Now this is interesting: An instrumental four-piece from Sweden utilizing a guitarist, a drummer, and two synth players to create a strikingly emotional and moving set of songs that combine 70's progressive rock influences with something a bit darker... One of the synths tends to be relatively dense and pulsating, sort of mimicking what a bassist might do were one present, but the guitars can also be incredibly distorted and thick, so there is no absence of low-end at all. The second synth player tends to act as more of a lead instrument, which is what really gives the music that 70's sort of vibe. "Forest Blues" definitely has more of a 70's rock groove going on, whereas opener "Opus Octopus" is more melodic in a sense, though oddly "Forest Blues" can be more sinister in its spaciousness. The synths in "Demon Chase" almost have an old video game sort of sound to them, but not in an overly upbeat way, I'm mainly talking about the actual tone. This track has the most improvisational sort of approach, with some sustained guitar notes, simple percussion, and a droning sort of tempo. I love the recording. Everything sounds perfectly smooth and warm, the mix is fairly strong, etc. The drums can stand out at times, but since they're recorded naturally that's not a problem, and the synth lines or guitars are just as likely to come to the foreground when necessary. The record is pressed on opaque light orange vinyl that's of a very high level of quality, which no doubt enhances the sound of the recording a bit. The hippie-esque painting and color scheme on the front of the sleeve is actually appropriate for the style of music here, and looks authentically as though it could have come from the decade that inspired much of this music. The back cover has an illustration of an octopus and minimal recording information provided, but for the most part things are a mystery. Very cool. This is certainly original work in this day and age. All of the songs are good, but I would love to hear the band explore the more moving direction of "Opus Octopus", as I think that's a hint of where they could really take this brand of inventive instrumentation.
[Release the Bats]
Running time - 10:00 (approximately), Tracks: 3
[Notable tracks: Opus Octopus]
Release the Bats Records - http://www.releasethebats.com
