DIABLO

MAXWELL'S DEMON is the brainchild of Craig Beebe and John Galbraith two very intelligent and talented guys from the USA.. This is their second album called "Diablo".Their first record called "Prometheus" was released in 2001 and was based on Ayn Rand's book "Anthem". In fact John who composed that album was half way through it when he realized he had copied Neil Peart's idea from "2112", but thankfully he decided to press on and finish it anyway.This new record is Craig's baby you could say and it's much more personal. "Diablo" was the nickname given to Craig's inner demon.To explain this you'd have to go back to the year 2000 when Craig took a job in San Jose far from his Chicago home and he thought this would help with his clinical depression but the opposite happened.That year was Craig's low point but thanks to friends, therapy and anti- depressants he has been a lot better ever since. So yes this album is a dark journey into the mind of a clinically depressed person and every track and almost every note seems to signify something from that year. Check out the album cover too in regards to this.This is an all-instrumental release like the debut, and many of these tracks blend into one another creating the feel of one long suite. I'd like to thank Craig and John who have offered up some great information on the ProgEars site.

"Mirage" depicts Craig's false sense of well being in his new surroundings after his move. Drums, guitar and pulsating organ to start and then it settles with violin and viola before 2 minutes. It picks up a minute later. Nice. Chunky bass before 4 minutes with strings, drums then organ. "Comedown Seduction" is more bombastic with guitar and drums. Love when the mellotron rolls in. "Imbroglio I" is kind of eerie with violins and drums while in the background you can hear slicing violins. "Celexa" is actually an anti-depressant medication. Slicing violins and mellotron sound amazing to start. It settles then suddenly brightens giving us that superficial happiness that comes with taking this drug. "Deceptive Cadence" settles with strings and some acoustic guitar later. A tough melancholic listen to be honest. "Crash" is mellow to start with some incredible sounding mellotron then it crashes in hard. Nice guitar here and mellotron as chunky bass and pounding drums help out. Organ follows. Great section.

"Imbroglio II" settles and it's eerie and melancholic. Some cool sounding mellotron here. Fat bass lines late as it becomes more powerful. "Arzames Revisited" is brighter with guitar, organ and drums standing out. "Breathe" features acoustic guitar then keyboards. It kicks in late and blends into "No Jesus" where we get a great sound with mellotron, guitar and drums. It settles some before 1 1/2 minutes with organ, drums and guitar leading. "Imbroglio III" has a lot of dissonant strings. "225 Piece Jigsaw" has a dark atmosphere to start. Intricate sounds take over. Cool tune. "Old Tapes" is powerful and heavy. Mellotron after a minute and 2 1/2 minutes in when it settles. It kicks in before 4 1/2 minutes then settles again a minute later to end it. "Mirage Imminent" starts out with drums, guitar and bass. Synths replace the guitar. A calm with synths 2 minutes in. Then it picks up again.

Another complex and incredible work from the band, and while I still like the debut more at this point, this album is something i'm going to enjoy for years to come.

This is an interesting musical project from the USA featuring keyboard player Graig Beebe and guitarist John Galbraith as the beating heart of the band. In 2001 Maxwell's Demon released their debut album entitled Prometheus, then we had to wait eight years for the successor named Diablo (2010). This second album features Graig and John, along a rhythm-section and as guest musicians a classical guitarplayer and a string quartet. On the band their website I read about the impressive vintage gear, from the Hammond organ with Leslie speaker, Minimoog - , Prophet V - and Oberheim synthesizers to a Rickenbacker bass, Gibson ' and Fender guitars and Moog Taurus bass pedals, wow, mouthwatering!

Now about the music, that sounds as a blend of many styles, with a lot of variation and an adventurous mind. The one moment it's 24-carat symphonic rock like Swedish Anglagard (compelling with Hammond, Moog and Mellotron a fat Moog Taurus bass pedal sound and some classical guitar) or fiery and propulsive like Red-era King Crimson (growling bass and soaring Mellotron choirs). The other moment the sound is more experimental like Larks' Tongues In Aspic- era King Crimson featuring captivating interplay between violins and percussion, avant-garde overtones and chamber music with a genuine string quartet (duelling with the Mellotron choirs and violins, not average prog, to say the least). The hints to legendary Classic Prog bands are obvious, but Maxwell's Demon have succeeded to blend these elements with strong own musical ideas, embellished with an awesome vintage keyboard sound.

My rating: 3,5 star.