CORPUS

How do they fit so much music into such short pieces? It's discoveries like these that keep me coming back to the archives. It doesn't even sound like just a three piece band. On this album they do have guests including a female scat singer for two songs. They don't play major roles, though.

I just picked up their two releases that are available so far. A new one is overdue out for this year, 2007, as I write this. Out of the 72 titles, by other artists, I've added to my collection so far this year they overshadow everything as far as the most impressive music I've heard this year, and I've heard a lot of great stuff, both new and from the past. They've knocked Djam Karet down from the number one spot for my favorite instrumental prog band.

Crisis kicks off the album in high gear. A dark and sort of gallupy piece. A good track for those who like the heavier side of prog. L'Empale, another heavy one, great spooky Mellotron in it. Things mellow out a bit with Corpus, but not too much, acoustic guitar and yet another dense but short composition. Satanusky is this really intense song reminiscent of early '80's King Crimson. Le Druide is just a brief haunting short synth and vocal piece, then it kicks into Samba Tapping, with Nathalie Renault, again, doing some scat vocals, very cool Jazz Rock/Fusion. Gavotte En Rondeau has a nice old classical sound to it. The mood changes entirely again with Step Flange. I think the vocalist is back on this one, but maybe only sampled or no credit given. Not too heavy, but intense. Reminds me of Bruford. With Freezone, we are back to more scat and a really upbeat song. I'm hearing a Flora Purim influence in the vocalist. Interlude, Enoesque and nicely weird. Corpus II, back to another band piece, and another great one at that. I guess the only way to really write about music is to speak in musical notation. Untitiled 5/8, as much as I'd rather not use band comparisons, sounds like Happy the Man: soundtrack to an intense dream. D Double U, another nice Krimsonic piece! Mr. Twitts, high energy track, nice tablas going on. Mandoly wraps it up and is of course named for the mandoly sounding string opening section.

The intensity and complexity of the pieces are what just blow me away. If you love time changes, Talsima doesn't disappoint. The song compositions are well done. You will get into them sooner or later.

Seriously, I think they have a lot to appeal to many here. Roundup time on the rating here.