SIX ORGANS OF ADMITTANCE

On this album Ben Chasny has a league of helpers with him, and the end result is another fine contemplative psychedelic album.

Amplified but undistorted guitar, bass and drums start it with a joyful and calm "wolf" theme, which is reprised later, resembling "Peace"-shorites from King Crimson "In The Wake of Poseidon" album by the sound and style of distributing through the record. "Bless Your Blood" continues the peaceful flow of music with slightly similar qualities as Popol Vuh's music contains. Narrative vocals visit the scene, which later gains some height with echo treatments and tender increase of pressure, giving associations of Jade Warrior's music. In the song "Black Wall" acoustic guitar drives the tune, which is accompanied by electric guitar and singing. The melody has a hypnotic garage rock style little similar of 13th Floor Elevators music. Then rhythmic guitar drives "The Desert is A Circle" song, which has also electric guitar solo melody lines, accompanied with some effects, synths and voices. The melody sounds quite European, and the song has a folk-rock feeling in it. In "Attar" drums roll the rhythm to the hypnotic mantra for acoustic guitar with stinging acid rock guitar solo.

Then, the main track for me here is the nearly twenty-four minute's long epic song "River of Transfiguration". It starts without hurry with long distant mystical sounds and a hovering mechanical humming, where the band starts to carefully contribute. This track defines to me that this project of Ben is a trademark promise of very talented quiet ambiences, where much is not happening, but which are still interesting and pleasant to listen. The chanting vocal melody theme creates very dramatic tension to the song, which shimmers like an indescribable holy statue of a god. The distorted guitar wall and restlessness of the drummer escalates in behind, creating a long wave which is the dramatic highlight and essence of this minimalistic song, returning finally to the stagnant presence of both radiant echoed sounds and archaic human chanting voices, ending an album which is recommended warmly for fans of spiritual and mystical music.

This album was an interesting experience, meditative, sincere and all music created by just one man, Ben Chasny. The first song "Redefinition of Being" builds mainly from an oriental sounding mantra for acoustic guitar, tablas and a voice. There is a very long, hypnotic approach used here, lyrics entering later, and then as the rhythm dies, another motive is studied with rhythm and ideas rolling as calm waves, until the main theme is reprised. The song ends to a minimal, quiet and abstract sound wall. Second "Creation Aspect Fire (reprise)" continues this style line, with repetition of simple elements and building tension slowly, leading to another interesting foggy aural empty space, where chimes quietly play in the wind of archaic echoes of the past. This is very, very beautiful. Later the acoustic guitar returns with some subtle percussions and chanting. Last "Creation Aspect Earth" starts with quiet layer of bells and distant sounds, leading to the most aggressive sequence of the record with some electric guitar, wild playing of acoustic guitar and wailing. This was not maybe the best part of the record for me, but I enjoyed much the other parts of this impulsive, pleasant and sincere recording, created with minimal equipment proving you don't need masses of studio equipment for a long, pleasant musical release. If simple, meditative and acoustic music with long ambiences sounds appealing, check this fine record out.