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TOM SLATTER

Crossover Prog • United Kingdom


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Tom Slatter biography
English composer, singer and songwriter Tom SLATTER is based out of London, and besides being perhaps a bit more interested in steampunk than the average Englishman he's also been a member of various bands over the years.

In 2009 he decided that it was time to establish himself as a solo artist, and he's released two full length albums and a handful of singles and EPs since then, which have received praise and acclaim from fellow steampunkers and progressive rock fans in the know alike.

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TOM SLATTER discography


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TOM SLATTER top albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 3 ratings
Spinning the Compass
2009
4.00 | 3 ratings
Ironbark
2011
3.75 | 17 ratings
Three Rows of Teeth
2013
4.13 | 8 ratings
Fit the Fourth
2015
4.00 | 5 ratings
Happy People
2017
4.05 | 2 ratings
Murder and Parliament
2017
4.00 | 6 ratings
Demon
2019
3.95 | 3 ratings
Escape
2021

TOM SLATTER Live Albums (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

TOM SLATTER Videos (DVD, Blu-ray, VHS etc)

TOM SLATTER Boxset & Compilations (CD, LP, MC, SACD, DVD-A, Digital Media Download)

4.00 | 1 ratings
An Experiment Too Far: The Best of the First Ten Years
2020

TOM SLATTER Official Singles, EPs, Fan Club & Promo (CD, EP/LP, MC, Digital Media Download)

3.00 | 1 ratings
Seven Curses / Lines in the Dirt
2010
5.00 | 1 ratings
The Steam Engine Murder and the Trial of Seven Bells John
2010
3.00 | 2 ratings
Shoot Every Ghost
2011
3.00 | 1 ratings
Papercuts Sunlight Snow
2012
4.00 | 1 ratings
Mother's Been Talking To Ghosts Again
2012
4.00 | 1 ratings
The Engine That Played Through Their Honeymoon
2012
3.95 | 3 ratings
Earthbound
2012
0.00 | 0 ratings
Warden's Song
2013
3.45 | 6 ratings
Through These Veins
2014
4.00 | 1 ratings
Black Water
2014
0.00 | 0 ratings
If We Cut All Your Wires
2018
0.00 | 0 ratings
Rubble and Dust / Run
2018
4.00 | 2 ratings
Spirit Box
2018
2.00 | 1 ratings
The Gloves Are Off
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Angel
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Here Love Dies
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Something Happened In Amersham
2019
0.00 | 0 ratings
Racing Gravity
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
We Look to the Sky
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
Barbed Wire Webs
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
These Skeletons
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
Ironbark 2020
2020
0.00 | 0 ratings
Faceless Men
2021
0.00 | 0 ratings
Hyperbole
2021
0.00 | 0 ratings
This EP Will (Also) Self Destruct
2022
0.00 | 0 ratings
The Beast and Mr. Knock
2022
0.00 | 0 ratings
Three Songs from The Face Bar
2023

TOM SLATTER Reviews


Showing last 10 reviews only
 Escape by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2021
3.95 | 3 ratings

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Escape
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Here I am writing about an album which has been out for roughly a year, yet so far there is not a single review on PA which makes me both annoyed and incredibly disappointed. This is Tom's eighth album, and I have reviewed the previous three to this one, yet for some strange reason he is in the underground of the underground. I know he is self- effacing and never takes himself too seriously, nor does his record label come to that, but here we have a true English progressive artist combining elements of Geoff Mann and John Dexter Jones to create music, which is lyrically powerful, musically moving, and progressive in its truest sense as he stamps all over the different sub genres in his refusal to conform.

He brings in a few guests to add their touches on a different track each, but primarily this is Tom (vocals, guitar, keyboards) with Michael Cairns (drums) and Keith Buckman (bass). He has taken this album in a much heavier area, with far more crunching guitars yet never really moving into prog metal as there is too much eccentricity in his music for that to take place. While there are four tracks at the 5?6-minute mark this album is bookended by one at 12:36 and another at 19:12 which allows Tom to spread his musical wings and go for it. There is no doubt this is one of the most diverse yet also direct albums he has produced to date, hence my annoyance that this is flying so far under the radar as to be mining tunnels. He is not conforming to any particular norms, but instead is doing whatever he wants. When asked about the album he said, "I've always been an indoors kid. Escapism, whether books, music, or computer games, has always meant a lot to me. With the awful year we've all had, I felt like an album full of high energy rock songs about spaceships was the escapism we needed."

There is no doubt he is correct, and here he displays yet again that he really is an incredible talent who should be far more widely known within the scene. This is a great album, one which all progheads who enjoy the eccentric English style of many of our great acts need to discover today.

 Demon by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.00 | 6 ratings

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Demon
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars So here I am trying to work out what to say, and there is that album cover looking straight into me, as if Tom is saying "just get on with it for heaven's sake". The thing is, this is bloody hard. Somehow, I have to put into words just what I think of an album I have just played on headphones all the way through four times on repeat. When I reviewed his last album (excluding the 'Murder and Parliament' project) 'Happy People', I did mention he had elements of both Geoff Mann and John Dexter Jones (Jump) and also came across very English (with apologies to JDJ). That is still very true, but here he is taking his songwriting and songs into whole new areas. He has also made this a family affair by having his sister, Rebecca Haynes, play bassoon while his brother in law Joel makes a spoken word appearance and his mum arranged the choir who appear on one number.

Anyone who knows Tom, follows him on FB, or has been to any of his performances, will know that he is an incredibly humorous and funny guy. However, that is only one small part of his persona, and here he provides incredibly mature and powerful stories which are packed full of emotion. This is not a "normal" album in any sense, in that he approaches arrangements in a way quite different to most, yet somehow makes the most progressive (in its truest sense) and complex music sound incredibly approachable. I think I could listen to "West Wind" pretty much all day and not get tired of it, as when he lifts his vocals to hit the higher notes for the words "One Minute Longer" it is then that one gets the incredible power he has to hand. I love his vocal style, as it is full of emotion and angst, broad, rich and multi-faceted as opposed to tinny and singular like some. I can imagine that some may not like it as it is not quite what they are used to, but that is their loss.

This is a songs-based album, an album of stories, which really needs to be played on headphones and multiple times to get the full benefit. Musically it is all over the place. Take "Cutting Up All Of Our Dreams" for example, which is performed a capella. He sings the main vocal, while his mum leads a choir. Let's just think about this a minute. Not only has he involved his family in this, which is somewhat unusual, he provided his mum with a musical score in a time when many musicians don't read music, who then provided the arrangement. To hear these luscious female vocals singing "gaze in the gutter" makes me smile each and every time I hear it. Then contrast that with the following "Drop Dead 's Punching Above His Weight Again" when long-suffering sideman Gareth Cole comes in just to provide some delightful power chords and edge. A special mention should also be made here of drummer Michael Cairns, who throughout the album manages to capture just what is required, sometimes not playing while at others providing just an illusion of stability and just enough drive to keep everything grounded.

That bloody face is still staring at me from the cover, and it and I both know I haven't really done this album justice. There are times when I feel my scribbles are woefully inadequate and this is one of those. This won't be for everyone; it isn't one of those albums which can be neatly placed into a pigeonhole and categorised so that people can easily understand what it is all about. 'Demon' is an album which needs to be played and savoured with an open mind, by those who are prepared to do exactly what I did which is listen to the album for the sole purpose of listening to the album, as opposed to having it on in the background while doing something else. 'Demon' really is an end to itself: it demands to be treated with respect, and in that way feels like an album of 60 years ago as opposed to something ephemeral and disposable like so many others. Commercial, progressive, unusual, strange, compelling, different, Tom Slatter, 'Demon'.

 Demon by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2019
4.00 | 6 ratings

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Demon
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by TCat
Special Collaborator Honorary Collaborator / Retired Admin

4 stars Tom Slatter is a Crossover Prog artist from London, England who also has a love of steampunk, and his albums have been loved by both proggers and steampunkers alike. He went solo in 2009 after having been involved with several bands previous to this, and as a solo artist, he has released 7 full length albums since, including 'Demon' which was released in July of 2019. Tom plays all of the instruments on this 9 track album that has a run time of over 51 minutes.

Beginning with 'Wizards of This Town' (5:26), the track has a hesitant feel to it and, as usual with his music, some very interesting lyrics that tell dark but somewhat humorous lyrics. The music is not heavy, but it is well orchestrated with some nice mellow guitar and synth washes while his vocals set the stage for his style of storytelling. 'Modern World' (9:06) has a more mysterious sound, but is more upbeat than the previous track. The vocals have a level of imperfection to them that really works well for his strange style that make that steampunk attitude believable. The music (especially in the vocals) is quite melodious, and even though there are several types of instruments here, mostly traditional rock instruments, it still retains a basic folk feeling to it all. This track is also a bit more progressive with the use of various themes working among the meter, tempo and style changes. At five minutes, we move into an interesting section that consists of strange ambient noises which continues past the 7 minute mark before the full instrumentation and vocals come back.

'Weather Balloons and Falling Stars' (6:16) features heavier guitar riffs before the vocals come in, and the reliance on a heavier sound continues, but allowing the vocals to stand out above everything. The track moves to a softer side about halfway through and then remains more thoughtful until the end. 'West Wind' (5:42) has a slight symphonic feel to it created by synth backup and nice melodic guitar lines. The vocal melody is more traditional sounding and follows a stricter pattern, and it is one that remains with you right off the first listen. Mysterious sounding keys bring a new element in the middle of the track, but it returns to a more flowing texture when the main theme returns. Very nice track. 'Patterns of Light' (3:22) is a slow and pensive track mostly reliant on acoustic guitar and soft notes from the keys, and some lovely vocal harmonies in the chorus. The sound moves back to a folk style on this track, sweet and simple.

'Cutting Up All of Our Dreams' (4:57) is 'a cappella' singing with Tom's solo voice backed up by choir like singing. The harmonies are a bit off kilter, but this all adds to the charm of the slight oddness to all of the tracks here and gives the music a certain 'Gentle Giant' atmosphere. 'Drop Dead's Punching Above His Weight Again' (5:51) brings light instrumentation back in to support the storytelling lyrics in this track, and after awhile, rhythm and guitars come in. Again, the synths add a slight symphonic feel to this track as ticking drums add in more tension as it goes on and vocals become more solid as the melody develops and leads into a nice guitar solo.

'Tinfoil King' (6:08) begins with a heavier and more complex sound. The meter changes back and forth between the verses and chorus. Halfway through the track, the music slows to a more moderate beat and a softer sound with a new theme. When the lyrics become repetitive, the music intensifies, and then quiets down as it ends. The last track 'Demon' (4:51) finishes off he album with a more mysterious feel that brings the steampunk attitude back to the music.

The vocals aren't the best as they sometimes have an amateurish feeling to them, but again, that actually works in the album's favor, giving a higher level of believability to the style of music being presented, and also adding to the nice Gentle Giant folk- ish flair to the music which I find enjoyable. There is a nice mix of progressive and accessibility here, the progressive part not really heavy, but enough to keep you guessing and to keep the music interesting and dynamic. I found that the overall sound and feeling to the album never really gets old or annoying, but helps carry the album to the end. It's not a perfect album, but it is still great, and I can see the music growing on the listener with repeated plays. It's hard to be critical about this album in that some of what might be considered weakness actually work to the album's benefit, so, I can easily give this 4 stars. Very interesting and unique.

 Spirit Box by SLATTER, TOM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2018
4.00 | 2 ratings

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Spirit Box
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Tom's last releases was as part of Murder and Parliament, and their rather superb instrumental album. Here we find him back to his more usual state of affairs, blackmailing Gareth Cole (electric guitars) and Jordan Brown (acoustic bass, keyboards) to appear with him while he himself provides acoustic guitar and vocals. He describes this set as a collection of four murder ballads, and we get to meet some interesting characters during its 23 minutes. I have long felt that Tom was born in the wrong century, as I can imagine him sat in a dark corner of a pub somewhere as a travelling musician, singing and telling his stories to the brave souls willing to hear it (a bit like his gigs to be fair).

Tom has an incredible sense of humour, and if you don't believe me then just follow some of his posts on Facebook, and he often portrays a steampunk image but what this all belies is that he is a very English musician and writer who deserves close attention. I haven't heard all that he has released by any stretch, but everything I have come across has been quite superb. He has a way of telling stories which drag in the listener to sample the wares, with incredibly complex acoustic guitar. He has become associated with the progressive scene, but he has as much in common with the folk crowd, and I would imagine him going down a storm at the Cropredy Festival. If you have heard any of his material already then I am sure you have lined up to purchase this, but if you are new to his style of English folk prog crossover then you owe it to your ears to find out more.

 Murder and Parliament by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2017
4.05 | 2 ratings

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Murder and Parliament
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars This may be a new band name to some, even if the concept isn't, but this is a project from none other than the quirky steampunk himself, Tom Slatter. He has been joined on this jolly jape by jazz bassist Alun Vaughan and Chrissie Caulfield on violin, and together they have conspired and perspired to bring us an incredibly varied instrumental album. For me it is full of Tom's sense of humour, even although there are no words to convey them, as he weaves melodies and counter melodies which evoke feelings of Poisoned Electrick Head and The Cardiacs while never sounding like either. We sometimes have delicate melodies, while at others it is all about intertwined electric guitars that somehow manage to make sense, even if some of the lines are distorted. They slow it down, they speed it up, and then decide to do it all over again!

I don't know why I am writing the review in this style, but it just seems right. I can imagine Matt Deacon from The Bob Lazar Project just itching to get involved with his labelmate, as they do sometimes follow similar musical paths, complex and sometimes avant garde, and always with passion and integrity. There are times when it is heads down and riff to the end, with guitar melody over the top, and Alun is adept at either providing a rock solid grounding or a counter melody all of his own, while the keyboard sounds often sound as if they belong to the Eighties as opposed to the current day. The first time I played this I managed to fall asleep and only awoke after it had finished (it was stupid o'clock in the morning and I was on a plane on the way to Australia), which seemed such a waste, especially when I started playing it again when I was slightly less comatose and realized just how much fun this is. At times straight rock, others almost RIO, others straightforward prog, there is so much going on in this album that there just isn't room for vocals.

 Happy People by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2017
4.00 | 5 ratings

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Happy People
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

4 stars Back in 2014 Tom asked me to review one of his EP's, but until now that was the only music I had heard of his, so when this his fifth full-length studio album arrived I was looking forward to see what else he had been up to. As I was undertaking some research I managed to come across an old press release of his, where it states 'What would it sound like if Nick Cave started writing songs with Genesis after watching too many episodes of Dr Who? How many songs about replacing your body parts with mechanical alternatives is too many? Does the world need a steampunk/sci-fi inspired prog rock act? Tom Slatter set out to answer none of these questions, but accidentally did. Described by the Steampunk Chronicle as, 'an experiment too far', Tom's music sits somewhere between folk singer-songwriter, prog rock and indie rock of the Radiohead and Mansun ilk.'

I actually think the best way to describe Tom's music is as 'English', nothing more or less. It is progressive, very much in the crossover vein, but it is hard to imagine this music being delivered by anyone who hadn't grown up in that green and pleasant land. He has an acute observation that is reminiscent of Geoff Mann and John Dexter Jones (note: I am fully aware that JDJ is Welsh and would be traumatized at being called English) and a musical style on this album that is very akin to Jump in their prime. It is quite difficult to do anything else while playing this album (I soon gave up on my book when listening to this the first time), as it drags in the listener, demanding that they pay attention. There is the feeling that this album has been crafted from finest mahogany by a skilled artisan, as opposed to having plastic poured into a mold by automaton.

It is quite different to most of the prog that is around, and all the better for that. All in all this is a special album indeed.

 Happy People by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2017
4.00 | 5 ratings

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Happy People
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by Cetacean282

4 stars Tom Slatter - Happy People. It was a dark, dystopian, near future, probably a Monday when the fabled Tom Slatter 5th Album slipped through a crack in time, post marked Bridlington ? City of Culture. It had landed on the coir mat of the old farmhands' cottage with a squelch; strange I would expect a thud, but a squelch it was. The Album had come from the future, with all the procrastination involved in its production there was no way it had come from the present. A mirror universe, hence the term "Mubla", a word non-word, that I believe I may have coined, this was rapidly absorbed by the select group geared to encouraging this project to be completed. I released in from its transit envelope in a jiffy, and smelt the packaging. The scent of Old Spice, Brut 33, and Riggwelter permeated the air; from this I deduced through time via Yorkshire. Placed in the steam driven laptop, the security software coughed, yelped, and fell silent. I was going to have to listen without protection. Happy People. A strange title given the pessimistic questions it posed, of Tom's and many of the rest, of us' fears of the future to come. It's a promising start, and upbeat; prog not prog. This was the declaration of the head Elephant, I agree in part, but conceptually, lyrically and with the shape of the words and music that take shape in the ether, it is progressive enough. It hints at progs past, hidden in a chamber of many doors where toast is consumed with evil jam intentional or not, it is there, I read one review of Tom's vocal performance, I was disappointed, Tom is a singer/songwriter and there imbues his music with the feelings and emotions of the words he wrote; it is fine, and not even the rumours of 20000 monkey's with typewriters over seen by a lederhosen clad gang master in a remote German village in preparation for album 6, can dissuade me as such. Rumours, just rumours. It is a jaunty little number, even when you the words their meaning, Mr S is a minstrel, a troubadour, a sort of John Cooper Clark or Billy Bragg, but with better diction. It is a voice that represents Tom culturally as well as sonically, and perhaps the many years under the tutelage of Chorister Stan, a strange misfit who took to wearing his robes full time; that have informed Tom's vocal performance. Is he posh? I think not. Even when addressing his future fears, that face of adversity trait oft found in people, the artists' observation and wit shine through. Perhaps more so with an immanent election with a selection of candidates no one wants to choose. How does he address his concerns? With song about them, and I hold no belief in the gossip of an accompanying dance, pish! Different songs, different concerns, different voices and one that expresses them well; a singer who sings his own songs. Does Ed the Red (Sheeran) get the same critique of his art? Satellites, watching, observing, but who watches the watchers? Privacy gone, or is it the future or may be the past? Work camps, history or mystery, who knows come what May. I admire the manner in which such worries are addressed. Each song paints a picture, and perhaps they are painted black, but fear is a motivation for change and before the time that the policeman's tears will flow. There is so much variety here, it is a clever album (smart Alec), diverse in style, but to my ears still crossover prog at its core. People who follow Tom (and the stalkers) will be Happy. The Evil music mogul has been reported as smiling. Tom is "Happy" ? Before I sound too maudlin, I do like this album very much, it has a darkness like the cyber novels of Jeff Noon, but with a hint of hope (hope, we'll soon stop that). Yes, with the current state of the world (Even Then) We're Scared, but where better than music to seek to address our fears. Fire. Flower.Heart. Romantic? Well sort of, and yet throughout this album the music has a life and an energy that carries you with it. His worst vocal is on Tracking Signals, it's an instrumental, which in itself may be a taste of the threatened album with no words (monkeys on strike for better working conditions). It is not a chore to listen, and by the time words have been composed into sentences (vaguely), I have listened many times, sang along (now that is bad), mubla'd a bit, and played again. Two remaining tracks, both spirited and laced with darkness. But should you add this to your burgeoning Bad Elephant collection? Quirky? Well what is normal anyway? It is a valuable piece, it's fun (don't say that, he'll get cross). Buy it so he may purchase more hair products for his flowing locks, one must look after the Poet L'Oréal. (Damn, needs more puns!). It is a great album, all those years spent at the grind stone, occasionally more than just looking at it, the trials and tribulations of the choir years, to produce this, yes, indeed we have much to thank Cassock Stan for. Please note, due to my desire to frequently pun, Tom has actually banned me from listening. Needless to say, I have ignored him. You, Prog reader should not however, or you will miss a very good album. Tom will be making live appearances latter in the year, some with a band! I have a portable grassy knoll. Can I go back to Lab 558 now please?

Tracks Happy People A Name In A File Satellites Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said Even Then We're Scared Fire Flower Heart Tracking Signals Set Light To The Sky All Of The Dark

Musicians Tom Slatter Vocals, Guitar Daniel Bowles Backing vocals, guitars, keyboards Jordan Brown Bass, Backing Vocals, Keyboards Michael Cairns Drums Suzette Stamp Backing Vocals

Purchase from Bandcamp

 Through These Veins by SLATTER, TOM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2014
3.45 | 6 ratings

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Through These Veins
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by ProgShine
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Tom Slatter is a British musician that has been producing lots of material since his first album, Spinning The Compass (2009) which was released five years ago. Basically almost every year Tom had something new released.

Last year I got to know his music with the great album Three Rows Of Teeth (2013) (review HERE: progarchives.com/Review.asp?id=999743). This year he's releasing a series of EPs and the first one is called Through These Veins (2014) which I'll be reviewing in the next lines.

Through These Veins (2014) has four tracks and the EP is connected to his next EP and a full album, all releases for this year, telling a story about a rogue surgeon who starts to make his experiments with living beings and starts to transform them into living sculptures? macabre? Yes, Tom's music is not your everyday topic thing, his Steampunk background makes him very unique in the Prog world.

So the story starts with 'I Am Not Your Heart' that is a treat for the ear, the track is a little pearl full of weird and interesting guitars. In the next one, 'Segue ? I Am An Artist' we have a small dark tale, almost as a little movie. Although the ideas of the songs are fantastic and the instrumental is rich Tom's vocals in the EP are not really up with the music, for me they don't match with the high quality of the compositions. And this is weird cause his vocals on Three Rows Of Teeth (2013) were very good!

The third track on Through These Veins (2014) 'Without My Medicine', though interesting, is an alien in this EP with its electronic Pop sound. It's a weak track and there's not much to say about it, really. The title-track closes Through These Veins (2014) very well. Initially, it starts with a little piano and it follows with a weird sounding guitar in a waltz rhythm. A really good and different track!

Through These Veins (2014) besides being short (it's an EP after all) is a great presentation of Tom Slatter's music. Despite the weak vocals in some moments the four tracks presented here are very interesting and very well recorded and produced.

His second EP of the mad scientist series, Black Water (2014) is already out and will be interesting to follow his strange tale step by step. I'll be waiting to know the ending!

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

 Through These Veins by SLATTER, TOM album cover Singles/EPs/Fan Club/Promo, 2014
3.45 | 6 ratings

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Through These Veins
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by kev rowland
Special Collaborator Honorary Reviewer

3 stars If you go to Tom's website at www.tomslatter.co.uk you will be greeted with "Hello! My name is Tom Slatter and I write the sort of music you'd get if Genesis started writing songs with Nick Cave after watching too much Dr. Who." So there you have it. As if that isn't enough, what about this? "What could be more prog rock than a concept album? 'Two concept EPs and a concept album,' is Tom Slatter's answer. In his continuing effort to jump on the prog rock bandwagon, Tom has made the commercially savvy decision to dedicate the next twelve months to composing and recording two EPs and one album about the same story, including a twenty minute epic to crown the whole project off sometime in the Autumn. The first step in this cynical, conceptual sell out is Through These Veins, an EP that tells the story of a rogue surgeon who starts turning her patients into macabre living sculptures. 'My songs are usually driven by narrative, and this is no exception. In particular I was thinking about albums like Outside by David Bowie, or Operation Mindcrime by Queensryche. 'Plus, I saw all these English prog rock guys coining it in with their long songs and concept albums and I thought ? I need a piece of that. Matt Stevens drives a limousine you know. Alan Reed takes a private jet to the studio every single day,' said Tom."

Okay, so the last time I looked Alan was working at the BBC, so I think that some of the above statements are a little tongue in cheek, but it does give an idea of the sort of thinking that goes on inside the very strange world that is Tom's brain. This music should be very carefully labeled, as take it from me this is not something that will immediately make the listener think that it is essential, and will more likely elicit the "this is awful, what are you doing playing this?" response. Luckily for me my brain is used to me ignoring my ears and playing music more than once, and the more I played this the more I got inside Tom's twisted, dark and surreal world.

As I kept playing it, the more I realized the great depth there was inside, and apart from the insidious and annoying drum machine I found that I was actually enjoying this a great deal. It is definitely music from left field, and Tom's vocals definitely fit with the overall feel. I realize that all things included, this is a rather lengthy review for a four-track EP that is only eighteen minutes long, but hopefully this will entice you to give this a chance, as music as out there as this deserves to be heard.

 Three Rows of Teeth by SLATTER, TOM album cover Studio Album, 2013
3.75 | 17 ratings

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Three Rows of Teeth
Tom Slatter Crossover Prog

Review by ProgShine
Collaborator Honorary Collaborator

4 stars Usually, Prog Rock comes in the band format. It's not that common to find solo artists in the Prog World. It's not that they don't exist, it's just that generally Prog Rock is a team effort where each part plays a vital role in one's sound, even if you have just one person in the band writing the songs.

In the solo world you have two kinds of artists: first, the ones that do everything by themselves because they want to have total control of their work (or maybe because they couldn't find the right people to have a band with). Second, the ones that rely on a fixed band or some good musician friends to have their own sound. On which side lies Tom Slatter music?

Tom Slatter is on the first side of the solo artists, the ones that do everything on their own. Three Rows Of Teeth (2013) is the musician's third album and my first contact with his music, but according to his own words, he tried to sound more Prog and more electric on this album. There's basically no info on the CD about the instruments and possible musicians, just that Tom did everything, so, that's it!

Three Rows of Teeth (2013) was released in March and follows in from his previous album Iron Bark (2011). The album is a steampunk narrative. But I couldn't find the kind of story was being told. There's NO info at all on the digipack and no booklet too. But the cover is a pretty damn good one. If you're not familiar with Tom's music you can download his previous works on Bandcamp in the 'pay what you want' model (tomslatter.bandcamp.com/).

'Three Rows Of Teeth', the title-track and also the opener is the most interesting piece of music I've heard this year so far. Full of time changes, great melodies and the instruments sound alive, as if a band is playing, not a solo artist. Great track! 'Mother's Been Talking To Ghosts Again' follows the same path as the opening track, a great Prog track with lots of hidden keyboards.

'Self Made Man', the third track, is more acoustic and a bit weird, with a bunch of noises popping out all the time. This track sounds as a solo effort really. 'The Engine That Played Through Their Honeymoon' is a waltz kind of song and it's a bit weak.

Fifth track, 'Dance Dance Dance' is one of my favorites on the album. In fact, my favorite side in Tom Slatter's music is when he plays the Prog, his acoustic side is a bit ordinary for me. 'These Tiny Things Are Haunting Me' comes in sequence and it's a very odd piece of music. It tries to combine several weird keyboards with a twisted drum beat, counterpoint guitars and melodic vocals.

If you listen to the album you'll notice that each two songs are a 'part', each two songs are kinda connected. So in the last part of the album nothing more natural than having a 3 parts song: 'The Time Traveler Suite'. Part 1 'What We Say Three Times Is True' is brilliant! In its 8:38 you'll have fast passages, great melodies and breaks within the song. Part 2 'Rise Another Leaf' is more melodic with acoustic guitars filling all the blank spaces. Part 3 'Love Letters And Entropy' the third and final part of the suite is once again on the twist side with many different moods and good strange vocals. But not without a good and clever break in the middle part with acoustic guitars. In the end returning to craziness. Tom Slatter's Three Rows Of Teeth (2013) is a great example of 'self-made' music where you can enjoy both complex and regular music with deep pleasure. It is also a very good stop for steampunk lovers. Tom himself is a lover of the theme.

Three Rows Of Teeth (2013) deserves at least a hearing on Bandcamp with attention, and if you do so, you'll probably buy it.

(Originally posted on progshine.net)

Thanks to windhawk for the artist addition.

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