ALMAGEST

Portugal's "Egyptian Kings" sole release to date is this 2006 album. The band have successfully hyped the album by making it available for free download (witness the astonishing number of ratings and reviews on this site for what is essentially an unknown band). Hype alone though does not a good album make, so what of the music?

The album opens ethereally, with floating, spacey sounds on the brief "Murmurs" leading into the 9½ minute "Pale white dot". The opening flute on this track soon gives way to further drifting keyboard driven passages, with intermittent lead guitar inflections. By the time of the slightly oriental "Spirit of the water", the album is becoming rather predictable. The occasional brief narrative message offers a point of intrigue, but the band fail to exploit such interventions adequately.

In terms of influences, the band's own acknowledgements of ENO, TANGERINE DREAM, (earlier) PORCUPINE TREE and PINK FLOYD pretty much sum things up. The first two of that list are the most obvious, the compositions being based more upon effects and sounds than on strength of melody. There is generally an avoidance of pulsating rhythms or strong back beats although "Low mass stars" does have a slow, heavy, steam engine like industrial beat in places.

The post rock influences the band claim are less apparent. There is none of the driving, swelling excitement of that sub-genre to speak of, a repetitive element being the only real common denominator. Likewise, suggestions of space rock and trance need to be tempered by the recognition that this album is devoid of the fast rhythms which define such music.

"Algamest" is both a difficult listen, and perversely a very easy one. On the one hand, the listener can easily drift off into other thoughts with the music as little more that a background indulgence. On the other, if one tries to listen in depth to the album, there are no discernible melodies rendering the sounds and atmospheres demanding.

For those who enjoy the less accessible, mood dominated side of Tangerine Dream, this album will be of interest. For me, it is a pleasant diversion but not a masterpiece by any means.

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