TRIP HAZARD

BROTHERHOOD OF THE MACHINE is essentially the project of two brothers(Dave and John Francis) who are greatly inspired by Krautrock, Electronic and Psychedelic music of the late sixties to mid seventies. According to their web-site they are a combination of TANGERINE DREAM and HAWKWIND. The three primary instruments used here are synths, guitar and sax and we get three very different tracks including the centre piece "Hin Und Zuruck" a 36 1/2 minute Electronic masterpiece. I love the album cover too which points to that long track with that train travelling at night.

"Meditation Of The Blue Serpent" opens with this loud buzzing synth as drums and electronics join in. Love the mellotron- like sound just before a minute that sweeps in. Sax before 1 1/2 minutes as it plays over top in a relaxed manner the rest of the way, kind of an Eastern vibe here too.

"Hin Und Zuruck" is like a dream come true for me. I've heard so many rhythms that reminded me of a train ride but this is the first that intentionally does it. We get that sound of the train going across the tracks along the whistle blowing on and off throughout this suite. It opens with this electronic beat with windy synths blowing across the tracks as we start our journey. There's the train whistle before a minute. A change before 4 1/2 minutes as the drums become more prominent while the rest settles right down. An electronic beat is back quickly but it's the focus this time as the drums then spacey synths and sampled words join in. It settles back before 11 minutes and there's that train whistle again and what sounds like the train tracks. We are travelling at a high speed here. Some cool guitar expressions after 13 minutes and there's that whistle again 17 minutes in. An electronic beat follows and the drums join in as well. It's hard not to groove to the sound here. Train track sounds again after 20 minutes then it all stops briefly before 24 minutes but then returns in a more spacey mode. Another change 25 minutes in as the electronic beat returns with spacey synths blowing over top. The pace picks up 26 1/2 minutes in. So freaking good! It starts to slow down at 29 minutes with mellotron-like sounds and spacey winds. A train whistle just before 30 minutes then the drums return a minute later as we start our journey again. It's picking up after 32 1/2 minutes until we're almost out of control! It's so powerful after 34 minutes, like a nuclear bomb just went off. It's slowing down as out trip is coming to an end.

"Flying Saucer Patrol" features synths, heavy drums and more in a powerful soundscape. The guitar starts to solo over top before a minute the rest of the way.

Probably closer to 4.5 stars but I'm bumping it up. "Hin Und Zuruck" has quickly become one of my all time favourite Electronic tracks, I mean listening to it at night while driving or in the dark at home with the headphones on it's just one incredible trip. The other two songs are also excellent with that sax on "Meditation Of The Blue Serpent" and the guitar on "Flying Saucer Patrol".