Issue 2024-066
Choclat Frog — On Detour To Shortcut
And now for something completely different. Or free to the words of one F. Gump: "Choclat Frog's prog is like a box of chocolates. You'll never know what you're gonna get, but you'll love the taste of it!"
OK, that love statement might be a bit tricky and I probably should have ended that sentence with the word "eventually", because Choclat Frog's music does take considerable time and effort to fathom. For those not into the deliciousness of Frank Zappa this eventuality might not even take place even. Although not being a true Zappa enthusiast myself it does so happen that right from the beginning, after months of admitted nibbling, I now thoroughly enjoy On Detour To Shortcut.
For one, because the organically raw and enigmatic songs indefinitely show that humour does belong in music. The most hilarious demonstration of this being the startling Bound By Instructions, which in ongoing succession effortlessly has me proverbially rolling on the floor from laughter while tears of bewildered enjoyment stream down my face. And second, for the rather unexpected and very pleasant surprise that several of the eclectic fusion anomalies created by Rainer Ludwig (vocals, drums, percussions, keyboards, synthesizer, guitar, SFX and programming) and his son-in-law Tim Ludwig (bass, guitar, programming and backing/additional vocals) frequently remind me of bands I adore, cherish and at times nostalgically reminisce upon.
The first composition to do so is the vigorously dynamic and excitingly groovy starter Spaceloop. A composition with a vintage psychedelic feel of Cream and Spirit. It delightfully dashes past rhythmically driven guitar-grounded fusion that reminds of Dixie Dregs, while it zigzags back and forth between familiar sounding "tip-of-your-tongue" classic rock bands and indulgent passages of edgy synth virtuosity.
Choclat Frog then in Bomb Alert go all out and elevate the daily ordinary (a topic on left luggage and what effect this has in various ways on the mindset of people) into an unbridled feast of musicality that stretches far beyond the extraordinary. Illimitable in its approach it hurdles through groovy funk, frantic mayhem and odd time signatures as if conducted by Red Hot Chili Peppers, Lucas Lee and Zappa. Then a-tonic math-rock adds impressions of Gentle Giant and Rage Against The Machine, and running sprints of keys and quirky transitions enforce delectable memories of Max Webster. It goes onward in a ravishingly delightful Sykotik Synfoney way, and thereby exhibits an immaculate Primus vocal/bass drive. This highly multifaceted and unfathomably complex composition finally blasts into intoxicating melodies that tick with a spellbinding sense of King Crimson.
Showcasing more intricate structures Pulp Stalking, a track that shows such an uncanny musical resemblance to Zappa that one almost feels inclined to check composing credits, follows the same spontaneous and relentlessly improvised disciplinary principle. Upping the Rage Against The Machine ante not only from a guitar point of view, please believe me when I tell you that both of these tracks most definitely demand your fullest open-minded attention.
This also fully applies to Pollock which as a continuously gear-shifting composition, aided by spectacular guitar solos from Uwe Grunert and Dietmar “Musi” Appel. In full contrasting experience to the soothing lessons of one Bob Ross, this draws heavily upon Zappa and spiritedly performed abstract Krautrock. A free-form style reminiscent of Nektar's Sounds Like This. The richly variegated On Detour To Shortcut is complemented by plenty of mind-boggling virtuosic play.
Amidst this all, This Is My Wife is one of the easier and least demanding compositions to get into. Thanks to a concoction of multiple mood swings and exuberant complexities in which sensitive bass-guided guitar motifs remind of Journey and Frank Marino, until melodies kinetically grow with graceful synths and jazzy interplay into a mountain of lush 70s-inspired alluring fusion.
This finally brings me to the ultimate test that is Bound By Instructions. In this undefinable composition, Choclat Frog, to great gobsmacking effect, throw the music manuals known to man right out the door. All in favour of a gargantuan big bang of chaotic mayhem which in my baffled mind will never be rivalled. Trying to get your head around this astonishing cacophony of randomly erupting madness is utterly useless and I won't even attempt to describe this overwhelming untethered moment of outright ecstatic chaotic oddness. Infused with additional elements of Zappa and resembling Linkin Park raps, it's suffice to say that by the time this intense composition has finally freed itself from its vigorous shackles, I most ecstatically smile with joy from ear to ear. A lasting grin that even the palpable melancholic post-rock sadness of the closing Reboot is unable to reset.
To conclude that On Detour To Shortcut is not an easy listen is quite the understatement. With ample of time and effort investments it however proves to be an excellent adventurous grower that holds many intriguing twists and entertaining musical surprises. So, it is an extremely fun and fantastically crafted listening experience that manages to bring big smiles of joyful admiration. What more do you want? Oh, right. A third album please!
Circe Link and Christian Nesmith — Arcana
The Tarot has been the inspiration for many songs and albums, some very obviously such as Steve Hackett's Voyage Of The Acolyte, The Enid's In The Region Of The Summer Stars and Rainbow's Tarot Woman, and some less so such as Fool On The Hill which McCartney himself has stated was based on the Tarot card. There is a far longer list of songs that people have often interpreted as being linked to the Tarot, with both Stairway To Heaven and Don't Fear The Reaper being two of the most prominent.
To the former list can now be added Arcana by Circe Link and Christian Nesmith, the follow-up to their excellent 2021 album Cosmologica. The interest generated by the duo's first foray into the progressive realm has inspired them to continue in the genre and if anything dig deeper into the vast opportunities of musical expression the oeuvre offers. With a running time of nearly an hour and only five tracks on the album, the album is definitely not made up of three-minute pop songs, the duo are of the belief that prog songs should be lengthy explorations full of twists and turns, and who can argue with that?
No great re-invention of the genre attempted, desired or even needed as the duo take their influences from the classics. In the case of this album is a large chunk of Yes, vocal interplay a la Gentle Giant, a dash of baroque classical, and a smidgen of Rush for effect. Despite wearing their influences on their sleeves, there is a freshness and originality to the results. What is impressive is that, with the exception of the drums played by long-term collaborator Christopher Allis, and the keyboard solos on The Chariot by Matt Brown, everything is played by Nesmith, who also produced, recorded and mixed the album.
Link is no idle bystander though, she co-wrote all the songs, painted the artwork and was responsible for all the lushly multi-layered vocals. The musical and vocal arrangements are of an exceptionally high quality and the two mesh perfectly together. It is obvious that a lot of thought and care has gone into creating a coherence within each piece with no extraneous fluff or padding. Despite the lengthy nature of the compositions none, outstay their welcome and continually offer up new nuggets with each listen. Even though this is only their second prog album, the quality exceeds many that have been at it for years.
More than that, there are plenty of delightful melodies blended in with the more excessive instrumental moments and the duo are not afraid to take things in unexpected directions, particularly on The Hanged Man, the fantastically riff-ridden middle section of which demands to be played at full volume. The more one plays Arcana the more one falls in love with it. If you want to hear modern Yes type music then you shouldn't be looking at the Steve Howe led group but should be immersing yourself in Circe Link and Christian Nesmith as without a doubt this album far surpasses anything Yes has done in the past twenty years. And I'd stand by that statement in any court of law!
Drifting Sun — Veil
Veil is Drifting Sun's ninth album, bringing together musicians of the highest calibre, the current line-up comprising Jargon (vocals), Ralph Cardall (guitars, mandolin), Pat Sanders (keyboards), John Jowitt (bass) and Fudge Smith (drums).
The exquisite instrumental opening track Veiled, sets the scene to perfection with its lilting theatricality and Jargon's vocals conveying a sense of underlying menace, of having been lured on to the merry-go-round of life with the dawning realisation that dismounting the manically bobbing horse is not an option, no matter how disorientating the relentless spinning becomes.
Frailty, the album's longest and most richly complex piece, opens with glorious keyboards joyfully and unapologetically announcing its neo-prog credentials, simultaneously propelled forward and held together by Fudge Smith's excellent precision drumming, which never strays into the bombastic or distracts, but provides a nuanced and technically virtuosic underpinning to the whole. This is superior melodic prog, which steadily builds in intensity, both musically and emotionally, until it reaches a truly spectacular and breathtaking conclusion (from the 10-minute mark onwards) with Jargon's voice at its powerful best in sumptuous harmony with the choir.
The CD is beautifully packaged, the artwork providing an insight into the album's themes, with its image of a solitary figure standing on the threshold of a portal into another dimension, staring into the light. Perhaps the gateway between life and death, the membrane that separates one state of being from another, or a symbolic expression of the agonising dislocation brought by the erosion of memory and the loss of identity this entails, the imagery of the veil hints at the obscuring of perception, at dissociation, at not quite being able to grasp let alone control our fate. Our fragile and transitory existence, our mortality and failings are addressed with empathy and compassion in lyrics which are inspired by mythology (our ancestors' medium for exploring the triumphs and tragedies of the human condition), dark but never gratuitously sombre or desolate.
The most immediately accessible song, the rousing and exuberant The Thing, charts the epic journey of a group of Vikings through dark forests and along perilous snow-clad mountain paths to gather in their dispute-settling assembly. Hugely enjoyable, it immediately won the hearts of the audience when played live at Prog for Peart in July and is guaranteed to stir the blood, Norse or otherwise.
With the final track, Cirkus, we come full circle with echoes of Veiled, staccato keyboards accompanied by drums leading into a flowing and haunting nelody with slightly sinister Gothic overtones. Time waltzes on regardless, callously indifferent to our wish to tarry in life a little longer, clutching us tightly as reluctant dance partners, hostage to its spins.
At a compact 47 minutes, the album never overstays its welcome. Every note has its place, and it is refreshingly free of extraneous padding. This is a mark of confidence and integrity of musical vision.
In a similar vein to Hieronymus Bosch's The Garden of Earthly Delights, whose profusion of details cannot be fully appreciated in a single viewing, Veil rewards repeated listening, which reveals its subtle nuances of tone and composition. This is a beautifully crafted and lovingly produced album which will appeal to anyone who is passionate about prog. I, for one, am very happy that it graces the shelves as part of my collection.
Ontologics — It's Safe To Say The Veil Is Thinning
CD-only bonus tracks: Passive Aggressive Passion Aggression (Instrumental) (5:37), Simultaneous Experiences (Instrumental) (6:46), The Gallantly Spectating Gold Medal Olympian (instrumental) (8:26)
Rhode Island based maverick duo Ontologics have released another album of rhythmically knotty music. Music that is a complex mix of experimental electronica, progressive hip-hop and prog rock. The twelve track It's Safe To Say The Veil Is Thinning sees Ian C. (vocals, lyrics, guitars, percussion, programming, midi controllers, keys) and Andy Morris (drums) swimming deeper into the strange and eclectic mix that is their deep pool of ideas.
Take any track here, and you get an energetic and eclectic mix of synths, guitars, bass, tuned percussion, and fierce drums. Also, guitars get treated in various ways and even end up sounding like sitars adding an extra psyche edge. The vocals are well sung when they are not being rapped and the rapping is good once I dropped my prejudices. The first three tracks on It's Safe To Say... are worth the price of admission alone. Moving between hyperactive art-rock and hip-hop craziness, flamboyantly arrange tunes that border on the weirdness of early Frank Zappa if had Zappa employed a rapper.
The album is full of changing rhythmic patterns supporting dynamic leaps and bounds in the music. In the wrong mood I found that this intensity can be a bit relentless and on certain listens I craved a little more light and shade between the tracks, but in the right idiosyncratic frame of mind I was swept along by Ontologics' boundary smashing It's Safe To Say The Veil Is Thinning.
Ontologics have released this album with different covers and different instrumental version bonus tracks. The digital albums have one and two bonus tracks, and the CD version has all three.
If you find yourself finding the rap portion of the vocals on It's Safe To Say The Veil Is Thinning then at least try out your limits by at least giving the instrumental versions, minus all vocals, a listen.
Jordan Rudess — Permission To Fly
Due to his work in bands such as Dream Theater & Liquid Tension Experiment, Jordan Rudess is rightfully noted as one of the great prog rock keyboardists. His solo releases have also presented his extraordinary talent, but most have been more of a mixed bag. That is, until now. The beautifully constructed, exquisitely performed Permission To Fly, creates a new benchmark in his career.
Most of Jordan's rock related solo albums have mirrored the progressive metal vibe of Dream Theater. Alternately, this release is an unabashed homage to grand, glorious, keyboard laden progressive rock. Beginning with the ELP influence of the opening track, this album feels particularly inspired by the keyboard legends that shaped Jordan musically.
Though his maestro skills are on display, what stands out are the consistently gorgeous melodies. Effectively more restrained than Jordan's previous solo work, the songwriting here is some of the finest of his career. This is enhanced by the strong and relevant lyrics penned by his daughter, Ariana. Into the Lair, The Alchemist, Embers, and Shadow of the Moon all display harmonic choruses and theatrical elements that are truly memorable.
Another key to this album's success is the wonderful vocal work of 'That Joe Payne'. His delivery and style is tailor-made for Jordan's epic approach. This is especially true on the poignant and beautiful, Footsteps in the Snow. The potent performances by Darby Todd on drums and Steve Dadaian & Bastian Martinez on guitars, secures the feeling of a band recording.
Permission To Fly is the most confident, cohesive and entertaining solo album of Rudess's career. These nine songs embrace a powerful classic prog finesse, while still sounding enthrallingly fresh and modern. Highly recommended, this release is one of the best of 2024. Bravo!
Six By Six — Beyond Shadowland
For those who skipped Theo's review, Six By Six are a fresh collaboration between Robert Berry (solo, ex-Tempest and ex-3 with Emerson and Palmer), Ian Crighton (Saga) and Nigel Glockler (Saxon), true to the eternal rock concept of power trio. Not precisely a supergroup, but very close to the term. Theo has favorably reviewed their debut, comparing it to AOR music, Rush and Flying Colours, and I was expecting something of the sort, hitting the play button and preparing myself to an easy listen, only emphasized by the colorful cover art (AI traces detected, but the cover is great) and romantic album title. Approximately by the third track it struck me with cruel obviousness that Beyond Shadowland is no softie, and it's better to switch controls and headbang for the rest of playtime.
Indeed, first and foremost, the album rocks. Now, I knew Robert Berry from his fantasy-folk-prog Wheel Of Time album, and I am generally aware of the main bands' legacy of the other two members. Beyond Shadowland's music is presumably equidistant from Saga's AOR, Saxon's NWOBHM and Berry's earlier material, being more or less under the aegis of King's X tradition. This American power trio seems to serve as the golden standard for Six By Six. Thick and at times dissonant chords, aggressive rhythm section, thrifty – even minimal – usage of keyboards, influences from heavy funk and groove rock are what lies in the core basis of Six By Six. If King's X are something distant and obscure for you, then more modern comparisons are Godsticks, The Tea Club and Karcius (circa The Fold for instance). Not quite what you might expect from musicians with the background that they have. At times Six By Six flirt with AOR, but very cautiously and, again, tending to eschew 80ies tradition in favor of 90ies and more modern versions of the genre (think Pattern-Seeking Animals).
What about the highlights? My favorite tracks are centered in the middle of the album. Somber ballad Obiliex sounds as if Magnum decided to relocate to Seattle and throw away all the Tolkien books. Titans has a killer main theme with quasi-ethnic rhythmic structure, and would not be out of place on Queensrÿche's Promised Land.
Outside Looking In has a late-period Spock's Beard / Pattern-Seeking Animals vibe to it. Spectre features guitar work by Ian very close to Ty Tabor's take on the instrument and sounds epic despite being one of the shortest tracks on the album. Sympathise is the piece which allows Nigel Glockler to shine on drums with infectious hard rock grooves a-la mighty Ian Paice, supported by Hammond on the background.
There are guilty pleasures in music and, presumably, guilty dislikes as well. I acknowledge that King's X are extremely underrated and talented, but on the personal level this music never worked for me the way it should have, if I had better music taste. Six By Six also fall into this “mind-trap”. Their material and skills are great, but this is not a “love-at-first-sight” record, albeit a grower with subsequent listens. It is great that Inside Out label is committed to continue such experiments, despite its overall conservatism. Recommended, but approach with caution.
This album doesn't have: rock symphonies, chugging metal, flashy solos.
This album has: tons of groove, ethnic motives, acoustic pieces.