Brilliant and experimental/boundary pushing proggy Jazz-Rock Fusion from Sweden. They sound a bit like a Chick Corea-led FOCUS only better.

1. "Eber's Funk" (7:45) opens aggressively like something from the early J-R Fuse masterpieces from Tony Williams and John McLaughlin then gets really funky with Brynjulf Blix's masterful clavinet play. (One cannot help but wonder how long he'd been playing this rather new instrument and its funk applications.) Drummer Pål Thowsen is amazing! Then guitarist Jon Arild Eberson launches into a wonderfully fiery solo himself, showing no shame or fear of being compared to the J-R F greats like McLaughlin, Coryell, Akkerman, and Connors. (14/15)

2. "B.M." (11:45) I love the experimentation here with all of the early Mahavishnu Orchestra instrument sounds--and the way they take some of the music and style of Dutch progsters FOCUS and move it even further into the realm of jazz or jazz-rock fusion. The main electric piano four-chord motif gently propelling the song along does get rather old as the soloists go on (and on), but the work of drummer Pål Thowsen beneath is quite a nice diversion to pay attention to. (22.5/25)

3. "Flytende Øye" (6:39) again, the proggy side of Jazz-Rock Fusion--here exploring the Bitches Brew/Herbie Hancock approach to electrifying jazz. These musicians are so talented! (9.25/10)

4. "Skakke Jens" (5:32) with some scathing electric guitar in the spotlight and only bass and drums beneath this one feels more like a progression of power trio rock as Jimi Hendrix might have taken it had he lived longer. Not as jazzy as the previous songs, still very interesting. R-L reverberating-panning Fender Rhodes enters at 2:50 with great effect (essentially shutting down Jon Arild Eberson's guitar) taking over the lead for the remainder of the song. (8.875/10)

5. "O Kjød" (6:42) what sounds like electric piano (though it could be oddly processed acoustic piano) and gently-picked electrified acoustic guitar open as kind of a duet, though the guitar exists more in a support capacity for the first minutes. Very Mahavishnu John McLaughlin and Chick Corea like. Jon gets a turn in the lead halfway through while Brynjulf settles back into an even-more-Chick Corea-like support roll. Wish it were better recorded. (9/10)

Total Time: 38:23

I often find it hard to understand how caucasian people can be so funky--as if African traditions have some kind of exclusive on the sound and form--but this band definitely has some serious funk running through their veins. Awesome stuff!

A-/five stars; a minor masterpiece of Jazz-Rock Fusion in its very quintessential form(s). An album every self- proclaimed prog lover should hear at least once over their lifetime. HIGHLY recommended.

An album of brass-enhanced pop jazz-rock music not unlike that of Blood Sweat and Tears: the band's lead singer John Redpath's voice is pretty much a dead ringer for that of David Clayton Thomas.

1. "Why Am I Doin' It" (7:50) built a bit more like CHICAGO's version of "I'm a Man" this one rocks, it rolls, and it blues- rocks, it even jazz-rocks a little. Nice Terry KATH/David CLAYTON THOMAS vocal from drummer John Redpath but the song does over-stay its welcome a bit despite saxophonist Hanus Berkas enthusiastic play. (13.25/15)

2. "Happiness" (7:00) piano-based blues rock that sounds very Southern USA like the Allman Brothers, Leon Russell, Dr. John, or even Van Morrison. (12.75/15)

3. "Journey" (7:30) a very-Sixties Bay area-sounding blues rocker built over a repeating three-chord piano arpeggi does ramp up for a bit in the third minute form some brass-rock before reverting to the original motif for some bluesy piano pounding. Nice recording engineering delivering clear tracks for each and every one of the instruments. Very solid. (13.5/15)

4. "Emergency Entrance" (11:20) opens with a nice weave of drums, percussion and bass before weird mosquito-like synth joins in with piano and rhythm guitar. Flute takes the next solo (I'm assuming that the mosquito-synth was intended as the first) with mostly-percussion backing. A bit like instrumental palette and sound beneath Van MORRISON's "Moondance"--or if it were extended into an instrumental jam. Organ, piano, saxophone (briefly), and electric guitar get the next solos, in that order--all of it pretty "raunchy" (though cleanly recorded). It's a nice song for displaying the capabilities of the band's individuals. The second movement of the song is pure blues--with saxes, low- end guitar, and organ takin' us into the Swamp. There is crescendos at in the tenth minute with some whole-band blasts and then some high-tailin' runnin' out for the final minute. (17.5/20)

5. "Killin' Time" (10:20) a two-part suite that starts out quite gently, even emotionally beautiful reminding me of some of NEKTAR's more tender moments. John Redpath's vocals are also very gentle--like BOZ SCAGGS on "Harbor Lights." But then the song jumps into a different gear, coming together for some more Southern Rock bordering on Chicago melodically. Here John's vocal is much more than something from an Allman Brothers or Blood, Sweat and Tears album. After a brief saxophone solo the song moves into its second phase: this one more organ-based and organ- dominated like something from an early Brian Auger or ROD ARGENT jam. Jiøí Matousek is a very talented organist! Sax takes the next solo--here reminding me of why I don't like this overgrown kazoo. I have to admit that overall this is a pretty cool song. (18.25/20)

Total time: 44:00

While I came here because of my deep dive into Jazz-Rock Fusion--something this album is NOT--I have to admit that I really enjoyed this experience. My several listens through Entrance has helped soften my rather dismissive "complex" against blues-rock.

B+/four stars; an excellent album of proggy/jazzy Blues-Rock music--one of the best of its kind that I've heard.

The ever shape shifting stylistic approach with a chameleoneque name to match, the fourth album under Godspeed You! Emperor's side project SILVER MOUNTAIN PROJECT returns only this time as THEE SILVER MT ZION MEMORIAL ORCHESTRA & TRA-LA-LA BAND (note the dropping of the "With Choir") from 2003's ""This Is Our Punk-Rock," Thee Rusted Satellites Gather + Sing,). HORSES IN THE SKY emerged two years later with the EP "Pretty Little Lightning Paw" slipped in between. Also noticed the unusually short album title!

Once again Menuck is joined by an army of musicians and vocalists who play everything from the standard rock guitar, bass, piano and drums to the more chamber rock appropriate cello, violin, trumpet, harmonica, mandolin and contrabass topped off by a veritable choir of backing vocals whose precision singing skills offsets Menuck's quivering vocal instability. In fact Robert Kennedy Jr? Is that you? LOL. While still considered a post-rock and musically speaking clearly follows in its own footsteps, this time around all those vocal tracks scattered around on the band's first releases suddenly because the dominant force.

In fact every track is song oriented and every song features an overdose of Menuck's hard-to-swallow vocal shortcoming, the boon to many (including myself) and the welcome accoutrement for others who can't get enough of that indie rock off-kilter singing bravado. In fact Modest Mouse comes to mind throughout HORSES IN THE SKY had that Washington based band delved into the world of sing-along post-rock campfire songs that is. In a way this album reminds me of all those gleeful songs we sang as kids in grade school with the music teacher playing her heart out on the piano while our underdeveloped innocent lyrical content came spewing from our less than professional musical mouths like an off-key choir struggling in its infancy.

Despite the innocence and childlike qualities of the sing-along sessions, the music is nothing but a serious matter with concert hall quality performances stealing the show whenever Menuck chooses to close his yap and let it all rise to the forefront. It's a welcome event indeed for those of us who find Efrim's best efforts to become a bit overwhelming throughout an album's worth of convulsing solfeggios punctuating the rich tapestry of sound like nails on the chalkboard. There's a bit of country hoedown feel to the whole thing as well as it evokes some sort of traditional bumpkin music in the USA Appalachians of the the early years of the nation's existence especially when the banjo comes out to play.

More chamber folk than post-rock this time around, this one will certainly test the patience of those who merely tolerated Menuck's vocal contributions on previous efforts and the worst nightmare of those who cringed every time he opened his big fat piehole. Musically the album is sweet and tender which contrasts greatly with the outrage expressed lyrical content which laments everything from war, prison life and myriad social injustices worldwide. In fact if you actually listen to the lyrics they are quite bleak and depressing, a stark contrast to the otherwise more uplifting musical score which belies the Godspeed and Silver Mt Zion trend of dark melancholic musical deliveries which occasional do overpower everything else.

The album is well regarded so apparently not everyone is as repulsed by Menuck's seismically unretrofitted vocal charm as i am and to be fair when his singing is subdued it's tolerable however most of the album finds him bellowing a pseudo-falsetto which makes me wonder if the whole thing is a parody of some sort or just a stylistic approach that offers a degree of separation from the competition and SILVER MT. ZION releases in general. Whatever the case this will be a hard pill for many to swallow but if vocal shakiness is not a problem then you will most certainly like this more than i do.

This time appearing as THEE SILVER REVERIES which no trace of Zion to be found, the Canadian Godspeed You! Black Emperor side project of guitarist / pianist / vocalist Efrim Menuck dropped this tiny four track EP between its two regularly album releases. The result was the 30 minute THE PRETTY LITTLE LIGHTNING PAW E.P. which slinked into the year 2004 and has remained one of those tag ons to the band's greater discography going noticed by many but highly appreciated by those who happen to find it bliss them with the aural essence that is THEE SILVER MOUNTAIN ORCHESTRA.

Another curveball in the zigzagging trajectory of uniformity, PRETTY LITTLE LIGHTNING PAW finds a somewhat streamlined lineup with only five musicians on board however the biggest surprise is that key members such as violinist Sophie Trudeau switches to the bass guitar and the increase of guitars, basses and percussion makes this what feels like a bonafide post-rock release rather than some sort of post-modern classical chamber folk hybrid. If that wasn't enough to set the SILVER MOUNTAIN clan in a firm creative footing, the band then played the recorded finished product on a boombox and then rerecorded it all again from that which gives it an unusually rougher than usual sound. Holy moly!

This EP is more on the surreal and ethereal side of the equation with the usual post-rock cyclical loops wending and winding in some cases such as the title track up to 10 minutes in playing time only fortified with everything from toy box music, and varying percussive click and clacks. Also feedback plays a major role in echoey chamber resonance and although Efrim Menuck's vocals are a hard pill for me to swallow, his performances here somehow melt right into the pulsating processions of the heavily orchestrated chamber folk atmospheres finding all the other members offering their own voice to the atmospheric majesty of the tracks. Menuck's vocals are made tolerable to me in most part though the modulating effect of an echo box and drowned out by the incessant manic swarm of sound effects provided by the instrumentation.

In a way the EP prognosticates the style of the next album with every track featuring Menuck's paranoid lyrical delivery accompanied by a purposeful out of tune backing singalong choir evoking the innocence of childhood only with the horror of awareness that the world is not what we were led to believe in our sheltered early years of grade school giddiness. The singalong sessions that feature a call and response methodology may be on repetitive mode but the swirling swarm of musicality that back it and often drowns it out altogether are what make this little EP a sweet little gem in the band's overall canon. All the weakness of the band (particularly Efrim's vocal style) is suavely pacified with all the right doctoring up and majestic ethereal percolating of the post-rock accompaniments is actually quite magical.

While i'm a fan of the first three releases, the following "Horses In The Sky" takes the approach laid down here and strips it down until only the annoying features dominate. In all honesty this EP should've been the next album with an extended track list of course because even though the overall direction is the same, this one features enough elements to guarantee that the focal point doesn't gravitate to the weakest link of the equation. I actually discovered this one quite by accident as i bought another album by the group but when i ripped it onto the my external hard drive it turned out to be the wrong CD but to my delight i loved it and discovered a hidden gem in the greater MT SILVER ZION musical reality. Now it's actually one of my favorite releases of all. A triumphant little musical expression that shouldn't be ignored.

A jazz-rock one off from Birmingham. The musicians were obviously inspired by COLOSSEUM, CHICAGO, and BLOOD SWEAT AND TEARS as well as PROCOL HARUM, The SPENCER DAVIS GROUP and even Andrew LLOYD-WEBER.

1. "Look Upon Me" (6:13) Oh! The bluesy kind of jazz-rock, not really what I'd call fusion. The music shifts to BLOOD SWEAT & TEARS territory for the second motif and chorus (part of which sounds as if it is intentionally lifted from Andrew LLOYD WEBER's Jesus Christ Superstar: Jesus' emotional performance in the "Garden of Gethsemane" scene (and song). There's quite a little of The Animals' "Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood" in there, too. Nice musicianship and pretty good sound reproduction throughout. (8.75/10)

2. "Winds of Change" (7:26) more music that feels as if it's on the verge of going PROCOL HARUM or ANIMALS with some nice (and original) melodic singing over the top of interesting, subtly shifting and changing instrumental performances beneath. The slower middle section sounds a lot like The SPENCER DAVIS GROUP, even when it picks up. The sound of the Hammond organ is so domineering despite the wonderfully performed and mixed bass and drums. The guitar and horn accents are pretty cool, too. The final sections up the tempo while letting the instrumentalists go unrestricted for a bit. Great blues-feeling song. (13.5/15)

3. "Bend for a Friend" (10:27) opens with a guitar and bass riff that sounds like a Sergio Leone film score. The rest of the band joins in and proceed to set up a motif that is quite stereotypic for what we consider "Indian music"--that is, the music of Native Americans (as depicted, of course, in the soundtracks of film and the occasional Indian-themed hit song). At the three-minute mark the motif switches to a different, more strident and jazzy interpretation of yet another fairly familiar N.A. melodic theme. Guitarist Adrian Ingram goes a bit crazy on his electric guitar, again bridging the jazz and blues-rock worlds throughout his solo: part Hendrix, part Johnny Mac (or Randy California). At the 5:30 mark there is another, rather radical thematic change--this one feeling as if we've started a completely different song. It's cinematic like something befitting a B-movie horror flick. At 6:30 we again stop to listen to a solo saxophone solo: that's right: a solo with absolutely no accompaniment. Finally, 45-seconds in drummer John Parker joins saxophonist Cliff Williams' chorused woodwind. Then in the tenth minute the rest of the band throbs their way back in before lining up to finish the song with original pseudo-Native American motif. Interesting song. (17.5/20)

4. "1066" (6:28) (a reference, I take it, to either the Norman Invasion or the Battle of Hastings.) opens with a bluesy motif beneath Alex's recitation of words and terms tied into the year 1066. But then the music turns anachronistic-- almost "mediæval"--with flutes, bass, organ, and harpsichord and a Michael Giles-like drumming touch. I find this anachronistic motif the most interesting and favorite of the album. Next is a rather spacious percussion-dominated passage that is quite reminiscent of King Crimson's quiet passage in The Court of the Crimson King's "Moonchild." Bass and drums get their time in the spotlight here. Hearing this makes me wonder if Carl Palmer and Greg Lake heard this song before (finally) rendering Greg's 10-year old song "Lucky Man" to tape. A very interesting song that never really seems to gel into something consistent or cohesive. (8.875/10)

5. "Wet Legs" (4:44) a kind of jazzy intro morphs into another Blues-Rock riff-based alternating four-chord progression. In the second minute of this completely-instrumental song there is a temporary detour down a jazzy sidestreet, but then we return fairly quickly to the original motif for some funky organ play and slow ROBIN TROWER-like guitar soloing (ending in "The Note": a single guitar note that is held for 45 seconds of slow decay while the organ continues to bounce around rather excitedly). The two motifs cycle around a couple more times before the song cashes out. (8.875/10)

6. "Winter" (8:06) a song that sits on the fence from its very opening notes as to whether it's prog or J-R Fusion, soon reveals its (surprise!) blues-rock nature. Syncopated drumming is the only truly jazzy element over the first few minutes as a descending four-chord motif beneath vocalist Alex Boyce's R&B voice drives the song until the instrumental vamp of the fourth and fifth minutes. Here a different rock rhythm motif is played beneath Alex Ingram's guitar soloing. The dude has obviously had some training in both blues and jazz guitar play (and may revere artists like Wes Montgomery and John Mayall) as he unleashes a truly nicely evolving solo over the course of its three minute length. Then the band suddenly stops and lays down a very spacious, mellow, and gorgeous gentle JIMMY WEBB-like motif to finish the song with. Great song though I wouldn't really call this Jazz-Rock Fusion--or even Jazz-Rock. (13.5/15)

Total Time 43:24

B+/four stars; an excellent album of well-crafted, superlatively-performed, and nicely-recorded Blues-Rock-moving- into-Jazz-Rock songs. Highly recommended to all lovers of progressive rock--especially if you're into the origins and development of Progressive Rock Music.

A quartet of classically-trained multi-instrumentalists from Spain have their first album released to minor acclaim, produce one other, more classically-oriented album two years later, and then disappear into the æther. Too bad! These Todd Rundgren's of instrumental Jazz-Rock Fusion are so very gifted!

1. "Agost" (6:54) the Return To Forever approach to Jazz-Rock Fusion is without doubt, but band members' foundations in and proclivity for classical music can neither be ignored. The virtuosity of these young musicians is at times jaw- dropping. The fact that they apparently have some kind of visceral need for frequent time and stylistic shifts has also been noted but it is still so striking to experience first-person. (13.5/15)

2. "Violeta" (8:20) a gentler, smoother, almost STEVIE WONDER approach in the opening minute of this soon reveals the band's "itch" with several sudden turns into very brief little quirky motifs: it's almost as if the band are acting partly from a collective attention deficit disorder and partly out of some kind of innate mischievousness though it could also come from a serious curiosity for the chaos and humor one can express through art. Perhaps it is a combination of these three traits that also drove artists like Frank Zappa, S(Z)amlas Mammas(z) Manna, Mr. Bungle, Sleepytime Gorilla Museum and the like. An odd, at times humorous, at others annoying, song. (17.75/20)

3. "Vacas, Toros Y Toreros" (4:41) more quirk and circumcision--like a slightly more Latinized continuation of the previous song. Some of the melodies are like tongue-in-cheek pop riffs, others aborted and or "fake" forays into serious J-R Fusion. The whole time, however, I find myself smiling at all of the references being made (and being lampooned). Very interesting. At the same time, there is no doubt as to the skill and talent possessed (and expressed) by these musicians. (8.875/10)

4. "Font" (4:47) more musical ideas that seem to be purposefully making light of the seriousness of other people's music. The band is showing off their talents for imitation but in way that seems to show A) how stupidly easy these famous riffs and motifs are to make as well as B) how silly they are when put into other contextual fields or when contrasted with other equally classic riffs or phrases. I actually like this one. (9.125/10)

5. "Caramels De Mel" (5:24) opening with an edgy pseudo-cool, pseudo smooth jazz motif, the band then moves in and out of other equally-saccharine motifs. It's like listening to a Todd Rundgren album from the early 1970s knowing how NOT seriously he's taking himself with his music (whereas Frank Zappa, I think, took his music very seriously). Every note, every weave, every phrase just seems so tongue-in-cheek sarcastic! (9/10)

6. "El Vesubio Azul" (8:24) a piece that is a little less focused on exposing the perceived idiocy of others and, perhaps, more about expressing their own personal ideas for modernizing classical music--or for just expressing their own true musical ideas as a whole: I feel much less offended, embarrassed, or uncomfortable with the music coming out of this song than that coming out of the previous four songs. (17.5/20)

Total time 38:30

Such an unusual collection of music! I have to admit to feeling quite confused as how to respond to this album. Part of me is quite entertained by the band's irreverent poke at music in general (it would seem that NO artist or style is off limits from their jabs) as well as to their exceptional command of musical style and instrumental prowess, yet, at the same time, part of me is a bit put off by their unapologetic, almost cruel and nihilistic opinion of the artists they lambaste. I seriously wonder if there would be any fun to be had by hanging out with these always-critical, very cynical human beings or if any- and everyone in their circle of attention was equally subject to such unabated bullying.

B+/four stars; an extraordinary work of partly-satirical art that some will love and others might feel put off by. Highly recommended for your own personal experience.

This along with "The Shadow- Vol.I" were recorded live in studio over a four day period late in December of 2019 at Ocean Sound Recordings in Oslo, Norway. Sadly the band's founder, leader and man composer Per Ottesen came down with a serious illness shortly after these sessions and eventually passed early in 2022 causing them to hold off it's release until after he was gone. They are a four piece with Per on bass but some slide guitar as well. We also get drums, guitar and sax. A couple of them add electronics. This is mostly powerful sax driven music but the guitar does lead at times.

My favourite track on here is the 12 1/2 minute "The Shadow Of The New Praetorian" and I need to mention that Per knows how to compose some incredible music. I like the atmosphere to open as bass, drum rolls and other sounds come and go. An experimental soundscape then it kicks into gear and moves after 2 minutes. Sax is leading but 5 minutes in it's the guitar's turn to show it's stuff. And there's lots to show, check it out after 7 1/2 minutes. It all relents but it rises up again with the sax leading late.

"Beehive" has this repeated sax melody to open and close it with the guitar in the middle and I'm over simplifying it as this is 8 1/2 minutes long. "Chiaroscuro" is laid back with some lap steel and really except for the brief sax 3 minutes in this lacks the energy of that most of this album has. Other exceptions are the 23 second spacey opener and the 3 minute closer both quiet tracks.

Thankyou Apollon Records for sending me both volumes and as I said in reviewing "Vol. I" when you put the two cd covers together they form one bigger piece of art which is cool. And more importantly the music is high quality instrumental music and a fitting legacy for our departed bass player.

This is pure brilliance misunderstood by many people who think this kind of music is some kind of contractual obligation or just someone playing with a new synth. To be honest, this experimental and avant-garde stuff is celebrated when made by other artists, but I think some people lambast Beaubourg just because it is made by a musician and composer that was known for doing other things.

Vangelis, as a composer, was much of a free-spirit and often puzzled his fans (for example, with albuns like Soil Festivities and Invisible Connections not long after releasing the popular Chariots of Fire). Beaubourg, as a follow-up of Albedo 0.39 and Spiral certainly shocked many of the casual fans.

Avant-garde and minimalist in nature, the album is all about fragmentary melodies here and there, experiments with tones, sparse sounds and no rhythm at all. It is very experimental in the sense that it experiments with characteristics of the sound itself: heavy reverberation, stereo effects, relying heavily on the synthesizer filters and effects rather than the oscillators. There are lots of silences and pauses that are very important to the nature of the composition. Vangelis manages to fill 40 minutes of the album with a great listening experience for fans of the genre.

This is, of course, out of reach for many people, because it is simply not their genre. But for people who dig this highly experimental and avant-garde compositions in the tradition of the classical composers of the second half of the twentieth century, it is a tremendous work. And that is why it deserves a high rating, even if it is not for everyone.

What is interesting about China is that it mixes two different characteristics of Vangelis work: the somewhat folkish sound with traditional Chinese flutes, percussion and even a bit of violin by the longtime collaborator Michel Ripoche and the distinctive soundscapes using now polyphonic and digital synts, with their raspy sounds (at least at the end of the 70s and beginning of the eighties) and pianos, to a great effect.

One thing that amazes me on those works by Vangelis, including the celebrated elsewhere victim of some prejudice among prog fans "Chariots of Fire" is that, composing and playing almost everything, the Greek composer and musician knows exactly what should go where in every song, even with the countless possibilities that the synthesizers bring. One has to recognize that it seems to be much more complex than prog composers that compose the general flow of the songs on their main instrument and then use the talents of their bandmates to fill in the arrangemets of their own instruments.

In China, it is all there, and songs like Yin & Yang and Himalaya, that blend beautiful harmonies and soundscapes with experimental lead synth flourishes here and there make the work uniquely pleasant. Some other songs mix well the experimental aspects and the quasi-symphonic and traditional folk, like Chung Kuo. There is a good variety of compositions, some more straightforward, some more complex, and listening to the entire album is a very pleasant experience.

Of course, lots of people don't like very much Vangelis works because they are shy in the "rock" component (it is almost non-existent on this album), but it is a lot better musically than almost everything that was being done in the realms of the progressive music by 1979.

Another one of my all time favourite albums! This album was what they deemed the beginning of their deep dive into microtonal music, going so far as to have "volume 1" in the top left hand corner of the vinyl. Fun Fact: the name of the album came from the guitar that was custom built for King Gizz of the same name, and is featured on the front and back of the album. To me, this one one of their more daring exploits, and certainly not an easy one to pull off. I think that this album is another near masterpiece from them, continuing the progressive elements from the previous album Nonagon Infinity and bringing influences from various European cultures with a more driving rock aspect to it. This album is one of the pinnacles of more accessible experimental rock. I'm going to preface that some hardcore fans seem to understand the underlying story far better than I do, so that certainly won't be the main focus in this review.

Rattlesnake This album really starts off with the weakest song for me. It's not necessarily a bad song, I've grown to be okay with it, and could even say some parts are good. I like the vocals that have layers during the chorus. It kind of takes the one note jam a little bit too far, mainly because the parts going on around the very stagnant rhythm aren't as interesting as other songs. It's very tedious, and I like me a good jamming song, but this one is just a bit much for me to casually listen to. The zurna is really great however, and that plus the vocals are my favourite parts of this song. The microtones aren't used very much as this song, maybe because it's more of an intro to the album. The transitions between the beginning and ends of each song on the album are pretty great, especially the wind one here.

Melting Definitely one of my top songs I've ever listened to. I feel like this one would've been a better introduction song, seeing as it makes the microtones more and more prevalent. It has one of my favourite melodies, using B phrygian and adding extra microtones in the scale like C half-sharp, and G half-sharp. The interplay between the bass and the vocals is really notable to me, along with the very Latin feeling groove makes this one such a head-bopper to listen to. The really delicate synth adding the more Latin rhythms as well really adds to the texture. The effects that they put on the vocals (a kind of groan tube style filter) really pushes the 'melting' feeling of the song. The guitar solo, bass solo, as well as when the synth has its highlights are really fantastic. The drums (being panned in both ears and doubled!! Thank you Eric and Cavs!!) have really bright cymbals while having a really dark snare, creating a really cool contrast in the amount of sound that's happening. The haunting and foreboding lyrics with Stu doing very intentionally soft vocals works incredibly well on this track. The low pass filter leading into Open Water making it sound like we're underwater is very very nice.

Open Water I think this one does the one note jam a lot better than Rattlesnake, it has more fun variation in rhythms, and more of a power and drive to the drums. The groove on this track is iconic with the repeating snare pattern that really adds a punch to the sound unlike most songs on this album. The section where the guitar is just doing its thing at 1:12 is so good. The song uses microtones to emphasize a lot of the transitions and the melody, and it works really well to add some unease into the sound. Another emphasis is the layering of the natural sounds on top of the music, like the waves that occur in the middle of this song. The zurna is once again really great on this one. The shredding guitar along with the vocals at 4:40 is a really interesting choice that I love, it's not too powerful, it's very perfect for the scene they create. Everything in this song is incredibly well balanced in general, considering there's multiple guitars, multiple synth tracks, 2 drum tracks, vocals, etc., but it's not mixed in a very invasive way.

Sleep Drifter Probably my favourite of the chill songs on this album. It's still got a very rigid groove and is another one note jam song, but it's a lot softer than other songs. The lyrics that suggest lucid dreaming and the feeling of them, I think they set the stage really well for the song, and the really sweet melody accompanies this well. The breakdown/buildup in the middle of this song is a highlight for me, it's such a well done fake-out ending. The microtonal flourishes and trills in this one are really cool sounding, another strong contender for differentiating the songs. It is another one note jam, however it's a little slower, and gives a little more room to breathe in different sections. I enjoy how Billabong Valley sweeps through the mix in the end, feeling like a drifting tumbleweed.

Billabong Valley I'm still kind of 50/50 on the pitched up vocals in this song. I'm inclined to like them more because of the experimental nature, but they don't sound super great to me. The melody's not the strongest, but still good, and that kind of sums up this song. It definitely for me gets overshadowed by the other much stronger songs on this album. I do really enjoy the slowed down portion however, added with the zurna that adds some extra colour to the song. Strong progression in the song, but doesn't do anything wildly outstanding like a lot of the other songs.

Anoxia I feel like this is easily the most overlooked one in the album. It has such a good riff to go along with the really great melody. The switch up in moods going back and forth between double time and not are really well done, not a super aggressive switch and just really well done. Joey's vocals on this one are just a really nice switch up to the rest of the album which is just Stu. This song for me uses microtones the strongest, adding to the melody through the use of ornamentation, and also in the riffs during trills in the guitar. The lyrics on this one are really strong, keeping up the very mystical and foreshadowing nature of other songs. The transition to Doom City as well is a lot of fun.

Doom City Another overlooked one, but for a good reason. Another weaker song on this album, but not entirely bad or anything, still a good song. I like how this is the heaviest on the album with the use of the distortion guitars. The guitars also using wah pedals are really fun. The tempo switches on this song aren't nearly as strong as Anoxia. The continuous 'doom doom doom city, doom doom' in the background is really cool, adding another non-invasive layer to the song. They definitely had fun recording the zurna on this one with how aggressive and improvisatory it feels, sounds like fun.

Nuclear Fusion My favourite song on this album. Best riff and melody even though there are some strong contenders, and easily the best one note jam song (there's a lot of those on this album). The pitched down voices on this one, compared to Billabong Valley, work really well at the bookends of the song. The varied bass line makes the one note jam a lot more listenable and doesn't feel like we're listening to the same song over and over again on this album. I've always liked the little 'dum dum dum' that Stu hums in the beginning, his vocals are really great with the shaky parts he adds, as well as the almost muffled mic that's used. The vocals are really great, doing a similar thing to Rattlesnake, but to better effect with the melody happening and below it has Stu(?) singing the same rhythm but on the low F#. The lyrics are really strong off this one, with a really fun twist of demented science and about fusion of humans supposedly and of the actual nuclear fusion. It has such a good drum beat as well, simple but effective generally, shifting focus between ears at times. The bass in the high registers at 2:25 is such a fun texture switch up, adding more reinforcement to the top end of the piece. The tiny synth solo at 2:58 I also very much love <3.

Flying Microtonal Banana Just a great jammy song in 7/8 to end off the album. The layered zurnas on this one really sounds like an army approaching and I love that ominous sound. I enjoy how the instruments like the zurnas and harmonica blend and move in and out with one another. Dynamically the instruments really fade in and out with each other as well. It's a really solid outro to the entire album, and forms a loop back to the beginning in a similar style to Nonagon Infinity.

Issues: I think the songs get a little too tedious at times, and there's a lot of one note jamming that happens in this one. They definitely break this trend in the future microtonal albums KG and LW, getting a little more melodious with the riffs.

Strengths: This album has such good riff and melody writing, nearly every song having a very strong selection of ideas and phrases in them. I enjoyed the experimentation they had with this album, blending a lot of different colours and vibes to match with the microtonal aesthetic.

Generally this album is insanely close to perfect for me. The only things I would change are Rattlesnake and some smaller portions of songs. I'm giving this one 5 stars, because I feel like I could nerd out and rant about these songs for hours, even the weaker ones. And for the same reason as Paper Mâché Dream Balloon and Nonagon Infinity, this album is just much closer to 5 stars than 4 for me.