METAMORPHOSIS

This Czech quartet crossed the border to record their second stunning album (most likely cheaper) and a very interesting second album of chamber prog, using plenty of violin, cello, but also adding plenty of electric guitars when needed and signing when they see it fit. The quartet is all strings, no keys and percussions of any kind, but it doesn't mean its music is not rhythmic. Leader and main composer Martin Alacam plays ac & el guitars and is the lead singer, , while Richard Deutsch is on electric guitar and the second writer, while Christoph Pajer plays an always nervous violin, the bass realm being handled Chris Rothaler on cello.

The opening 7-mins+ Love & Napalm sees mostly the violin and acoustic guitar developing a classical theme with slights intonations of Klezmer and makes a convincing intro to the album. Under The Sun gets in thick of things as all four members are included, acoustic guitars over cello drones and a manic violin accompany a fist cool singing, before it develops into frantic vocals, the track crescendoing from a quiet Juverne to a loud Crimsonoid-type of music. The following few tracks alternate in speed and power and make for an enjoying and varied listen, especially Sabah, where Alacam's Arabic-sounding scat (I'm assuming it is) or classical music is particularly hypnotizing. The title track is a frenzied affair, but has calmer moments and ends in a similar "Arab scat" and a manic violin passage.. I know I said that there were no percussion of this album, but the only exception is in the hypnotic Stubsnitz, where Alacam's English singing is fitting perfectly this semi-pagan folk music that resembles Tunng. The album closes on an improvised torturing session of the instruments that make the album's ending a rather weird one

If you're into chamber-prog with delicate and intimate ambiances, no doubt this Austrian quartet is in your sphere of interest and this second album (I haven't heard their first) is a sure bet. I personally like it enough to give it a rating close enough to make it an essential album.

— First review of this album —

Not to be confused with the Franco-Swiss group of the same name that develops some symphonic rock, Metamorphosis is a Czech quartet that draws on a usual avant/chamber prog that has roots in Univers Zero, Karda Estra, Julverne etc.... but they don't hesitate to go vocal or electric when needed or even go Post-Rock when they feel like it. Four years after DIP, Luff presents some slightly-altered soundscapes (not only post-rock, but Deutsch is almost equal writer to Alacam) and a different celllist Rothaler being replaced Jan Kavan.

Grosso modo, the group's overall sound hasn't changed much and if you liked the previous DIP, you shouldn't have a problem with this chamber-prog, even if there are more tracks with vocals on it. After a typical instrumental track that would've fit on DIP, Sayonara , despite it's Japanese name is sung in Turkish (I believe) and has a sizzling electric guitar solo over a haunting cello line. A bit further down the CD, Piknik is much the same, but here the violin and cello give a bit of a post-rock atmosphere over guitar arpeggios and Turkish texts, before the cello speeds things up halfway through, only for the following Balkon to reprise the post-rock thing just after. Excellent stuff, BTW! The following Expedition is the only track sung in English (most likely by Richard Deutsch) and it's quite a departure from the album's overall atmosphere, loud, discordant, a bit aggressive (ala Hammill) and sticks out a bit at first. A bit further down the disc, Fading is an interesting slow track and Bir Arada is a short sung track, preparing us for the final, the enthralling Osvradjinn and a slightly dissonant Cinematics.

Definitely not as essential to their previous DIP, Luff has nonetheless many good and excellent moments, but it lacks DIP's cohesiveness