Thursday, December 29, 2016

Kopecky - Serpentine Kaleidoscope. 2000 USA-Wisconsin


Serpentine Kaleidoscope is the second album from the brothers' Kopecky, hailing from Racine, Wisconsin. The music is primarily a sophisticated kind of (mostly) instrumental prog metal, with middle eastern and Asian themes, including sitar from brother William. There's a couple of experimental tracks that detract a bit ('These White Walls' and 'Wings of Asphyxia'), but otherwise a very fine effort - one that will satisfy fans of progressive rock, jazz fusion, and metal.

Concerning Racine, interestingly enough I worked in the city for most of 1997 (as an IT contractor for tractor/farm equipment manufacturer J.I. Case). It's a nice town primarily made up of blue collar workers, with delicious family run Italian/Pizza restaurants (RIP Totero's), Greek diners, and Kringle shops on every corner. I hadn't heard of Kopecky while there, but admittedly I wasn't seeking live music at the time, nor was I plugged into that aspect of the culture. Though it's likely the band built up their following in nearby Milwaukee regardless.

CD: 2000 Cyclops (UK). CD is housed in a standard jewel case, and was released by the UK progressive rock specialist label Cyclops. The label is no longer active, though copies are still available for below retail. I suspect that will not always be the situation.

Removed from collection (2022)

12/29/16 (new entry); 6/8/22

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