CIVILIAN

Genesis trying out post-grunge may have been an embarrassment, but can you believe Gentle Giant trying out post-punk is actually somewhat decent? No, it's not prog, so if you expect to hear something in the vein of Octopus, you will have a bad time. What's worse though is that the arrangement is extremely sterile for Gentle Giant standards: the former massive array of exotic instruments has been replaced by a standard rock setup with generic 80s guitar and synthesizer. BUT, the actual songs are quite catchy, sometimes even moving, and show a good deal of energy and dedication (even though the band reportedly hated working on them). The bland instrumentation actually enforces the album's concept, centered around the alienation of man in the soulless modern world. I see this concept as semi-autobiographical for the band, almost like a final middle finger salute to the music industry and general public that wouldn't support them in making the music they really wanted to make. I can't really call this a great career end for Gentle Giant, but it is a genuinely poignant picture of a band mourning their imminent demise.