LUFF

Not to be confused with the Franco-Swiss group of the same name that develops some symphonic rock, Metamorphosis is a Czech quartet that draws on a usual avant/chamber prog that has roots in Univers Zero, Karda Estra, Julverne etc.... but they don't hesitate to go vocal or electric when needed or even go Post-Rock when they feel like it. Four years after DIP, Luff presents some slightly-altered soundscapes (not only post-rock, but Deutsch is almost equal writer to Alacam) and a different celllist Rothaler being replaced Jan Kavan.

Grosso modo, the group's overall sound hasn't changed much and if you liked the previous DIP, you shouldn't have a problem with this chamber-prog, even if there are more tracks with vocals on it. After a typical instrumental track that would've fit on DIP, Sayonara , despite it's Japanese name is sung in Turkish (I believe) and has a sizzling electric guitar solo over a haunting cello line. A bit further down the CD, Piknik is much the same, but here the violin and cello give a bit of a post-rock atmosphere over guitar arpeggios and Turkish texts, before the cello speeds things up halfway through, only for the following Balkon to reprise the post-rock thing just after. Excellent stuff, BTW! The following Expedition is the only track sung in English (most likely by Richard Deutsch) and it's quite a departure from the album's overall atmosphere, loud, discordant, a bit aggressive (ala Hammill) and sticks out a bit at first. A bit further down the disc, Fading is an interesting slow track and Bir Arada is a short sung track, preparing us for the final, the enthralling Osvradjinn and a slightly dissonant Cinematics.

Definitely not as essential to their previous DIP, Luff has nonetheless many good and excellent moments, but it lacks DIP's cohesiveness