SPOKE OF SHADOWS

Ghostly cyclists or a storyteller relating shade, who really knows what Spoke of Shadows really means other than another sizzling experimental-prog trinket that I felt compelled to purchase in lieu of raving critiques from my three friends (yeah, Michael, John and Raffaella!) and an already strong affinity for 'sister' band Herd of Instinct. Hey, I love the bass guitar in all its forms, 4, 5, 6, 8 or Stick or Warr, fretless or not, I just adore the lower end basso profundo! Mark Cook, as his name might imply, is a master bass chef and a terrific multi- instrumentalist, also crafting intense chords from his mellotron, guitar and assorted keyboards, and he joins polyrhythmic monster drummer Bill Bachman on an inspirational musical voyage that defies pigeon-holing and easy listening tendencies. Nice mixture of silk and steel, luminosity and obscurity, cadence and cascade, if one was to ever wink at Poseidon! Yes, fans, there is a clear and present King Crimson vibe, that dark, portentous rumble many prog fans adore.

Tracks like the howling opener 'Dominion' waver between gale force riffs, Frippoid bicycle picking, daubs of mellotronic angst and complex percussive calisthenics. There is also a calculated agenda of constant change, from mood alterations and vector corrections to sudden silence and almost jazz piano musings, firmly upheld by the combination fluid bass and shimmering mellotron played here by Gayle Ellett of Djam Karet fame. Other highlights include a flickering flute from guest Bob Fisher and a delicious piano solo from a totally unexpected source (Shannon Wickline of the'gulp' Charlie Daniels Band). By the fourth track 'Harbinger', the sonic gymnastics become overpowering, defining musicians who are from another level altogether, hopping from wild to pastoral on a flick of the wrist.

The spirit of the regretted bass visionary Mick Karn is evident on the sinuous 'Pain Map', an oily roller coaster reverberation that hyperventilates the fawning fan into submission. There is a turbulent dialog between the various bass machinations and the raw guitar exhortations from guest Tony Rohrbough (Byzantine) which then bloom sideways into something the eccentric Penguin Caf' Orchestra would dream up. This is a demanding listen that will provide countless hours of repeated delight, just follow the bass man! This segues very nicely into the pastoral revelry of 'Persona', a tight little ditty that weaves complexly amid flute serenades and a 'Ya see what I mean?' bass, crowned by a Frippoid outburst, all sustain and flicker. The idea is to venture from the velvet and arrive at the sizzle. The same formula is repeated on the delectable 'Splendid Sisters', a filigreed bass repetitiously interweaving with placid mellotron carpet. Just gloriously beautiful.

Things shudder back into the 'Red' zone, with the longer 'Tilting at Windmills', a definitely more PTree like atmosphere, bouncing between lenient and inflexible without any forewarning. Bachman in particular showing percussive skills that are way beyond the norm, very close to the Bruford/Harrison/Minnerman mode. Shadowy, ominous and frightening like some distant twister, the imagery is kaleidoscopic.

A trio of shorter 3 minute pieces complete this intense offering, the solemn 'Accord' first off the blocks is heavily strapped by a humble mellotron that suggests more reflective dedication, while the more physical 'Dichotomy', machine-gun drum aiming at twisted synth loopings and a guitar assault that enjoys to forage amid the foliage . I have listened to this in the morning, mid-afternoon and late at night, each scenario fitting well into the mood generated by the rambunctious sonic onslaught.

This is silly good, at times frighteningly so, not for the faint of heart or the pop fluff aficionado. The next one is on auto-buy, another instrumental masterpiece with heavy concentration on the fetish bass, as tasty if not more so than that Herd of Instinct duo of albums. Wow!

4.5 rib of shades