FROM THE SMALL HOURS OF WEAKNESS

A fusion of crossover with a touch of eclecticism and Greek heritage

I must admit I was not aware of Verbal Delirium before listening to ''From the Small Hours of Weakness'' so this came as a bit of a surprise.

Ploughing through the 50 minutes of the band's second album, I can see the honest effort to express feelings through a multitude of methods and moods. Whether their 'weakness' is expressed via popular patterns, 70's heavy prog, Peter Hammill's and Gentle Giant's quirkiness or majestic piano passages that resemble some of the greatest Greek artists of the previous century (Manos Hatzidakis in particular, although the main composer, Jargon, revealed to me that he had not listened to before composing this album!), here we find ourselves being engrossed in deep, atmospheric, captivating music.

It would be unfair to tag this album as purely crossover prog as there is so much going on here. It is extremely interesting to notice the various 'faces' of Verbal Delirium: alternative and pop mix together in the first half of the opening track, the Muse-influenced Disintegration and the closing Aeons which borrows something from late Anathema; synth-driven dynamic heavy prog appears in the second half of the opening track (2013 Riverside anyone?); a touch of obscure classical music and eclecticism comes in mainly in the instrumental Dance of the Dead (and less in the more melodic Desire) where ELP, Gentle Giant and VDGG all come to mind. What strikes me though (and others, from the reactions of people I have seen so far) is the blending of their Greek heritage into this amalgam. Most listeners aware of the era of Manos Hatzidakis' music will be able to distinguish the passages here that resemble to trademark 70's melodies. The best example of this is Sudden Winter, who some may blatantly call a 'ballad' but surely isn't, and The Losing Game.

The majestic work on the piano surprises me as it shifts from simple melodic tunes to totally obscure experimentations, and this is another high point. Hats off to Verbal Delirium for creating something that really has not been tried and achieved before, something that progressive rock really needs more and more. This must be among the best releases of 2013 for progressive rock.

Ultimate highlight: the nostalgic Sudden Winter, a delirium of senses...

Every year I find myself amazed by the quality of some music that is offered as a free digital download, and although I haven't encountered too many costless stunners yet in 2013 (possibly because I haven't been looking very hard), the second observation from Greek progressive rock act Verbal Delirium certainly amazes. Entitled From The Small Hours of Weakness, the album is a dark, melancholic, and strongly emotional work that explores various styles of progressive rock throughout its duration. Verbal Delirium's latest effort is a stunningly beautiful listen, and every fan of innovative modern prog deserves to check it out!

From The Small Hours of Weakness borrows from both classic and modern styles of prog, particularly the 'quirky' sounds of King Crimson and Van Der Graaf Generator as classic influences, and the strong atmospheres of Porcupine Tree and Riverside as more modern inspiration. I also hear a symphonic touch, especially in the track "Sudden Winter" - I don't think this one would sound out of place on one of Big Big Train's more recent efforts. The avant-garde "Dance of the Dead" brings some of King Crimson's more experimental moments to mind, and the majestic "The Losing Game" has a strong Van Der Graaf Generator vibe, particularly with its use of saxophone.

Each of the tracks on From The Small Hours of Weakness sounds distinct, but the album maintains a cohesive flow throughout, largely due to its melancholic soundscapes and strong melodies. Although Verbal Delirium's music may be too introverted for some listeners, fans (such as myself) of dark and strongly emotional progressive rock will discover a real gem here. One of the finest albums that 2013 has to offer!

Greek band VERBAL DELIRIUM can trace its history back to 1999, then formed by main composer and keyboardist Jargon. Eight years would go by before the band's line-up stabilized however, and it wasn't until 2010 that Verbal Delirium released their debut album. Come 2013 and a slightly revamped version of the band returns with their second album "From the Small Hours of Weakness".

If you enjoy bands that incorporate moods, details and style elements from somewhat unusual sources into a progressive rock context, are generally fond of bands that strive for rather unexpected compositional developments and otherwise make an effort to come across as innovative, Verbal Delirium is a band you might want to investigate. As far as a possible key audience is concerned, I'd hazard a guess that those who have albums by Van Der Graaf Generator and Muse side by side in their collections might be a possible fit.

Although I hadn't heard any music from Verbal Delirium before this, I was aware of one of their members as Nikitas Kissonas was providing guitars at this point, and he of course is also the person behind Methexis who released the excellent album 'The Fall of Bliss' earlier this year. So, I was intrigued to hear this, especially as it has been available free on Bandcamp. Yep, totally free, gratis. Well, it certainly starts slow and during the introduction of the first song I started to wonder what I had let myself in for but all of that was soon blown away as the guys kick in. There are some moments within this album where the music just soars and it is only delicate piano that really holds it all together. It is an album that isn't content to stay within just one area of prog, but moves around and it is more than just the introduction of saxophone that makes one think of VDGG.

There are times when it is experimental, others where it is symphonic, and yet others when it is warm and inviting which certainly makes for an interesting album to follow through the journey. This is something that will appeal to fans of bands as diverse as King Crimson, Gentle Giant, VDGG and even Muse while definitely refusing to conform to anyone's preconceived ideas of what an album should sounds like. Loads of different styles, instrumentals combining with songs and the Sixties and Seventies coming headlong into the current day this is an interesting and intriguing album and at this price how on earth can you resist?