VELVET CRUNCH

There are artists that can become not just occasional lovers but true long-term partners, proving the value of consistently extolling the virtues that can exist between musician and fan. One cannot exist without the other, a truism maintained since the first petroglyphs were carved in subterranean caves. So, it is and has been since my 2016 encounter with the debut ESP project "Invisible Din" that featured the thunderous drumming exploits of Mark Brzezicki (one of the UK's primo percussors). I was immediately and thoroughly seduced there and then, by the impeccable melodies and the rhythmic cyclones within the grooves. On the sophomore (and still my favorite)"22 Layers of Sunlight" , the duo led by multi-instrumentalist Tony Lowe added the angelic voice of Peter Coyle whose shimmering voice sealed my fate. There and then, again. Mark did leave after this sultry recording, and Peter came in for Anarchic Curves (2022), though six more deliriously consistent releases continue to adorn my collection, with 2024's "Silver Waves -Astral Dreams" winning my album of the year award. Both Brzezicki and Coyle are back to the fold, and all can rejoice at our continued good fortune as both collaborators are in fine form here.

What makes this band unique is Tony's talent in imagining gargantuan melodies in his fertile mind and then producing, arranging and playing all the necessary instrumental to fit that vision, a remarkable attribute, gained through decades of work experience. The effortless glimmer is immediately stamped on the proceedings, explaining the album title rather precisely with both the breezy voice and rhythmic pulse front and center, on the jazzily atmospheric "Mystical Tangle". Its intoxicatingly addictive, smoothly penetrating and serving as sonic balm for the ears, the chorus being seared onto the brain without any pain or mercy.

Seamlessly venturing in more somber electronic realms, with glinting Saharan thematics amid the orchestrated dunes of sound, "Resurrection (On the Forest Floor)" elevates the musical content to mirror the ambivalence of rebirth and decline, with windswept reflections clearly evoked in the desolate lyrics. The percussive percolations are hypnotic , the title gloomily repetitive, the whole atmosphere other-worldly and adventurous, a thrill for any set of ears, seduced into amazement.

Few bands can master melodic ambience better, an uncanny ability to somehow incorporate constant change and evolving sounds, wrapped in the softest sonic blanket one could possibly wish for. Densely symphonic without any need for bombast or overplay, "Coalesce" is crushingly beautiful throughout its run, yet the drum undertow beats like a passionate heart, impressed by the thrill of it all.

Tony understands pace and flow, having been a producer for many famous artists, that the curious can look up, so it should not come as a surprise that "Network of Ghosts" serves a more accessible groove, buoyant and unrelenting, with some gritty rhythm guitar riffing that leaps out of the mix, I cannot help detecting a delicate Bryan Ferry tinge, "Which Way to Turn" off the Mamouna album. Mark pummels his kit with deft propulsion, and Peter sings with a warm and expressive delivery that 'signal to ratio', a prefect set-up for the next epic track.

"Velvet Crunch" spans 9 minutes and is undoubtedly the cornerstone of this release, an proficiently crafted progressive expanse that points the spotlight at more specific instrumental complexities, way beyond the anticipated luxuriant symphonics, a forest of sound where the electric guitar gets to express itself more overtly, alternating between panes of obscurity and slivers of sharp sunlight, a trait Tony owns in spades and showcases in varying degrees of subtlety. The pace eventually heightens to a near gasping for air frenzy, the vocals soaring majestically, the synthesizers flickering in intensity and the impressive polyrhythmic drums unleashing its vivacious vehemence. The raging guitar exhortations at the end are simply stunning.

Plunging back into the gloomy foliage of "Prophets of Decay", one is transported back in time to some Middle Ages scenario, chanting Viking warriors banging their war drums , clamoring for the tribal council, to desperately uncover the fate of nature's uncompromising ways. This extended piece evolves surreptitiously into a more traditional mode, where the suave electric guitar gets to show off more effusive qualities before reigniting the somewhat Gothic chants of the beginning, and getting swallowed up by the unforgiving and impenetrable foliage of time and space. Cheryl Stringall provides some added lush keyboards to the mix.

"The Touch and Timing of the Sun" concludes this exotic set-list on a very high note, the experimental intro recalling the work of one of my favorite musician producers of all-time, the underrated Tony Mansfield, a pioneer of intricate sonic manipulations that should have garnered him much valued praise. This is easily the most progressive piece, a profuse abundance of layered synthesized orchestrations, slashed with silvery guitar streaks and astral bass lines, rummaging organ bursts, punchy rhythmic convulsions, and enough vocal panacea to cure Mother Nature's ills (and there are way too many!). The insertion of dissonant sounds is nothing more than the coup de grace needed to slay even my slightest apprehensions in declaring this album as another masterpiece of modern music.

One can throw in a comment about the beautiful artwork and the pristine sound, if you wish, but this album (and the ESP discography) leaves behind the notion of simple convenient art and, instead enters the world of medication for the body and the soul. The times currently call for exactly this kind of soothing panacea.

5 silky crackers

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