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Crippled Black Phoenix - I, Vigilante CD (album) cover

I, VIGILANTE

Crippled Black Phoenix

 

Psychedelic/Space Rock

3.59 | 136 ratings

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DeKay
4 stars This is the third album of CBP and their best effort so far. After two really good albums, it seems that the band have found their own identity, musically and lyrically. "I, Vigilante" is more like an EP (though it's more than 48 minutes long) before their forthcoming release. According to the band's website, there are are plans for a more comprehensive full-length album to be completed by the end of 2010.

Leaving behind the post-rock approach, CBP manage to sound more mature and still a lot like a 70's band, at least on the compositional and orchestrational level. There are no striking Pink Floyd influences here, and all songs serve as the vehicle of bringing the band's social and anti-war (but still very introvert) lyrics to the listener.

1. "Troublemaker" is about Guy Fawkes, the 5th of November 1605 and The Gunpowder Treason. The songs starts in a doomy and melodic spirit, builds slowly and speeds up after the five first minutes in a style reminiscent of heavy prog 70's bands before a magnificent slide guitar solo and a slow ending.

2. "We Forgotten Who We Are" continues in a more melancholic mood. The piano intro is followed by a cathcy vocal line (some alternative influences here) and once again the things get heavier and more progressive and there is another great guitar solo in the end.

3. "Fantastic Justice" is a rthymical mid-tempo song with simple lines and melodies and really interesting (and kind of peculiar) lyrics, so personal that they are hardly understandable, and yet seem like a dreamy confession.

4. "Bastonge Blues" is an anti-war song about the battle in Bastonge (Belgium) on December 1944. Typical of CBP, this one progresses slowly and its second half (instrumental) sounds like a soundtrack for the courage of the 101st Airborne Division (the lyrics before that were from their perspective as well).

5. "Of A Lifetime" is a cover of Journey's debut (1975) opener. The female vocals give a different aspect to this all-time favourite. The truth is that CBP respect the original version more than I expected. Even the guitar solo is basically the same as Neal Schon's, only a bit simpler.

6. The album closes with another cover, this time "Burning Bridges" originally of Mike Curb Congregation, which was used in the war film "Kelly's Heroes". This is the weak point in "I. Vigilante". The song has nothing to do with the rest of the album, being much softer and happier. I got really confused the first time I listened to the album.

Highly recommended to all fans of atmospheric slow/mid-tempo prog and post-rock.

DeKay | 4/5 |

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