SNAPSHOTS

Disen Gage is a quartet from Russia and this is their fourth album, the first since 2008. Instrumental and guitar-centred although there is room for synths. Some guest musicians contribute added guitars, synth and brass. This is the first full album I have heard from them, although I have heard some earlier tracks. What little of their music I heard reminded me somewhat of the band Djam Karet. The music found here is diverse but most of the time does not sound too derivative of anyone in particular. "Me" opens as a waltz, which was kind of unexpected. You even get Disney like strings going "pluck-pluck, pluck-pluck." Halfway a jazzy bassline turns the music into moody hard rock/metal which somehow still has a melodic sense of the waltz part (especially the guitar).

"Them" is the longest track. I really like the thick, dub-y bass here. After a groove is established it later on picks up tempo and horns join in. A guitar repeats a memorable melody throughout. I like how the drumming changes slowly and subtlety. Drums stop at one point and vibes replace them. Sounds like reggae with harpsichord towards the end. "Chums" begins with some classical/Spanish guitar playing against a hard rock riff. It then turns into some kind of weird country-rock. Then it becomes funky country-rock. "Memories" starts out very funky then slowly turns into symphonic rock. In the middle it turns spacey. "Foolery" starts out as some kind of polka-rock (these guys are pretty diverse). The melody stays in one place for the most part while the rhythm changes a bit.

"Equilibrium" is a highlight. It starts off as some kind of sunny, melodic indie-rock. Centres around a great melody which is sometimes played on guitar, other times on saxophone. Nice echoed sax soloing leads to male and female vocals harmonizing the great guitar/sax melody. "Trip" starts out sounding both trippy and avant before it changes into jazz-funk. Keeps morphing into space-fusion. Gets funkier again and a trumpet(?) appears. Ends on the space-fusion vibe. Disen Gage is a perfect example of what an "eclectic prog" band would sound like. Diverse but disciplined, as opposed to all-over-the-place and careless. The sound and production is really well done (the bass in particular sounds great and really stands out). I will give this a well-deserved 4 stars.