MOTORPSYCHO & STÅLE STORLØKKEN: THE DEATH DEFYING UNICORN

I believe the sound offered by Motorpsycho this album is unlike anything you may have already appeared on earth, at least that's ever reached my ears. How to sort this epic album? Jazz-fusion? Hard-rock/stoner rock? Psychedelic Rock? Orchestral music? Avant- garde? Or was it all together? I think the ultimate answer is most likely, and even then may not be enough to explain what we hear in The Death Defying Unicorn.

But this is a masterpiece of value indelible.

I believe that a good concept album should be able to give the listener an experience extrasensory regarding its unifying theme, still mis when it comes to a story. And here is what this does. You see, my English is bad, I understand very little of what is sung, but the music here ... makes me feel really watching the journey of the characters, perfectly conveys the feelings, the emotions, the proposal fits the album. You can say that all musical works with a concept of history can it? It's like a soundtrack, but at the same time is much more than that.

Wonderful to know that the orchestra, often relegated to the background in rock albums, emerges here as a kind of "member" of the band, earning the right to appear on the cover. Dude, a jazz orchestra! If you combine two of my favorite genres, then won my heart. The opening, Out of the Woods, opens with a keen clarinet, brass and strings before emerging to create a delightful atmosphere - 100% orchestral. Connects directly to The Hollow Lands, which takes the place of "overture" album - after all, many of the themes presented here will be repeated throughout the album. A great song, with a stunning opening cacophonic and a powerful distorted guitar solo.

Next up is the epic of the album, Through the Veil. Opening with metals through dissonant (I really love the first few seconds of this song), she grows up bass, guitar and drums come conforça, adding more richness to the melody. The vocals, as in almost everything else on the album are quite aligned, split between bassist Bent Sæther and guitarist Hans Magnus Ryan. Best part of the song starts at 5:50, where the orchestra and the band members play a powerful instrumental section, chaotic (interrupted by a brief section in the eighth minute of what I believe is a bassoon), but the music back to its theme principal, and the last few minutes are a strange lull before she end up with an ethereal organ (courtesy of Staale Storløkken, who still plays mellotron and synthesizer brilliantly), which connects to the first of the instrumental interludes, doldrums, which is basically a short passage with the bassoon and other wind instruments and string.

Into The Gyre is another epic song. Opening with the theme of violins that ended The Hollow Lands, emulating a mellotron flute, vocals nicely quiet with a beautiful chorus. Then the music begins to grow with violins before exploding in a bright jazzy section, with sharp guitars and powerful orchestration. The music calms down, with mellotron solo being played again before closing. His last two minutes is a section ambient / ethereal quite relaxing, with the woodwinds almost inaudible. It follows Flotsam, another interlude, which is basically a solo viola (a viola or violin? Believe the sound of a viola is less acute ...)

Oh Proteus - A Prayer opens the second disc, and there's only one word to describe this song: masterful. Vocals dark, darker orchestration, but the central theme is quite bombastic, and the last few minutes are great (I quite like the guitar riff played in the background). Sculls in Limbo is the most unnecessary of interludes, seems just a bit of white noise or other sound annoying. I do not know what it represents in the story, although an orchestral passage had been masi interesting. La Lethe is a beautiful instrumental, orchestral jazz basically, so to speak, with a growing and attenuating a beautiful saxophone solo accompanying the orchestra, connecting to Oh Proteus - The Lament, the last and smallest of interludes, though here there voice - the melody is the same as its sister song, although I'm not complaining.

Follows up on Sharks, and this is a very strange song, though perfectly reflects what I said about the musicality reflect the story. Two-thirds of the music are quite calm, soothing vocals and orchestrations, you really feel at sea with the sailors. Then five minutes the music becomes surprisingly scary, evil organ accompanies the orchestra and the vocals become more dire that. When the music looks like it will explode in your ears it ends. But then begins Mutiny, and get ready! This song is an incredibly energetic, pure hard rock (I swear that the theme of the first half of the instrumental section is equal to that of Changes, of Yes). She never stops, with vocal and instrumental brilhates better. ends in a profound serenity, with the theme of violins and The Hollow Lands Into The Gyre being repeated once more before going pro epic final, Into the Mystic. A long opening section led by violin lasts for more than two minutes before the vocals come in, with the same melody of The Hollow Lands. The music calms down, and after brief vocal lightweight entered a powerful instrumental section guided by the sound of flute mellotron and synthesizers, while the orchestra makes its role. The song then ends with its main theme played again, this time in another key, and BAM! It is the end.

Majestic. Magnificent. Different. Epic. The Death Defying Unicorn is without a doubt one of the best albums of a year so good for rock porgressivo. A genuine piece prog. 5 stars, nothing less.

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