating around each other in a masterful fashion.

The song truly thunders along like a subway, with the fast-moving composition raging across the tracks of its own score. The track has occasional stops at its intense chorus, which ties the numerous solo sections. The musical ride is certainly an exciting one, as the band shows their apparent skill with their instruments and their ability to really bring out the best qualities in their strong influences. I'll be sure to check out more from this promising band. 3+ stars.