Bassoon "Succumbent" ALBUM REVIEW [Avant Instru-Metal Heavy Prog]

 

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media         (Release: Nov. 17, 2023)

This album is so refreshing but not the typical sense. No, more like a shower of dust over a hot elephant, or a beautiful wallow in thick mud for a tired rhino. It's also an album for those not afraid to challenge their ears. 

Bands like Bassoon provide the broad prog genre with alternatives to perennially happy bands like Yes. So you have to leave it to bands like this to explore roads less travelled.  

This is sort of Tool territory, sort of King Crimson territory, a bit ELP-ish in the keyboard sections, but Bassoon are cutting new paths for experimental instrumental rock. They are a trio out of New York: drums, bass, and electric guitar. And they do so much with so little, playing with odd and complex time signatures, driving through dissonant patterns, while maintaining a fresh and purposeful energy. Also there is a creative restraint- it's never noise or craziness just for the sake of being different. The bass is grievously heavy and aggressive at times. The guitar (Sean Moran) is tastefully toned. The drums (John Mettam) are very much explored with as an equal tool of composition. The tension Bassoon creates is compositionally-based rather than through mere harshness- it's a surprisingly smooth and even sounding album- a cohesive collection of songs. 

The last track 'Born to Doom' did point out plainly to me of an obvious influence I overlooked, probably because I'm still not overly steeped in doom metal myself. The band is a C band, meaning the guitars are all dropped two whole tones for a looser 'bendier' quality. 

Prog dog gives this album a solid 4 out of 5 bones. There is no studio trickery here: 3 guys playing their instruments, very well, without an excess of embellishment (dashes of organ or keys on a few tracks played by the bassist Stuart Popejoy)- it's all about composition and performance- meat and potatoes.  There can be no disputing the results: kick-ass satisfying!  It's a balanced listen that finishes with epic-ness. It's not exhausting- quite the opposite, a great disc! Looking forward to seeing this band live and hearing more albums. (Favourite tracks: epic finale 'Born to Doom', 'Succumbent')

Watch my interview podcast with Stuart Popejoy of Bassoon here. 

https://bassoon.bandcamp.com/album/succumbent

Bear Ghost "Jiminy" ALBUM REVIEW

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media  (released 2023).

Bear Ghost, out of Phoenix Arizona, are a very unique high energy trio (nuclear at times)-- a catchy mix of melodic and intricate thrashiness, pop, punk, rock, theatrical and prog. One outstanding feature of this band is the guitarist/vocalist, Ryan Abel who is a singing powerhouse, slightly reminiscent of Freddy Mercury of Queen.  In fact I'd be very surprised if at least someone in this band isn't a huge Queen fan.    

This band is relentlessly tight- just watch one of the live shows on YouTube (or better yet, in person as they are touring). Andrew Heath plays bass and backs up on vocals, and Myke Buttonz in on drums (is that a real name? My auto-correct hated it). There's some additional instrumentations on the album like trumpet, violin, piano, keyboards, ukulele, glockenspiels and other incidentals sprinkled here and there, plus some lovely female vocals.

Bear Ghost's music has a fun and irresistible quality (I doubt there's anyone out there who wouldn't be tempted to sing along in the 'la la la la la' parts on the album's opening track). I noticed in a live video of the band that the audiences sing loudly along with the band on stage and in effect become part of the performance. 

Humour, and to a degree, silliness, is on full display in the band, and without any of those downer irreverence vibes. No, this music is uplifting and can even be triumphant. The final track 'Vulture' is passionate and emotional, and the only 'slow song' on the album, and it's damn good as well. In fact, that's my only 'complaint' about the album- I'd like to hear some more slow songs by the band- just to balance it out a bit, but that's coming from an older music-fan dad dude. (Please note: there's a bonus track at the end of my CD which features an acoustic guitar/vocal song- beautiful!)

Some of the songs would be great in Scooby Doo cartoons during the monster chase segments. I hope that doesn't sound mean- I actually LOVE Scooby Doo (some of the remakes are better than others). Props on the album graphics too.

Bear Ghost are so out-of-the-ordinary they may have pioneered a new category of music, a term which they have all around their website and Facebook pages: "Adventure Rock." Prog dog scores this "Adventure Rock" album a more than respectable 4 bones out of 5. (*The score may go up- I like to reserve the right to do this over time if albums soak further into my soul). 

Cyan "Pictures from the Other Side" ALBUM REVIEW [Neo-Prog] (NEW RELEASE- 2023)

by Dean Wolfe, Prog dog Media (album released November 17, 2023)

During the 25 or so years that I was not following the prog music scene, I would occasionally peer over the hedges in case something interested me there. Magenta, a Welsh neo-prog group, was one that caught my ear over at bandcamp.com . 

I've been newly introduced to another related project by Magenta's keyboardist and composer Robert Reed. He has re-assembled a band called CYAN with vocalist Pete Jones (Camel) along with Luke Machin and Dan Nelson, to record a new album called Pictures from the Other Side (an entirely re-writen, re-worked, re-imagined remake of a 1994 release of the same name). 

The first half of the album evokes a modern interpretation of the style of The Alan Parsons Project. Flowing from the neo-prog vein, it's a softer rock - but still quite punchy, with some 80s jazz fusion vibes at times, plus a bit of funkiness. It's well-balanced sounding album- tastefully produced and richly melodic while maintaining a gorgeous and majestic tone overall. The male lead vocals by Pete Jones are flawless performed with occasional slightly-mesmerizing and complimentary female vocals. There are symphonic passages and hints of 1970s Genesis inspiration, but really the scope of the entire album is engagingly varied.

CYAN lean more into 'pleasant' than 'harder edged' with plenty of keyboard/piano work, but some blistering guitar parts as well. There's a bit of fine sax work, as well as harp- it's really quite diverse but without sounding scattered. In fact once you get to the final 2 tracks (at 10 and 18 minutes length)... Yeah! They stitch the album together and bring balance to this universe... in a fun and epic way revealing that the first half album was just a warm-up, finishing on a truly triumphant and fantastic curtain-closing chord. 

Prog dog scores this exceptionally produced album a super-solid 4 out of 5 bones-- overflowing with fine displays of musicianship, some great acoustic piano and synth solos, wind instruments, understated but elegant bass-playing prowess, tasteful guitar soloing, and top tier vocal expositions in both lead and harmonies a-plenty. (Fave tracks: 'Solitary Angel', 'Tomorow's Here Today' and the cinematic Neo-prog epic 'Nosferatu').