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Daal - Dodecahedron CD (album) cover

DODECAHEDRON

Daal

 

Eclectic Prog

4.03 | 299 ratings

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Mellotron Storm
Prog Reviewer
4 stars DAAL are back once again with their fourth album in four years. The dynamic duo of Costa and Guidoni offer an array of keyboards and percussion respectively as guests help to fill out the sound. Once again we get Papotto from BANCO on wind instruments, while Salati (THE WATCH) plays guitars. Trabucco (HOSTSONATEN) adds cello and violin while other guests play classical guitar, flute, bass, harp and bouzouki. This is an instrumental concept album divided into twelve chapters. Each track is based on a Gothic short story that has insprired the music. So yes the music here is much darker than what we've heard in the past from DAAL and I for one welcome this change.

"Dodecahedron I" opens in a very spooky manner then the sax comes in as the atmosphere continues. It turns fuller just before 1 1/2 minutes as drums and mellotron storm in. How good is this ! Very ANEKDOTEN-like. A calm 3 minutes in as this haunting guitar takes over with other sounds. Then it kicks back in just before 4 1/2 minutes with that same ANEKDOTEN-like soundscape. Nice. That calm with piano returns just before 6 minutes. The final minute is this spacey but haunting mood as the water drips. "Dodecahedron II" is scary with sounds that echo. It's slowly buiding as other sounds contribute. It kicks in before 2 minutes including mellotron. It's like the melody is going in circles like a merry-go-round. It settles back after 4 minutes to the opening soundscape to end it.

"Dodecahedron III" almost sounds KING CRIMSON-like to start as we get a powerful intro before it settles with piano and strings. Not for long as it kicks back in before 1 1/2 minutes. Back to the calm 4 minutes in as contrasts continue. "Dodecahedron IV" has this melody of piano, drums and strings that goes round and round. "Dodecahedron V" is spooky with sparse sounds until we get some woodwinds. The woodwinds stop as the mellotron comes in. I like this better. Back to the woodwinds 3 minutes in for about a minute when it calms back down to end it. "Dodecahedron VI" is haunting with wind and woodwinds as the sounds of footsteps join in. It turns darker as sounds come and go. The sound starts to pick up after 2 minutes. Great sound a minute later. A haunting calm settles in at 5 minutes then it kicks in with the guitar soaring around 5 1/2 minutes. This lasts until after 7 minutes when the guitar stops and eventually the piano joins the dark atmosphere to end it.

"Dodecahedron VII" sounds cool to start with the mixture of various sounds. This is the shortest track at 3 minutes. "Dodecahedron VIII" is haunting to start with lots of atmosphere. Scary stuff right here. A beat before 1 1/2 minutes joins in. It sounds like an electronic beat. A change 2 1/2 minutes in as chunky bass, drums and a dark atmosphere lead. Excellent stuff. "Dodecahedron IX" has a heavy "Rock" sound with atmosphere and mellotron. A calm with flute before a minute then it kicks back in as contrasts continue. Strings later. Great sounding track.

"Dodecahedron X" opens with the sounds of waves and birds chirping. Music just before a minute as the waves and birds continue. Jazzy sax here in this relaxed soundscape along with piano, drums and bass. Mellow stuff. "Dodecahedron XI" has these different intricate sounds coming and going with a dark atmosphere. Strings follow then horns. "Dodecahedron XII" opens with sparse piano and strings. It builds from there. It settles back 2 minutes in. I like this. Angular guitar before 4 1/2 minutes then a calm with piano and strings. Organ joins in then we get a calm with wind and piano only 6 minutes in. Strings are back 6 1/2 minutes in, flute too.

This is certainly different than their "Destructive Actions Affect Livings" record in that we get more strings, guitar and darkness but both come highly recommended by yours truly.

Mellotron Storm | 4/5 |

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