THE ASTRONAUT DISMANTLES HAL

With a length of almost 40 minutes, I consider that The Astronaut Dismantles Hal really is the second Amplifier album, placed between the astonishing self-titled debut and the second full length Insider.

And what can we found here? One of the most psychedelic and interesting works of this criminally underrated band, traveling through passages of pure space rock (For Marcia) to more alternative ones (Continuum) and some very stimulating experiments like the acoustic Scarecrows and the robotic and syncopated Into the Spacer Age.

The production is very good, almost better than in their debut, and although the quality of the album is not great the whole time (The Brain Room and Live Human are a bit under the rest in terms of songwriting), this is a another excellent work of this great British band!

Best Tracks: Continuum (a true Amplifier classic in live shows!), Into the Space Age (strange and very original track, unique in the band's career), Everyday Combat (typical Amplifier sound, dense and intense) and Scarecrows (a perfect acoustic and meditative ending for a great EP)

Conclusion: if you like Amplifier, you will love this EP. Nevertheless, if you do not know Amplifier yet I recommend you to start with their debut album instead, because this record is a more challenging and difficult one.

But please, don't take me wrong! The Astronaut Dismantles Hal is excellent anyway and a very worthy addition to any prog-rock collection.

My rating: ****