NOC

BULDOZER were among the finest and most original "avant-garde" satiric rock bands in Yugoslavia, who at the same time enjoyed considerable popularity during the New Wave era of the early 1980s. After a weak album "Nevino srce", they "hibernated" activities in 1983 without ever officialy breaking up. Still, it seemed that their "come- back" album "Noc" (En. "The Night") appeared out of nowehere in 1995. However, even on the first listen, it is evident that Boris Bele and company carefully prepared this album and took enough time to produce it in a good way. Except the new bassist Jermesic, all musicians are from the classic BULDOZER period, including the sophisticated solo guitarist Lovsin, whose play reminds sometimes of the early sound heard on their first two albums.

Arrangements are contemporary and fresh even though firmly situated in their traditional "blues rock" style. Addition of female back vocals and brass may seem superfluous in some songs but overall impression is very positive. "Ko ob tebi lezim" includes strange choir introduction a la MAGMA, while a slide guitar envokes their early psychedelic trips. "Vojno lice" ("Military Officer") and "Divlje horde" ("Wild Hordes") are furious, up-tempo rockers with strong rhythm and some eerie keyboard sounds. Suprisingly for old-time fans, there is a genuine ballad called "Usamljeni jahac" ("The Lonesome Rider"), with some "Western-style" slide guitars, nice Lovsin's solo and Cinc's gentle piano. "Denarcke stejem" is a jolly, typical BULDOZER humoresque melody, starting with the theme taken from their top hit "Zene i muskarci" from 1980, maiking it a sort of "hommage" to their prime years. Finally, the title track closes the album in a dark, menacing mood, just like being taken from an imaginary horror movie. The known Little Girl character of their classic "Djevojcice" from the second album "Zabranjeno plakatirati" is re-invited to invoke a scary nightmare atmosphere - "because the night posseses the might" - female chorus singing. Excellent album ending.

Although "Noc" is very song-oriented and many tracks are done in a straight rock or even "pop-rock" production, it stills needs several listens to capture its high quality. Musicianship is perfect, melodies are catchy and production excellent. It may not sound so avant-garde or progressive like their early stuff, but still it is a surprisingly mature artwork. It only had a misfortune to appear after the break-up of Yugoslavia when market and distribution potentials for this kind of cultural products were at the lowest point. Hence, it was largely neglected in all the former YU-republics, out of their native Slovenia. It's a petty :-(