CLOSER TO DOOM

BIGELF are a group of four guys from Los Angeles. In 1997 they released a 6 track CD on the new label Third Hole Records in USA. Pretty soon they were picked up by the Swedish label Record Heaven where they released "Closer to Doom" with 4 bonus tracks. The music is built up by heavy Toni Iommi riffs, KING CRIMSON Mellotron, a domestic Jon Lord Hammond B3 and melodies that could have been arranged by Lennon/McCartney. The 6 tracks that were on the Third Hole release are of course the best tracks on this album, but the 4 bonus tracks makes this release even more worth it's price. The first bonus track are "Theme One (from "An Instrumental Thing")", and as you can see on the title, it's instrumental. The second bonus track is "I, The Jury". It's previously released as a single in 1994, and in my opinion it should have been included on the Third Hole Release, as it's almost as good as my favorite track "In the Void". The third bonus track is "Fight", a demo from 1992. It reminds a bit of the title track "Closer to Doom". The last bonus track is "Baron Saturday", and it's recorded live at the Viper Room in February 1996. This is a very good song with a super cool riff that ends the album. "Closer To Doom" are one of my favorite albums from 1997. Buy and enjoy!

As my good colleague Greger mentions, this is one of the better proggroups in recent years....and their Beatles,Crimson & otherwise seventies inspiration is apparent. I have to say that is by far...SO MUCH seventies without being from the seventies than you´ll ever hear!! They hail from US but the records are released from the Swedish record company:Record heaven. By the looks of these guys they ARE from the seventies..and the music is a wonderfull mix of Beatles vocals style and Crimson type music..with a little sting of their own..put in some fuzz guitar and other lovely gizmo´s..there you have it!!!Listening to this wonderfull record ...i feel like im back in the seventies (now for you..the younger readers this doesnt apply!) Its all here... the heavy guitars..the mellotron...the harsh vocals..the beautiful vocals the chords a la seventies..the arrangements....whoooaaaaa!!! As this is the 10 track version..id like to mention the wonderfull cover version of Pretty things´s : "Baron Saturday" from their (Pretty things)fantastic album... "S.F. Sorrow"..which by the way is a must have!!! Now back to BIG ELF.....if you (like me)love seventies prog/psych this is an absolute MUST OWN!!! There´s no waiting....go get it...NOW!!!!!

It sounds "dirty" and groovy, and it sounds so 70's. Consentrated around the B3 organ it give us memories of the happy days some 35 years ago. Together with heavy guitar riffs it sets you back in time to remember how things was made in those days. Arrangements could very well be done by the Beatles! But the inspiration must have come from Black Sabbath and Deep Purple as well as KING CRIMSON. The track's are short but still they manage to ensure the variasion in the songs. A great retro album you would not believed was made in 98. Try yourself and enter the unreal world of Big Elf. Recomended, as an excellent addition to your collection.

This is a good record, but there something about a band with vocals that sound like THE BEATLES fronting a band that sounds like a BLACK SABBATH / DEEP PURPLE hybrid that just doesn't work for me.

Some tracks like "Crazy", "Closer To Doom" and "Theme One" do sound great though. On the first song "Change", the vocalist sounds just like LENNY KRAVITZ, I swear if I didn't know it was BIGELF I would say I was listening to a LENNY KRAVITZ record ! On the plus side, I love the Hammond organ, mellotron and guitar riffs. I can see why this band would be a favourite of a lot of people, they have a hard edged sound with good vocals.

It just doesn't do much for me.

Oh boy, this is weird. And nice at once. And melody, it's one of the strongest I've ever heard in prog. Maybe over empathized. Really nice thing is that is sounds this way since second second (not first one, of course, there is calm 1st one), everything resembles 70s, or at least it sounds like it to me. Mostly synths. So maybe not 70s we're talking about, but more like emulated Seventies. Voice modulator sometimes. First track, Change defines how will the entire album look like, but rather by style. This is really (from what I know from 70s music) depth probe into past times. You can either love it, or condemn this idea. I think that this affects whole rating of this record, because it's not bad, of course. Just different.

3(+) for better first part of album, worse second one (Closer to the Doom for example). Despite being nice, I can't help myself, but feel this is kinda cheesy. I had difficult times writing this review, but also having myself listen to this again. Not that it's not my cup of tea, I though I would hapilly embrace all melodies I'll be able to find and to be honest, these tracks are actually entirely made of them. But it doesn't work, even if it should. Or lack working function just for me. More research needed, this seemed like easy catch, so I threw the bait. Let's see what future will bring. And other albums though.