JESKYNE (CAVES)

Funny thing is that their Czech fans are mostly those who loves Punk Rock. I first heard about this album when I was on UJD's gig this autumn (in Pilsen, I was so keen about them that I simply wanted to have a photo with them - and so I did, after bothering band few minutes - they didn't seem bothered at all actually, but I'm just fan, they are artists). It was basically my first experience with them and also my first Prog gig. I have nice poster from this performance, but more important is that I realized few important facts about this music.

Firstly, it is some kind of Czech tradition that a lot of good, progressive (original / interesting) bands comes from Punk roots. This, KNS (that aren't here on PA yet, but I expect them to be) and few others. Secondly, there is usually insanely weird element.

Song names like Valounek (Little Boulder), Stropy (Ceilings) or Puklinka (ahem, "Little Crack", probably in forementioned ceiling). Because this is concept album, there has to be some kind of topic. This topic is Cave, Speleology, exploring the depths of caves, dark tunnels. It's actually quite funny in very surrealistic and crazy way. That's exactly what I like. Of course, your experience (as I suppose this review will be mostly read by English-speaking readers) won't be as good as mine, but don't worry. It's not exactly Frank Zappaesque kind of weirdness, but more unique one, poetic, melancholic, yet funny one. Hard to describe though.

Hard riffs, Ska element in ever-present (and some kind of tradermark) trumpet and as most of their songs/albums, not so noisy (as gigs tends to be).

Wild experience, but exactly what I expecting from U? jsme doma, literally "We're Home Now" (or "We're Home Already"), one of the Czech finest modern bands.

If you're OK with use of trumpet in Prog, you should be fine. And maybe it's just me, but some parts reminds me another Czech Avant groups, "Psí vojáci" (except they aren't that Hard, but not less weird).

5(-), it's maybe too early to give more. But it's possibility, as I don't hear any mistakes. Nothing at all. Only good Avant-Garde wild Punk dipped ride through insane minds of Miroslav Wanek, other band members (who are equally important) with help of talented surrealist artist Martin Velí?ek.

And one more thing - when using these words like "insane" or "weird", I mean it positively, not in a bad way.