AFTER THE EXHIBITION

Brilliant

If you had asked me a year ago about Jazz Rock Fusion, would had answered that I liked a few artists like JEAN-LUC PONTY, BRAND X and RETURN TO FOREVER, but that my passion was in Prog Rock and not in this complex and messy genre??Since then, my good friend Leonardo Pavkovic from Moonjune Records, started to send me some albums each one or two months. At the beginning I didn't cared too much, but after listening bands like TOHPATI ETHNOMISSION, SIMAK DIALOG, SLIVOVITZ and others, I started to wait for the next set of records and having cravings when I didn't received them?Damn Leonardo, I got addicted and now I don't only spend my hard earned money in Prog CD's but find myself searching for music from all this great bands in the jazz section of the stores and catalogues.

Well back to the issue, I just received a new set of CD's (Thanks Leonardo) and really enjoyed them, but THE WRONG OBJECT was something really special, their latest release After the Exhibition is a different kind of beast, and I called it beast because the music has it's own life, it's fierce, loud and aggressive, threatening the listener with a risky and elaborate fusion of sounds, styles, moods and genres, that go from UNIVERSE ZERO (Thanks to virtuoso keyboardist Antoine Guenet) to FRANK ZAPPA with a touch of KING CRIMSON, Canterbury Scene and Classical references.

The music is not subtle at all, the guys from THE WRONG OBJECT don't hide anything, the transition from one style to another is radical and without any warning, there's nowhere to hide or time to breathe, they keep bombing us with a tempest of sounds and melodies that maintain the listener at the edge of the seat and which I enjoyed from start to end.

I usually write something about my favourite tracks, but in this case it's hard to find a song that overshadows the rest of the album, being that each and every musical piece are outstanding, but the ones that impressed me more are the breathtaking Dexto Gruel with constant changes and bombastic arrangements.

Of course the contrast between the soft, clean piano and Michel Delville's frenetic guitar, all blended with some sort of Middle East influence in Spanish Fly also captured me. But that's not all, the Jungle Cow trilogy is also brilliant, with special emphasis in the trippy part two, where the dense atmospheres are simply delightful.

Now, if I had to choose one song alone, I would go with the marvelous Glass Cubes that has everything I love, starting with the beautiful melodies, the elaborate arrangements, solid vocals and accurate rhythm section in the hands of Pierre Mottet and that human metronome named Laurent Delchambre in the percussion.

But I won't keep choosing songs , because there's not a single weak moment in the album and every track has something to be mentioned (for example the important role of Marti Melia in the sax), but doing it would take me hours and several pages.

So will end this review rating After the Exhibition with 5 solid stars, being that anything less would be unfair for such a marvelous work.

It has been five years since the last album from The Wrong Object, during which time they have morphed from a quintet to a sextet, and have also taken the opportunity to take fusion to a whole new level, as they bring together traditional jazz elements with rock and electronic experimentation which normally doesn't dare show itself within this genre. The result is a progressive jazz hybrid that is going to excite many, while shocking those who feel that they knew exactly what to expect from the genre. Some of the music seems highly structured and layered, while other areas appear to be much more improvised, but often bringing in and melding musical elements which normally would not be seen dead in the same room together.

The new line-up Antoine Guenet (who is also the leader of SH.TG.N, as well being a new recruit to Univers Zero) with two sax players, Marti Melia and Francois Lourtie, which allows the band to provide harmony and complexity. Added to that is new bassist Pierre Mottet who has locked in with drummer Laurent Delchambre, while Michel Delville (guitar and electronics) is able to fully explore all musical avenues as he has with him a cadre of musicians who will follow wherever he dares to lead.

This is progressive jazz fusion for a new era, and has an edge that is missing from that of the Seventies bands, and is all better and dynamic for it. This is music that takes you on a journey, but it may just be a harder and rougher one that you may have initially imagined but will be all the wiser for getting to the other side. Yet another classic from Leo's stable, this is essential.

Belgian band THE WRONG OBJECT was formed in 2002 by Michel Delville. Since then half a dozen albums have been released by the band, the majority of them either live albums or productions recorded live in the studio, most of them featuring notable guest musicians. Their most recent album, "After the Exhibition" is a regular studio album, however, and a pure band effort at that. This CD was released in 2013 through the US label Moonjune Records.

The Wrong Object's latest studio effort "After the Exhibition" is a production that should appeal to a dedicated niche audience within the progressive rock universe: Those with a firm interest in demanding, challenging material in general, and those amongst them with an affection for jazz and jazz rock most of all. I suspect that the greater majority of the latter crowd will find this album to be a highly rewarding experience.

To be honest, by the start of the last calendar year ('13), after a four to six year silence, I thought that TWO was a dead thing. It sure seems like the project certainly went through a delicate phase, since there remains only two members from the line-up that had recorded the awesome Stories From The Shed. Indeed only leader Delville and drummer Delchambre remain, the main change being the addition of Antoine Guenet (ex-PaNoPTiCoN and presently also in the new Univers Zero line-up). Actually, if memory serves, most of the newcomers come of PaNoPTiCoN, which never had a fixed line-up anyway, due to the concept of the project. Elsewhere Pollard gave way to Mottet on bass, and Melia and Lourtie are now blowing the horns, and the always excellent vibraphonist Benoit Moerlen appears as a guest on no less than four tracks. So, something did happen, and TWO's rebirth six years after is a sweet gift, courtesy of the great Moonjune label.

Despite the heavy line-up changes, you'll have no problems recognizing instantly TWO, but I would not call ATE just another Wrong Object album. This is probably the band's most "prog-rock" album, despite retaining its heavy JR/F and Zappa atmospheres. The heavy Detox Gruel is a mix of riffs and gypsy jazz music. The three-parts and almost 17-mins Jungle Cow is the centrepiece of the album, but hardly the most accessible, as the first two movements are often bordering on dissonance, but it remains reasonable, and the third really delivers the good with some cool dramatics. The following Glass Cubes features female vocals, and though it brings a breath of fresh air, though the start has a "déjà-entendu", but the second part sounds like a cross of Gong meets Kate Bush.

A fine return to affairs from a group most of us thought dead (or at least dormant), although it doesn't reach the perfection of Stories From The Shed. While ATE might not be the most representative of their usual soundscapes (given the important line-up changes), it's still very much a worthy TWO album, and ranks in my top 5 album of 2013, among with Maalouf's Illusions and Setna's Guérison. Definitely worth investigating.

Well this is my first taste of THE WRONG OBJECT a Belgian band who play an adventerous style of Jazz/ Fusion. Apparently their live shows often include Zappa covers as they are big fans. I was surprised to see Benoit Moerlen(GONG, GONGZILLA) guesting on no less than 6 tracks on marimba and vibes. Also it was cool to hear UNIVERS ZERO's latest keyboardist Antoine Guenet on here.

"Detox Gruel" is an uptempo horn driven track and I love the dissonant horns a minute in as the song settles back. Check out the guitar 2 1/2 minutes in. Back to the original soundscape before 4 minutes. What a song! "Spanish Fly" opens with piano then this catchy horn melody with vibes comes and goes. Not a fan of that as I much prefer the interlude with horns. Some angular guitar after 3 minutes and growly sounds. Back to the horn melody from earlier. "Yantra" features a variety of horns and sounds. Alto sax after 2 minutes and I really enjoy the sound before 3 1/2 minutes with the bass and keyboards. Another change before 5 minutes as we get some crazy stuff happening. The guitar, bass and vibes are all so good.

"Frank Nuts" has such a great sound to it a minute in with the organ, horns and rhythm section. Heavy stuff. Next up is one of the highlights of this album, a three part suite beginning with "Jungle Cow Part I". Percussion sounds and a jungle-like atmosphere which becomes fairly chaotic with a lot of crazy sounds. Not music really as this is very experimental. Some interesting guitar late as it blends into "Jungle Cow Part II". After 1 1/2 minutes we get horns, piano, bass and more. The guitar starts to solo and this sounds amazing. "Jungle Cow Part III" is catchy and powerful to start until we get some relief before 1 1/2 minutes as it settles right down with picked guitar, soothing horns and more. Beautiful stuff. Dissonant horns change that(haha) after 4 minutes.

"Glass Cubes" is different from the rest as we get guest female vocals and piano leading the way. A melodic track that picks up after 6 minutes as we get dual vocals. Lots of horns and active drumming as the intensity increases. Great track! "Wrong But Not False" is a jazzy tune with the clarinet leading then the piano followed by the guitar, sax then back to the original soundscape. "Flashlight Into The Black Hole" is a horn driven tune which has a great driving sound to it after 1 1/2 minutes with sax playing over top. "Stammtisch" reminds me a lot of Zappa with the vibes and horns. Check out the guitar before 4 minutes followed by some horn-led insanity.

A solid 4 stars for this one.