Progressive Music reviews page 4

Prophecy Prod. Elend : A World In Their Screams (F,2007)***°'

This is the last part of the second trilogy of Elend, which was originally intended as a five-part piece, but investing in a full orchestra each time was a bit too much of a financial sacrifice, so that this third part became also the final project of the group, of course not without giving away a last explosive outburst of its inner sun. Having started as a neo-classical group with screaming vocals and choir and keyboards to replace the orchestra, and also newer contemporary classical music ideas became part of the sonic intensity of the experience, the last three albums were recorded with a real full orchestra.

This newest album is denser and darker than ever before. It forms at first a thick cloud of an orchestral background, forming a coming closer to reality that seems harmless at first, but that slowly surrounds and encloses the listener into a condition where you get so used to its appearance that there is no escape left in the end, and where each involved soul is trapped in its conditions. Only then the orchestral energy unfolds its leading character, comes to a renewed intensity, and forms even its own burning sun of energy, but without showing the humans involved, any of its purpose, it will finally leave all participating humans alone in the dark, with no other future at hand…

The first track starts rather filmicaly, like orchestrated film-music with choir and orchestra and bit of a clarinet solo. Then the intensity builds up to a dense and slowly increasing and threatening tension. The spoken word, introduced in French, from the second track on, sounds emotionless and resigned, and like the product of a fatal reality, with an indifference to its nature. The listener becomes trapped in the growing intensity of the background music which didn’t show much of its significance at first, and which only grew like a stream of energy. The orchestra pulsates a bit to other filmic passages, while the choir also has an underlying dramatic hysteria in it, showing how also the orchestra is inspired by a light of Wagnerian horror. At the time of the 5th track, the trap becomes a reality is made complete. By the 6th track, “I assemble its members”, the expressed energy has finally taken its inevitable position where no-one can do anything about it anymore, so that the music finally is able to unfold itself more completely, like a monster with tentacles. From this point on, the composition becomes also more interesting, more dynamic and multi-faced, while the energy itself gets an almost hysterical intensity. The few electronic sounds on this track make the sounds more contrasting. Also the spoken word with its cold baritone, not involved with the drama, at this stage becomes part of what suddenly seems to have become true reality. After a calmer vocal part, its last part with more electronic touches has much intensity. Actually, it is the 7th track, “Stasis” which is the most composed and classical one, and which is also the most expressive and powerful piece, an intense track with choir voices, spoken word, a rhythmic intensity, and a more baroque composition, which still is like a post-Wagnerian description of a world of horror. On the next track, “Borrée”, the horror sphere becomes for real, with background screams, as a phase of hell, showing a sonic and emotionally intense tragedy of violence. This is followed by a small tragic, sad and filmic orchestral part with humming vocals, before bursting out of its borders to a full explosion of energy. After another calm part the voices hang around the scene, like ghosts, with industrial sounds in the background. The last left over tracks very much leave the impression that these spirits that were involved as witnesses on this stage only can realize how the earth has become hell, and that there’s nothing else left, and that’s where also the music stops.

Audio : "Stasis", "Borée" & with info on http://www.myspace.com/elendofficialpage

& on http://www.myspace.com/elendmusic & on http://musicworldstar.com/...

Info on band : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elend

Label info on band http://www.prophecyproductions.de/...

& on album : http://www.prophecyproductions.de/...

Info on participants : http://www.discogs.com/release/1293061

Homepage : http://www.elend-music.org

Other review : http://www.chroniclesofchaos.com/reviews/...

& remarks on http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/elend/a_world_in_their_screams/

Description on http://www.steinklang-records.at/...

Previous album I have reviewed before, with remarks on their first trilogy on http://www.psychefolk.com/Dark.html

Cuneiform Rec.

Nebelnest : Zepto (F,2006)***°

While recording in the midst of finding and searching for a new guitarist, the well ballanced group sound of the previous release is much more darkened and dense. Like the soundtrack of a spider-like machinery travelling through space, this is progressive rock -with some King Crimson influence- overshadowed by a new centuries pessimism. This dark feeling is over the whole album, even when it is not always with the guitar / bass / drum / keyboards formula. "Fabric of Reality" is a short free experimental track with keyboard / violin plucks and strings. Also on "Do what thou wilt" electric bass and drums are much very free directed, evolving to heavier improvisations, which is challenging, evolving the track into the heavy, sequenced ending of "Station 9". Not the easiest start for progressive rock on the edge of R.I.O., but with some promising turns burning itself into the future.

Audio : "Pillars of Birth"

Homepage : http://www.nebelnest.com

& with audio : http://www.myspace.com/nebelnest

Label info : http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/nebelnest.html

Other reviews : http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=neb-zepto

& http://www.waysidemusic.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=RUNE%20234

& http://www.jazzreview.com/cd/review-18314.html

& http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=23869

& http://www.lasercd.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=RUNE%20234

& http://www.squidco.com/...

& http://www.progarchives.com/Progressive_rock_discography_CD.asp?cd_id=12833

& http://www.maelstrom.nu/...

& http://www.mandai.be/info.php?id_mandai=50227

German review : http://www.ragazzi-music.de/nebelnest06.html

Comet Rec. Various Artists :

Voodoo Crossing, a tribute to Jimi Hendrix (var,2003)***°

Beautiful cover ! The tribute album is made with care, and with love for guitar music. The introduction by Dave Thompson shows integrity and gives an interesting opinion. The booklet explains also the approaches and interests from all participating guitarists. All of these guitarists were clearly influenced by Jimi's renewing "more complete" guitar style, having adapted skills, more than just repeated or imitated themes, or as only interpreted songs or aspects (-interpretation of Hendrix without adaptation is I think impossible, for he had such a developed individual guitar style-), or without just having covered songs or parts of the elements. It is especially the guitar contributions that are really interesting, to hear how they have taken shape, or better, to have embodied in all these different personalities. Strange to say for a tribute album that almost everybody succeeds in a contributive way. Steve Lukather (Toto)'s guitarist is good. But his cover brings also to mind that Hendrix himself would never have accepted just-an-accompanying group, but only accepted a similar energy, dedicated to a controlled, but almost self-establishing inventive creative process. Here the group just fits, with the guitar as the only inventive instrument. Scott Finch almost gives a copy, in voice, arrangements, guitar and energy of "Castles made of sand", with his own interpretation on top ! Robben Holford brings a fine rhythm and blues track, with an over the edge like life energy (,"Message to love"). Larry Coryell's version, different from what I heard from him before, is pretty rhythm and blues as well. Also he adapted bits of aspects, clearly after having listened closely to some deeper inner lying potential in the complex sound of Hendrix guitar. Also Jeff Richmann shows a different aspect, in another rhythm and blues track. Alessio Menconi shows another vivid angle of Hendrix, in a more funky rhythm and blues version of "Manic Depression". I usually am not such a fan of R&B except when the music is really vivid, and these artists did bring such vividness ! Of course there's also the more bluesy part of Hendrix. Arlon Roth gives such a more bluesy (R&B) night club interpretation. Vic Vergeat's guitar and rock group on "If 6 was 9" was in a nice way pretty dirty, but the almost "filthy" dirty voice on top as well is a bit too much for me, while the music is itself is great ! Then we have a couple of even more bluesy tracks, one of my least preferable genres. Joe Colombo acclaims that also his slide guitar technique still has its earlier influence from Hendrix, but to me it sounds like just another blues track. Hiram Bullock, bluesy R&B rock style clearly has clear adapted Hendrix influences, here with a slightly distorted electric guitar with an original, and surprising effect, going solo over the top, accompanied by a more boring but not disturbing repetitive blues bass, and drums. Still another original contribution. Tony Spinner's guitar contributes some more quiet guitar aspect on the brilliant "Up from the skies", with later on some fine improvisation too. His voice in the first part is not as penetrating as Hendrix, but I love his individual angle. Mark Doyle filters the psychedelica-effect and brings the emphasises completely on the nightclub blues part. Also Pat Travers emphasises on a more dirty blues with some guitar "effects" that "a decent guitar player shouldn't perform like that". He brings in fact another aspect too! John Nitzinger brings a black blues night stoned version of "Fire", making it completely different, but again with vivid Hendrix night shift breaks, with some repetitions in the theme with a "no I don't want to stop playing here tonight" feeling. Mike Onesko's guitar for me has the closest Hendrix sound. There's something constantly moving ; a vibrant energy in his play, even when the playing is more quiet. All musicians contributing on this album, with only one track that I can't place yet, showed the spirit of Jimmy Hendrix in all kinds of different aspects. Mike Onesko not only has adapted aspects, but really has this "complete" and fire like foxy guitar style. It's really fine to hear that each contributing artist gave the best of himself. It seems like Jimi Hendrix's soul live on in all these artists ! Last bonus track is an extract of an interview with Jimi Hendrix.

Exceeds my expectations !

My personal favourite albums of Jimmy Hendrix are Electric Ladyland (US,1968)*****, Axis Bold As Love (US,1967)*****, followed by Live at Woodstock (US,1968)****°,

but I didn't hear all the outtake releases yet. Jimmy Hendrix info : http://www.jimihendrix.com

More info on this release : http://www.cometrecords.com/index.html

Known homepages from participating musicians :

Steve Lukather (ex-Toto) :

http://www.beatline.com/lukather/

Robben Ford :

http://www.robbenford.com/ management : dboothman@aol.com

Larry Coryell :

From Coryell I have a fantastic electric guitar record from 1969 called "Coryell", Vanguard Records, that in this association should be of interest too ; later albums were more fusion styled.

Alessio Menconi :

http://www.alessiomenconi.com/ Contact : info@alessiomenconi.com

Vic Vergeat :

http://www.vicvergeat.com/

Hiram Bullock :

http://www.hirambullock.com/

Mark Doyle :

http://www.markdoyle.com/ Contact : mark@markdoyle.com

Pat Travers :

http://www.pattravers.com/ Contact : webmaster@pattravers.com

A very good Hendrix interpreter with their own style is Portal.

Their item is reviewed on next page

Another fine interpreter is Alberto Marsicano (and his Sitar Experience). He's busy on a Hendrix tribute wirth sitar

Review of his latest item : http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/SITARREVIEW.html

Info : Alberto Marsicano

Black Widow

Antonius Rex : Praeternatural (I,rec.1980)**°'

Antonio Bartocetti made, a couple of very dark powerful mystic / occult releases, mostly with the group Jacula, with church organ, bass, percussion, female vocals, and devilish male vocals and violin,... The short lived history and practical changes in life, bad production, didn't produce always the material under the name of Antonius Rex in conditions they would have preferred. Last attempt to reproduce something serious was done in 1980, with this album. As only a duo, Bartocetti & Doris Norton with this project delves into a dark side, seemingly less from achieved powerful occult expression, but some more from a vision and interest in a dark sound with a creative similar content.. The music works very filmically, as a combination of gothic music, movie music (like a more harmonic horror music style), with some prog or hard rock touches, mostly instrumental. It's fine music without going over the edge of the normal or generally acceptable. The result is indeed very acceptable for any listener. I think it's most powerful at moments when the filmic keyboard dominated music is combined with minimal Black Sabbath like guitar effects, like on the title track, "Praeternatural". On

"Capturing Universe" this happens too, but so minimally, it's again more mood creation. On this release the underlying creative force still has its dark tension. Spiritually it is mostly mood creation, in a way that even my girlfriend liked, who is usually not so keen to hear most progressive material I have. I heard this release a couple of times, on different installations and conditions to get a clear view on it. The remaining interests from Antonio surviving, throughout different conditions his life lead to, still is there, expressive through a kind of 'underlying tension', more than from a total overwhelming subhuman mystic nature, which the Jacula's releases and "Anno Demoni" achieved. The track "Invisible Force" has something from the intention of "Devil letter" (a very filmic track from the first album), now in a more instrumental way, and much more keyboards dominated. It's the only track which is somewhat long for its core of ideas to be overwhelming. But in general the result of this album is very successful for dark mood creation. Only the last track, "Vox Populi", I would have preferred not to hear directly after the rest. I can only see it as a kind of bonus track, with the narration of the story of Antonius Rex & Jacula, by Steve Crombell (which can be found in the liner notes of for instance "Neque Semper.." too), with some wind at the background. A track which I even preferred NOT to be there, for musically it's too minimal, and distracts, and breaks down the musical energy, which became already more minimal near the end. I see this album as a fine closer for the Jacula/Antonius Rex history. It's a must for Jacula / Antonius fans, interesting and appealing to dark moody filmmusic lovers, because they first must have checked out the first four most important Jacula / Antonius Rex albums.

Info : http://www.antoniusrex.com/homepage-ab.htm

with page on this release : http://www.antoniusrex.com/praeter-page.htm

Label : http://www.blackwidow.it/

with info on this release : http://www.blackwidow.it/page.php?pg=news#id72

History on Jacula & Antonius Rex :

http://www.italianprog.com/a_antonius.htm

More soundfiles of Jacula / Antonius Rex : http://www.antoniusrex.com/auditorium.htm

Other Italian fan page on Jacula & Antonius Rex (with pictures & reviews) : http://francescofabbri.firenze.net/jacula/

Other biography & interview (around the "Neque Semper .." reissue) : http://gbl.br.inter.net/carlosv/intervantoniurex.htm

Italian biography : http://www.drivemagazine.net/antonius.html

Italian review of first Jacula release : http://utenti.lycos.it/newage_soundtracks/propsi/antrex.htm

Doris Norton page : http://www.futurestyle.org/archives/n/nortonDoris.htm

PS. Bartocetti's son also makes "music", in hard techno style, produced by his father.

My radioshow on Jacula / Antonius Rex is published at http://psychevanhetfolk.homestead.com/files/Jacula.txt

New release :

Pandemonium Rec.Guapo : Great Sage, equal of heaven (UK,2000)***°

I've had this release in my possession already for some years. I still found it a bit a shame it didn't have a review yet on my WebPages. After the release of a cooperative CD with Cerberus Shoal (see review at the "mindexpanding music" review page) I decided I finally had to include one on these pages. Guapo has an interesting sound, having uplifted the style from being just a progressive band (-a progressive rock band with progressive elements, with use of mellotron, moog etc..-), showing no restrictions or limitations and powerful expression. First track "Mountain of the five elements" is like this. Psychedelic, and yet with already more in store, brooding as if a monster must break out any moment. "Blessed Albania" is fine middle eastern rock. Two participators on the album play sax on it, with Caroline Kraabel's contribution with powerful now-or-never-playing. The bass of Matt Thompson is driving ; in some way I'm reminded of Magma's bass drive. "Zero for conduct" has a similar middle eastern heavy rock touch as the former track. The drummer Dave Smith here resumes the themes with his rolling drums very well. "Five Cornered Square" reminds me of a more cloudy version of (some) Ruins (track), with a terrific free jazz mad sax contribution, which makes it original. From the short "Ten Years of Heisei" I can almost say the same, but there's no sax in it. The bass is completely distorted by a deliberately bad recording quality ? Because it's so short I can live with that. "Sakura" with repetitive baritone sax by Caroline, vibrating-from-the-deep-bass drums and percussion, as a whole with impressive effect is like describing a certain tension in mood. But nothing else, beside this tension effect, happens. Still acceptable, but it's watering the wine. "Perfect Blue" starts with a basically similar repetitive rhythm, then goes beyond it, with cello or double bass, percussion, double ? sax by John Edwards and Caroline Kraabel. It evolves in a somewhat abstract way. Last 16 minutes track, "El Topo" is, I think, supposed to bring back Magma into mind. It's a bit of a strange combination of a rhythm, with a slightly rhythmically different repetitive bass, with a filmic melody in the keyboards, and with mad electric guitar touches, together weaving this tension again of the brooding letting-loose-of-the-monster-lying-underneath. Structurally it might not be as brilliant as the top groups in musical history, like Magma, but in intention this comes very close, and they surely learned to adapt some ideas from groups like Magma. In the middle of the song the structure and rhythm changes, and the tension is of a "growing" nature, with spacey keyboards, and some mad electric guitar touches on top of it. It's a successful example of very fine psychedelica. The last part of it is more quiet, moody psych with a repetition of the brooding tension, this time with hysterical high pitched keyboards, some fine complex drumming, bass chords like bells, and freaking out chaotic electric guitars

A promising group, that succeeds in delivering a very enjoyable psych release.

The art pictures on the CD cover and in the booklet reminds me of someone who's possessed by an astral sexual vision of a woman, that can be transformed in what astral visions originally could be created from, expressed by the colourful diamante shaped figure, as a form of essence in light, in a lighter vision, as originating reflections of visions. On the front cover herein the visionary is lead by the anima demonic figure, here as a place of motherly birth and creation, but the opening (where the visionary resides in and leads himself in) attracts other (unborn) creatures too, wanting to participate in the process, in the same way interrupting the dependency in the process, with some awareness of what else can be leading the same kind of visions.

Info : www.guapo.co.uk Contact Guapo : guapo@zed-one-studios.co.uk

Label entry : http://www.pandemoniumrecords.com/uk/cata/xguapo.html

Similar intro page : http://www.mrw44.co.uk/bands/Guapo.htm

& http://www.tumult.net/catalog/guapo.html

Spanish page on Guapo : http://www.ideal.es/indyrock/guapo.htm

Other review : http://maelstrom.nu/ezine/review_iss3_81.php

German review : http://www.babyblaue-seiten.de/index.php...

Splash 2 Records

Happy Hour Band : Happy Now (rec.1999-2000, publ. 2003)**°

Some might still know / remember or might have heard of Yahowa 13, a cult figure band that released a couple of weird psychedelic jam records with "spiritual" & tribal content. I made a separate Webpage about Yahowha 13. The leader died because of an accident, but the group members still remained active and recorded also various tracks over the years. John Wilby got into contact with Djin at around the publication appearance of the interview with Yahowha 13 members at the Perfect Sound Forever Website. He mentioned that he was looking for some way to make available the recordings he had made with Saxon over the years. Round about the same time another artist had mentioned that they had some unreleased recordings and wished they could somehow find someone to release them. Seeing this as too much of a coincidence to ignore he decided to form a label to release both artists' work. The label is called Splash 2 Records in tribute to the 13th Floor Elevators who wrote a song called Splash 1. 'Happy Now' is the first release. This consists of rehearsal recordings that were made with Djin and Sky plus local musicians from the Mount Shasta area of Northern California where they both now live. The title comes from the question 'Can We Be Happy Now?' that Djin can be heard to ask at the start of the long track 'In The Cradle Of Love/Freeway.' The Happy Hour Band is just a name that Djin made up when he asked him what the name of the band was.

The style is really not so very different from what Djin and Sky Saxon did with Yahowa 13. The recording is not perfect, but the tiny distortion fits perfectly with the bluesy psych effect of the music.

In general the musicians improvised on repetitive patterns, where with Yahowa they tried to do it with a Kundalini or yogi-energy that was over a sort of orgastic top. This happens two times on the album. On the first track and really completely over the edge at the last track. In between are a couple of somewhat song based improvisations that are moody, but didn't get into that overdrive which in earlier recordings was caused by a spiritual drive mostly.

The first track in, is a bluesy folk psych improvisation. Further on in this track the improvisation goes over the top, and rhythms & guitar become very psychedelic. With Sky Saxon on vocals. "Venus we come" is a fine psych song too. "City Pity" is a somewhat tempered and stoned improvisation. The first part is fine to listen too, but not essential ; the track gets hardly beyond the limitations of the improvisations itself. "Let's be lovers / YHVH all" with its appealing repetitive chords and rhythms, but also this track is just nice, and nothing more. The senile commune version of "Silent Night" is a strange oddity. With bells, drums, piano and backing vocals and all. In some way I really don't understand how they got into singing this. But I still have the Father Christmas image of Father Yod in mind. Here the abandoned children wane as a remaining memory. Last track luckily has again the tendency to become completely psychedelic and over the top , with guitars and organ, drums, and later on some harpsichord and some distorted guitar improvisations too as well as crazy second (female) vocals. A great track that makes up for the more repetitive and more common tracks in the middle. At the end it sounds a bit like The End from The Doors. A great end indeed.

Still a must for Yahowa 13 fans. Only 500 pressed.

PS. About thee date of the recordings : "Silent Night was recorded round about Christmas 1999.Happy Now In The Cradle Of Love/Freeway was recorded early in the New Year 2000. Djin's question 'Can We Be Happy Now' refers to the fact it is now the new millennium and so now we can be happy. The other songs except Dogs Cruising/Wild Child were probably recorded around the same time, possibly a few months later. 'Dogs' is a song that Sky has had in some form or another for some time. This comes from a different tape from the other songs and I think was recorded a few years earlier, but with the same personnel." John Wilby

There exists also a solo CDR by Djin Aquarian called Destiny Of America, which I hope to be able to review here soon.

Info : http://www.pooterland.com/splash2/splash2.html

or www.pooterland.com with link to the Splash 2 Records home page.

Info distributor : John Wilby

Info on Yahowa 13 : http://progressive.homestead.com/YAHOWA.html

Description subliminal Sounds :

"Totally over the top collaboration between the SEEDS lead singer SKY 'SUNLIGHT' SAXON and DJIN AQUARIAN lead guitarist of the YA HO WA 13 band. The material on this CD is taken from informal jam/rehearsal sessions and have a very raw feel to it. As recordings have been restored the quality is excellent. Includes a 16 minute VELVET MEET DOORS workout called 'Cradle of Love'. Hair raising PSYCHEDELIA with the acid influence of YA HO WA mixed with the hypnotic SEEDS quality of sound. Strictly limited to 500 copies... comes with ultra-psych artwork."

" 2003 release from the band fronted by Sky Sunlight Saxon (Seeds) and featuring Djin Aquarian (YaHoWha). Featuring the sixteen minute 'In The Cradle Of Love/Freeway' as well as the hypnotic Seeds-y 'Dogs Cruisin/Wild Child'. Long spacey jams with guitars and psychedelic keyboard sounds battling it out over hypnotic rhythms/chants. Strictly limited to 500 copies. "If you are down with the Sky/Djin vibe, these songs are great! Nice long jams...in fact the last song reminded me a lot of Djin and Sky (and band) covering a lost song from the Velvet Underground's White Light/White Heat album."

Andy Perseponko

Cuneiform Rec.

Guapo : Five Suns (UK,2004)***°

Here Guapo, at first, like the Finish band Circle, show tendencies to uplift a still recognisable form of improvised rock, into the realms of Magma through the use of more complex leading musical rhythm and leads and through the use of various sequentional chord leads and melodic evolutions.

More than that, wih their keyboards / bass & drums the sound of the group has evolved, along with their skills, to much more than a just being accidentally inspired by following and building up improvisational rhythms and repetitions. Now there has been newly formed a style coming to maturity, still in a growing state, of an independently styled Rock-In-Opposition complex form, with its own improvised structure, more than just a tension of becoming so. In the more quiet passages the group builds up more droning melodic tensions, and are successful in the formula to create this moody consistence, within the whole concept. While Guapo still is much more relaxed in their play and in building their ideas, getting a more complex structure in its own creative form, it is no surprise they recently went on tour with Ruins as well.

The release has enough variety, and is vividly energetic, showing a still more accessible RIO / Zeuhl style. Recommended.

Soundfile : "Five Suns" & here

Info : www.guapo.com & http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/bandshtml/guapo.html

Other review : http://www.progreviews.com/reviews/display.php?rev=gua-fs

Contact : guapo@zed-one-studios.co.uk

private Artsruni : the live cuts (ARM,2000/2001)**° (VG)

Between classic prog rock and improvisational art-rock with flute. The flute mostly carries the melody over the rock compositions, with some quieter passages over a few more tempered compositions. A few times the bass line adds an extra layer too.

A very positive thing is the mixing which has been done very well for a live recording. The public interference has been limited as much as possible, the spontanuous live playing is optimal. After track 6 there are live recordings with added orchestration, -unfortunately this time not always from the same recording quality-. I perticularely like "Patranque" which adapted the beautiful Armenian kind of melancholic flute playing.

More information and sound files at their Website at http://mp3.musichall.am

Review : http://www.elrose.demon.co.uk/CD_Reviews/artsruni.html

http://stevehegede.tripod.com/armenia.htm

Info : cadence@arminoco.com, or Arman Padaryan : acm@arminco.com Mannagement artapad@arminco.com

PS. I heard their other album must be better.

Some other flute dominated products or Jethro Tull influenced groups : DedeLindh, Yoke Shire, Ruphus Zuphall, Embryo (Rache), Ray, Contraluz, and many many more

Black Widow

Antonius Rex : Magic Ritual CD + DVD (I,2004)****

For this new project Doris Norton (arrangements & keyboards) & Antonio Bartocetti (compositions & guitars), Charles Tiring (bass) and Jean Luc Jabouille (drums) went to Rumania for some recordings and made a huge effort and change, to style direction, perhaps influenced in idea by music like Devil Doll (Italian one-man lead project with choir arrangements done in Ljubjana) or even more Laibach (who in some early stage mixed their powerful music heavily with Wagnerian classical and new classical music like from Ligeti), or like in the direction of the solo release from Stein from Einsturzende Neubauten, which used heavy classical music samples, or perhaps it's even influenced by some classically driven metal (like Therion or it is as heavily arranged like Hollenthon ; -Elend were a good example of a mixture with classical music, but are still different-).

The CD has two sides : one audio CD (with only the music), and one DVD on the other side. This B-side is a movie compiled from earlier and new video material :

CD : The musical introduction has the tension of a horror movie, with complete Wagnerian-like somewhat looped orchestra and choir, with heavy electric bass and drums mostly. Second part repeats the theme with additional keyboard until hardrock electric guitar & heavy rocking bass comes in. Evolving to a movie sphere the rocking theme has improvisational keyboards, sounding a bit like an electric guitar solo, in combination with the rest this becomes completely over-the-top in heavyness, almost exploding in energy.

VIDEO : This video is powerful with its images reminding me of some Italian horror movie poster artwork, but here stretched in moving images. Since I still don’t have a DVD player I waited for the first chance to see it, which was on a visit to my parent’s house. My (besides.. Roman-Catholic) father watched with me the video. We didn’t say much.. but in that circumstance I almost had the feeling I was watching a video opening the borders of the acceptable, touching the borders on the edge of a having adapted the idea with a snuff movie of a ritual murder without being too specific, with the knife from it being praised in some doomy Satanistic-like being-reborn ritual accompanied by music, mixed with other taboo fears of terrifying looking old men etc.. It stretched the tension of fear within an acceptable context, with the “musical ritual”. Another deep human fear is the “black magic” context, like the devil letter of 1625, being used as a bridging theme.

Info : http://www.antoniusrex.com/magicritual.htm

Preview (compilation) videoclip : http://www.antoniusrex.com/clip.htm

Label entry : http://www.blackwidow.it/page.php?pg=news#id116

Interview (Italian) during other limited edition 2004 release STODR : http://www.drivemagazine.net/cyclopedia/iantonius.html

Unicorn Digital T.A.O. : The Abnormal Observations (POL,rec.2005,pub.2006)***°

While on the first track, “Shruti” bass metal guitars roar, drums makes thunder and lightning, a piano spreads its melodic carpet, other guitars improvise swiftly, and the vocal papapa structure and keyboard improvisation is that of a symphonic rock band. What is this ?.. TAO seems to be a progressive rock band with a very open vision and range of expressions, which started with the metal influences, then comes a possible reminder of some progressive rock band approaches from Scandinavia in the ‘90s, some fusion (guitar), rap !, funk !, jazz !, pop, and even jazz... There can be gentle tracks, (the first acoustic part “Herabouts”), or complex progressive rock, with the song never too far ahead, as well as some symphonic flow. An interesting band. Grows with each listen.

Homepage : http://www.tao.freehost.pl/

Label info on band : http://www.unicornrecords.com/tao.html

Other reviews : http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4513

& http://ytsejam.com/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=1089

German reviews : http://www.ragazzi-music.de/tao.html

French review : http://www.progressivewaves.com/frmChronique.aspx?ALB_ID=1968

Unicorn Rec. Yeti Rain : Discarnate (UK,2006)***

I had to lay this aside for a while, before being able to take this trip into some unknown darkness beyond. This is a dark ambient project featuring William Kopecky (also currently active in Far Corner; see reviews next page, on fretless bass, wind drum, tanpura) and Roger Ebner (also active in psychrock band Ovadya and avant-funk band Snarling Adjective Convention on wind synthesizer and wind drum). I very much have the impression this is a rather static soundtrack describing some variety of conditions on a different planet, with more heavy gravity, even in the clouds, like on Jupiter, where through tensions of toxic gas pressures this matter of clouds still move and are lifted slowly, and turned into spirals, sometimes growing. The sounds of clouds are like the left over metal string sounds from the bass guitar, while dark winds and air are produced by wind drums and synthesizer. A few flute-like notes I guess come from a wind synthesiser. Perhaps some changed speed sounds are used, I am not sure. Also tampura is used once to create more moods. The music shows enough movements to be convincing, even when the description shows a rather desolate sphere, and with little communications possible outside its vast elements. The free movements hardly leave a certain nest, but still give the impression of being complete as a world on its own.

Audio : "The Veiled Daughters of Sleep","Book of Visions","Ebon Ebon Thalud","Sea of Endings","The Prophets' Needle","Darklight","Dreaming in the Teeth of Forever"

& http://www.mindawn.com/albums/2630?PHPSESSID=bf03a

Homepage : http://www.yetirain.com/

or http://www.williamkopecky.com/discs.htm

Other reviews : http://www.proggnosis.com/MUSIC_DBCDInfo.asp?txtCDID=21633

& http://www.seaoftranquility.org/reviews.php?op=showcontent&id=4946

& http://www.unicornrecords.com/yetirain.html

French reviews : http://www.progressivewaves.com/frmChronique.aspx?ALB_ID=2117 &