SENSORS

At last, a live record from one of my favorite contemporary Swedish progressive rock bands. There was no need for decision for me to buy it or not, but sadly the vinyl did not create as huge impact to me in the way their second and third studio albums did. I believe my own expectations were too high due the previous studio albums - There's nothing wrong here with the music, but also nothing really exceptional either. The songs do not differ much from the studio versions, except the title track being extended, and there is not either anything unreleased material among the songs. So the focus is directed to the performance quality, and though it is not poor, I must admit that the loss of delicate studio recordings and many carefully constructed nuances appear lesser here. My appreciation for the achievements mentioned in the previous sentence is not very small, affecting strongly to my own listening experience of this album.

The played songs are from all of their three albums. The track order is different in my vinyl than in the entry here; The set starts with "Happiness", which is a really powerful starter. Here Petronella's vocal approach is slightly more dramatic and powerful than the more fragile version in the studio album. "Your Misery" is softer but dark song about some unpleasant things of the life. "Gasoline" follows, being a dynamic and great composition with powerful tension creations and releases. Sadly it only works in the studio version so well that I believe it's impossible to reach similar perfection in the stage, the 2004 Rockpalast concert film on "Kallocain" CD confirming this observation. The side A is ended by the song for the child of the couple in the band, being very beautiful indeed.

The B-side of the LP spins forth with the mellow and tender "Hypnotique", being quite favored as a feminine anthem among the song repertoire of the group. It has some quite nice Mellotron keys breathing life to the song, being a great tune for a pretty lady singer. I admit personally enjoying the other compositions more, maybe being more personal than this archetype. I consider "Absinth Minded" as another tune for the black realities of the Life-In-Death. The lyrics work on quite abstract levels, the word play on the title inviting to draw conclusions "Blinded by her, the great misfortune". That can happen on many levels, I believe. "Sensor" ends the vinyl, also being a wonderful song, and giving Huxflux a fine and unlost opportunity to really smash the drums in great way.

I would really wish to see this band on stage, for sake of actual experience, as the preservation of the concerts isn't the same thing than being there. Sadly the group has not yet transported to Finland over the sea, but I'll hope that would happen in the future. From this album, I think delivering that magic via this record did not totally work for me. Instead of this live album I would recommend the studio albums "Kallocain" and "Silence of Another Kind". Based on this album I feel, that this band succeeds better in the studio, really creating something unique there. It is possible that my perception is though wrong, based on this LP, a four song concert DVD along with early radio broadcast concert. It is also shade by enthusiasm on studio works which I realize are hard to be exceeded on stage with new tricks, and pure replication of them seems unworthy. Maybe I grow to understand the dual characteristics of this group later more better, and find balance on my neurosis of comparisons with live concerts and studio recordings.