WHISPER CAMPAIGN

So it all started by accident in some way - no, this is not a complicated story to relate. Simply put ... thanks for waking me up, Nathan ... otherwise I would have missed this excellent album most likely! AMERICAN HOLLOW are a band from Kentucky with some years of experience in the back - it is said their energetic live sets have gained attention a lot over the course of time. Now in 2010 they released this debut 'Whisper Campaign'. Which means, the band nearly took all the time in the world in order to offer something reliable ... and hard to pigeonhole in terms of music categories.

The album holds a blend of heavy art rock and prog metal ingredients, here and there extended with psych/space and alternative leanings. Well, this is very trendy, when you are considering this bunch of successful bands at present, like Tool, Karnivool, Portal, Cog to name a few. And in fact, you'll find many catchy melodies, heavy riffing and sharp guitars as well as mellow charming parts constantly alternating. A menu which is not surprising as such superficially ... anyhow, to make it short, this album is so unique though that I liked it from the very first.

For example ... I can't remember that one of this aforementioned bands ever has added such a thrilling song like Operator to their repertory. I find this psychedelic opening fascinating, decorated with melancholic piano and Jimmy Holman's irresistible vocals - short, but surely a highlight. Don't know if this has a deeper sense, song titles are often related to physics respectively mathematics somehow. Comprising slicing guitars and a powerful rhythm branch some songs are getting closer to Karnivool ... and this is meant as a compliment, to make it clear. Variable shows lovely piano snippets - please play this louuud!

The opener Terronoia is a spellbinding affair, underlaid with marching drums where Prizards eventually sums all the band's qualities up at once with sense of melody, variety - another highlight if you ask me. Gravitiy and Illumineye represent a special song couple, due to some spacey flavour they've added here somewhere in between ... the heavier moments though remind me of Sieges Even. Finally the closing song gathers some elements from the opener including voice samples and wraps 'Whisper Campaign' up.

An album which is worth investigating, I like such an ambitious mix of power and sensitivity. And maybe you can take this whole thing for one suite really due to the fact that the songs are fading into each other. Regarding one or two tracks some holy watchers of pure prog probably will throw a veto in - nah, it doesn't matter. Guitars and vocals are definitely dominating here ... Nathan Gilbert's restrained keyboard/synth adds are well placed nevertheless - worthwile so much the more. Well, did I already mention it before? ... thanks for waking me up!