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HEROIC MATERIALS

Cosmograf

Neo-Prog


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Cosmograf Heroic Materials album cover
4.01 | 78 ratings | 5 reviews | 26% 5 stars

Excellent addition to any
prog rock music collection

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Studio Album, released in 2022

Songs / Tracks Listing

1. I Recall (2:58)
2. Heroic Materials (13:13) :
- i) This Beautiful Machine
- ii) I Just Wanted to Fly
- iii) Close the Door
3. Industry (0:40)
4. British Made (5:42)
5. Mary (2:53)
6. Blinkers (1:39)
7. If Things Don't Change (7:12)
8. The Same Stupid Mistake (2:41)
9. Regretful Refrain (6:01)
10. A Better World (2:28)

Total Time 45:27

Line-up / Musicians

- Robin Armstrong / vocals, guitars, keyboards, bass

With:
- Kyle Fenton / drums
- Danny Manners / piano (2)

Releases information

Label: Gravity Dream Music
Format: Vinyl, CD, Digital
September 9, 2022

Thanks to mbzr48 for the addition
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COSMOGRAF Heroic Materials ratings distribution


4.01
(78 ratings)
Essential: a masterpiece of progressive rock music (26%)
26%
Excellent addition to any prog rock music collection (46%)
46%
Good, but non-essential (21%)
21%
Collectors/fans only (4%)
4%
Poor. Only for completionists (3%)
3%

COSMOGRAF Heroic Materials reviews


Showing all collaborators reviews and last reviews preview | Show all reviews/ratings

Collaborators/Experts Reviews

Review by BrufordFreak
COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
3 stars One of the best sounding, most disappointing artists to have graced my ears over the past decade, Robin Armstrong's Big Big Train-like historically-perspicacious songs and fine stable of collaborators have so much potential. Alas! for me this potential has remained obscured, trapped within its own self-immolating planetary core: potential, wholly unrealized, as there are no songs or albums that leave me wanting to come back for more. It's dull and insipid. As much as I look forward to hearing the lush landscapes of sound that Robin and Company create, I always come away unsatisfied--as if the drug has failed to assay my symptoms of discomfort; as if the balm has failed to assuage my itch. Album after album I purchased, then song by song, until I stopped buying and listening to Cosmograf music in the second half of the 2010s due to my fear of disappointment (and due to the dismal memory of all of the Cosmograf music I had deleted from my computer due to my utter boredom). It's not that I dislike Cosmograf music; it's more that I feel that my time is far more important than to be wasted on listening to mundane, unexceptional music--music that later makes me feel as if I've wasted valuable time, time that I wish I could have back. (A feeling that, I fear, increases with one's progression into one's "twilight years" and, thus, ay be unfamiliar to many of you younger folk.) Plus, I think I'm just tired of historical revisitation--of artists thinking that they're doing us all a favor by drawing attention to long "lost" heroes or time. Again: beautiful, lush soundscapes, attempting to express, in perfect seriousness, one man's respect and celebration of heroes (and times) past. Many will like the feeling of being washed in these sonic landscapes. I just happen to be not one of these.

C/three stars; a good contribution to Prog World from competent and sincere artists, but nothing more. Non fa per me.

Review by tszirmay
SPECIAL COLLABORATOR Honorary Collaborator
5 stars RAF Squadron leader Robin Armstrong dons his leather flying cap, adjusts his goggles as well as his yellow silk scarf, takes one last sip of the morning tea and his ride, a spanking new Supermarine Spitfire Mark IIa is obediently waiting for him to fly into the wild blue yonder. Mission: clear the skies of Albion of all Iron and Swastika crossed enemy planes, intent on causing undue suffering on British cities, currently blitzed by Hermann Goering's supposedly invincible Luftwaffe.

Since my very early teens in the 60s, I was educated on WW2, as it was (and still is) the only world conflict whereby the cause was really worth the sacrifice, as Nazi world domination was a de facto reality that defied all of humanity, with consequences still reverberating at present, 80 or so years later. My studies in this period of time still continue unabated to this day. The Battle of Britain was, few historians will counter argue, the turning point of this horrible conflict, as it forced Hitler to fall prey to the gravest mistake any conquering army can make: fighting on two opposite fronts, which eventually and happily, spelt the collapse and the end of the thousand year Reich, barely 12 years later. Young, untrained British boys, together with refugees from conquered Poland and Czechoslovakia, fought heroically and unflinchingly to protect the island nation. Anyway, that is the history, and this is a progressive rock album.

Guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and songwriter Robin Armstrong has had a quite a career with Cosmograf, of which I have a few in my collection. Yet, this latest work, without any doubt or hesitation, is HIS FINEST HOUR! "Heroic Materials" has an alluring cover artwork which harkens back to the history books depicting the magical Spitfire in flight, and though a war machine, it is still regarded today as being a visually impeccable looking aircraft, with elegant lines, Elliptical shaped wings and one of the finest engines ever made The Rolls Royce Merlin (later used on the equally impressive American icon, the P-51 Mustang). This release has ten tracks that constitute a complete suite, with a central theme being the concept and realisation of a mythical defensive weapon that saved the United Kingdom, through hardship, bombing and initial military unpreparedness. The masterpiece also has a recurring melody at the end to bring the narrative to its final, grandiose end in total victory. Frankly, while the Wall had more to do with Roger Waters trying to deal with his father's untimely death on the beaches of Dunkirk, this is musically speaking an equal, if not superior work, that surely will find its fanbase.

As the Spit climbs into the clouds at breathtaking speed, Robin doesn't pull back the throttle, quite the opposite as the opening track is a thunderclap of sound and fury, as today's radio rants about the ongoing energy crisis in the background and "I Recall" recalls the time when the peril was real and life threatening, Robin owns quite the voice, as the elegant piano played by Danny Manners (Big Big Train) and ringing orchestrations merge with the sound of the Merlin's mighty roar. This is just the take-off for the magnificent beauty of the title track, a sweeping epic of the finest vintage that seizes the moment. Everything is crushingly gorgeous, the powerfully emotive voice, the sizzling electric guitar, the intoxicating mood, and the vibrant pulse, here handled by wingman Kyle Fenton. This isn't Pink Floyd, it's rather Red Floyd! Thirteen minutes+ of scintillating music, made even more overwhelming with the high- pitched choir work that defies gravity. A brief moment of respite as the echoed plaintive voice blends in with the searing church organ, Robin shooting off a deadly Blackmore meets Gilmour electric axe volley that surely must have obliterated the Nazi Junkers 88 in its sights. The thrill of survival is airy, breezy, almost as an afterthought, all impulse to stay alive. This is a classic piece that will be in the history books (the story still is, lest we forget). The mellotron infested "British Made" retains the sense of urgency, as the stunning vocals remain poignant, harrowing, and resolute, the shrapnel-inducing e-guitar blasts another cannonade, burning oil smoke emanating from the hapless target, as the crew desperately bail armed only with parachutes. 'Welcome to England, Gerry!' . In between endless sorties, a brief respite to have a thought for a young lady ("Mary") who had only been kissed once or twice, a burgeoning love kidnapped by the brutality of war. Simple, effective, and heartfelt. The orchestrations harken back to a sense of 40s British music. The short companion piece "Blinkers" (flashing pilot lights or blinders, your choice!) adds more pathos and despair. Or is it dealing with fear and having only a stiff upper lip to combat the trembling ache. On the next cinematographic track, the mood becomes decidedly irate and despondent, "If Things don't Change" addresses the futility of it all, dying young, not growing old and wise, happiness nipped in the bud. Robin's magical voice modulates enough to be utterly convincing and rage accordingly, as he hits the high-pitched notes with both accuracy and deliverance. Another sinuous guitar foray sets the sky ablaze with mordacious zeal. On "The Same Stupid Mistake", the acerbic 'blah, blah, blah' effects are perfect, as the folly, the waste, the idiocy finally have their glorious time in the crosshairs, a worthless, forlorn plea that sadly goes unheeded, "do it all again ". Peace.

The main guitar-fueled melody is re-enacted on the appropriately titled "Regretful Refrain ", a long bluesy blitz that sobs, cries, and weeps in agony. An undulating of longing for the calm serenity that we take for granted, comfortably numb with all our creature comforts which we believe we are entitled to, regardless of our morality (or lack thereof) and that indifference and dissatisfaction (take that, Mick and Keith!) that seem to endlessly breed, unabated. The denouement, "A Better World" as promised earlier, does a reprise of that opening and rather ravishing melody, one for the ages, "I still love you,? We will make it new". Crushed

A Tartarean theme, a Gargantuan album, a Ginormous talent. Among the top 2022 albums for sure.

5 valiant tools

Review by A Crimson Mellotron
PROG REVIEWER
4 stars Robin Armstrong's Cosmograf is back with a new concept album titled 'Heroic Materials', a really tight release that is necessarily very moody and with a refined taste for the acoustic as we hear how the unplugged guitars and piano arrangements form the backbone of this album. 'Heroic Materials' tells the story of an elderly ace fighter pilot who looks back upon his life and realizes how much the world has changed, with the album featuring both shorter pieces that serve as interludes or are there to add an episode of the story, and several longer (or rather, regular length) tracks that really depict the compositional force of Robin Armstrong. In this case I would not point to the longer tracks as the ones forming the musical identity of the record as they certainly make more sense in unison with all the shorter bits of music - the entire album works quite well as a concept record and the melancholic mood is carefully embedded into its fabric.

This album does not contain the usual rich layers of sounds, for which Cosmograf might be recognized as well as the heavy, thumping and almost doomy guitar riffs, nor does it offer the extensive use of synths and synth effects, which categorizes many previous releases of Armstrong. 'Heroic Materials' intends to be a rathe stripped down, raw and emotive collection of songs that has a rather striking emotional impact instead of a more technical one. This idea of the album's musical world is perhaps best depicted by the 13-minute title track, one of the central pieces on here - a rather steadily moving piece that is really mellow and with a strong sense of longing. The portrayal of the main character's thoughts, feelings and worldview is brilliant. We also have the lovely 'British Made' as well as 'If Things Don't Change', two of the strongest entries on the album. The entire LP works really well but is ostensibly different from the rest of the catalogue, which does not take away any of its value.

Latest members reviews

4 stars COSMOGRAF known since 2011 with 'When Age' distills a prog rock à la BARCLAY JAMES HARVEST, PINK FLOYD hovering between neo, prog metal and melodic rock of the 70's. This 9th post-pandemic album is supposed to talk about the great works to avoid a dark end and it is Robin at the helm of his home ... (read more)

Report this review (#2844449) | Posted by alainPP | Friday, October 7, 2022 | Review Permanlink

5 stars In a year that has featured some excellent releases already, this is my favourite to date. I have found earlier albums by Cosmograf to be inconsistent; they are brilliant in places, but less impressive in others, despite the high quality of the musicianship. This new album is superlative through ... (read more)

Report this review (#2840163) | Posted by markrp | Thursday, September 15, 2022 | Review Permanlink

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