OCTOBER EQUUS

OCTOBER EQUUS are an instrumental band from Spain. They took their name from a pagan festival celebrated in ancient Rome in the middle of October after war season. On the bands first two releases the head of a horse is on each cover, this is significant. During the festival the two groups of people who lived in a Roman city would go to another city and have a chariot race, two horses per chariot. The winning teams fastest horse was then beheaded and the head put on a pole. The two sides would then violently fight each other to try to get the head.The winning side would go back to the city victoriously and mount the head in the tower or palace where the skull would be until the next year. Okay we all really needed to know that didn't we ?

The music here is very complex and dark with lots of tension and power. I would describe it as a cross between ANGLAGARD and UNIVERS ZERO but then add a guitarist who reminds me of a cross between Fripp and Fiske offering up angular and grinding guitar expressions with some distortion. The song I like the best is "End On A Lance" with the drums sounding incredible and the mellotron is flowing freely. There is a similar sound throughout as a result of the tone and style of the guitarist.The keyboard / organ player really leaves his mark on this album as well. He deserves some kind of award ! And the interplay of this band is tremendous as would be expected from a Rio / Avant band. A definite Fripp sound on "Field of Mars". "Sacrifice" I find quite creepy (poor horse). Not the kind of music you would play at a family get together unless you wanted them to leave (Haha). A must for fans of dark and adventerous music. 4.5 stars.