COUNTERCLOCKWISE

This Russian group from Moscow started originally as a duo in 2002 with Konstantin Benyumov on guitars and Lev Gankine on keyboards, both have been playing formerly in a band called Rush Hour, and an early document of their efforts was the ''Cock-a-Doodle-Do'' CD-R from the same year.Tired of a sound full of guitar/keyboard interplays, they came with the idea of forming a regular combo and thus bassist Evgeny Semiletov and drummer Konstantin Provorov joined them around mid-00's.Their new attempt was taped in the album ''Counterclockwise'', recorded at PXL Studio during a 9-month period with some pieces dating back from the early phase of Uphill Work, and released in 2008 on the Russian label Soyuz Music.

What these guys are playing here is a mix of Progressive Rock and Fusion, but not the type of jazzy Prog/Fusion rather than something between the quirky stylings of SAMLA MAMMAS MANNA and the dense musicianship of THE MUFFINS minus the Canterbury edge.The focus in this album is displayed in the numerous electric guitars and piano battles with intricate interplays, numerous scale changes and efficient breaks with influences ranging from Jazz Rock, Classical Music and a touch of Avant Garde.The atmosphere ranges from grandiose and orchestral to pretty dramatic with things softened through the irritating English vocals.These have a quite sarcastic approach and I can see many listeners having a hard time to listening to them.However the music is pretty great with an impressive balance between pleasant textures and adventuruous exercises.Gankine appears to be the main composer of the vast majority of the presented material, which also includes some (sampled?) Mellotron passages with a strong retro vibe.This group has been impressive on shifting between romantic soundscapes and angular, strictly progressive workouts, my only complaint being the insisting use of piano lines instead of a wider keyboard sound palette.

Pretty nice album by these young Russian musicians.Quirky Progressive Rock with Fusion and orchestral overtones, which can get occasionally quite atmospheric.Vocals are an X factor really, but the music is of high class.Warmly recommended.