THE LAST PIRATES OF UPSILON

This sophomore Upsilon Acrux album was released only 6 months after their debut, and so it seemed that the band had an infinite amount of material in store or was passing through a dementially creative period... or both. Together, "In The Acrux Of The Upsilon King" and "The Last Pirates Of Upsilon" sum up to almost 190 minutes of energetic experimental prog rock for contemporary times. This "Last Pirates" effor treveals that the band is convincingly persisting on their road toward the focalization of their eclectic ways into the math-rock-meets-RIO-meets-prog-metal-meets-kraut framework: indeed, the sonic deliveries are more expanding and more ambitious than in the already impressive debut release which I have mentioend earlier. "Numbquon" is a most urgent display of schizophrenic rock that comprises more tha nenough power in its short timespan. After the Zappa-driven joyful madness comprised in '45 Seconds' (an intriguing title, mmm...), 'Descension' settles in and states a delicious exercise on progressive chaos. The prologue is just crazy, the horn arrangements are catchy, there is a spectacular drum solo as well as a spacey-sounding bass solo, and also free-jazz moments followed by krautrock-inspired elaborations. Not surprisingly, the coda becomes yet another moment of furious chaos. After this track ends, we shouldn't head for the closest big sofa and rest because 'Swabin' the Deck' is not supposed to give us something calmer. It has an intense beginning, but the resulting creepiness is constrained by the rhythmic architecture that solidly brings a counterpoint to the inscrutable guitar and synth effects. The wicked and/or greyish moods that have been prevailing so far are complemented by the extroverted colorfulness of 'Random Denouncement', a piece that shows the warmer side of Upsilon Acrux. But this is Upsilon Acrux, of course, so the moments of warmth are not supposed to last too long - 'Modulation 4' is clearly focused on the ideology of noise and industrial- oriented krautrock, a defying exercise on cacophony and minimalism that includes a peculiar dynamics provided by guitar riffs and synth effects. 'Evening No Star' starts on a languid note that is closely related to the standard of post-rock's contemplative moods, but eventually an electric storm of dual guitars breaks in and Hell breaks loose all the way toward the brief coda. 'Attention, Applause, Silence' is an agile exhibition of pure math-rock, a precise statement of extroverted fire before the mysterious ambience of 'Dark Rainbow' arrives and installs a landscape of cosmic layers. pretty much like GYBE!-meets-Tortoise. This sequence of gloriously ethereal 11 minutes is followed by the tricky adventures of 'Metal Tweek (Desert Hesh/The Days Of Meth)', which conveniently bring back the band's colorful side. This albums goes on in permanent cycles, and so, the industrial factor returns incarnated in the mechanical atmospheres provided by '2-Pin Connection': this piece alone could be enjoyed as a thesis on the influence of Neu!-style kraut on the tradition of American 80s noise-rock. Sonic Youth anyone? Much of this band's influence is expressed 8at least, that's how I feel it) in the jam entitled 'Tortuga'. Before we forget the level of importance that chaos and free-form had impacted teh writign and arrangement of previous tracks in teh album, 'Nails Wine Dio' provides an electrifying exhibition of extremely demented art-rock: additionally, the cacophonic passages happen to be strangely catchy. This is a good way to end the "The Last Pirates of Upsilon" experience, teh album tha tshows Upsiolon Acrux in the core of its own impulse through the most experimental realms of contemporary prog rock. Excellent, really an excellent album.

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