Malibran - Le Porte del Silenzio. 1993 Italy

For Malibran's 4th album Oltre L'Ignoto I stated "Their debut was more of an English styled neo prog album, and I eventually parted with it. I plan on revisiting the other pair in short order." And roughly four months later here we are with Malibran's sophomore effort. This is the album where they broke ranks with their British neo prog beginning. However the first 2 tracks here (totaling 17 minutes) maintain the English vocals and the music overall recalls the great Ezra Winston, arguably the godfather of the Italian prog renaissance. It's more polished and mature than their debut The Wood of Tales. For the remaining 35 minutes, Malibran slips into Italian most comfortably, and this includes the 27 minute title track finale. They have eliminated all doubt that their commitment remains with progressive rock through and through. The production and sound choices are clearly from their own era - that of the early 90s. However flute remains the primary instrument, giving it the 70s authenticity we all craved at the time. The songs are well written and repeated listens are encouraged and welcomed. I've owned the album since it first came out, and almost 30 years later, its musical value increases. In fact I enjoyed a +1 listen last night. Having said that, it still falls behind Oltre L'Ignoto. I'll be curious how the 3rd one stacks up. Its day is coming soon.

Ownership: CD: 1993 Pegaso. Jewel case release with a very nice poster booklet and excellent artwork. Their first album was LP only (at the time), and is probably its best asset, so it appears the band was interested in maintaining a semblance of that culture here when CDs were the only choice for consumers. It's limited and numbered, so you would think it would be worth quite a bit today, but prices remain the same as when first released. Though a 1000 copies is a lot for a niche prog buying market (currently only 33 claim ownership on Discogs, including me). In addition, it's been reissued twice in the last 10 years, and the Mellow release has bonus tracks. Interesting about the numbering, because they appended it on the booklet and backplate. On my copy the former is #940 and the latter #976, so it looks like they got them mixed up in production. I suspect the US got the high numbers originally considering I was an early customer.

3//94; 10//09; 10//11; 6//15; 10/8/22 (new entry)

Imperium - Too Short a Season. 1993 Netherlands

One of those time and place albums for me. In 1994, there still wasn't a ton of this kind of music on the market, and I was hungry for it. There's a Dream Theater component, but much rawer, and still traces of thrash throughout. I find the raw sound, and higher pitched and relatively calm singer, very appealing. There's quite a bit of innovative riffing and plenty of rhythmic changes to keep it interesting. Today, music like this can be easily found - having been done countless times, and likely by bands more talented. But I appreciate the enthusiasm and pioneering spirit. If you already have a lot of music like this, then Imperium will likely not move the needle. But if not, and coming at it from an historical perspective, you may be pleasantly surprised. It's an album I've enjoyed consistently for over 25 years.

Ownership: CD: 1994 Leviathan (USA). Standard layout with lyrics.

4/28/01 (Gnosis)

Varix - Morbid Tribute To Distortion. 1991 - 1995 Germany (archival)

Varix were an obscure thrash band from Germany who had ties with another long forgotten group that we just spoke about: Skeptic Sense. Like with the latter, there's a modern CD reissue on Divebomb that covers their entire canon of work. Given the background, I went forward with Varix expecting something similar...

...Somewhat I suppose, but not really. Varix are much more straightforward than the labyrinthine Skeptic Sense. Not to say Varix aren't creative or progressive - far from it - but much more in line with the inventive thrash bands of the era. The CD itself is interesting in that it presents the later material first (not counting a recent reunion add on) and works its way back to the beginning. I think from a listening perspective it would have been better to hear the band evolve - in both sound and songwriting. So with that, I'll discuss it in chronological order.

Based on what I can ascertain, 1991's Morbus Cron was actually released on cassette professionally (see scan at the bottom). Sort of a demo release I suppose. This would be their only official release until this archival CD. The sound here is raw and reedy. For 1991 it's not particularly heavy, and there's an underlying punk vibe throughout, especially the driving bass work and gang style vocals. Certainly there's plenty of sophistication in the meter breaks, but not overwhelmingly so. At this point, they sound like a more adventurous Exodus - as found in someone's garage. Two years later Tribute to Fate was recorded. Here's where the band adopts a much more crunchy and modern sound. It's not easy to describe, but it's very full and crisp. It seems almost edible. Musically the band follow a similar path to Morbus Cron, but with more complexity. And that leads us to the beginning as it were with 1995's Harmonic Distortion. Here it seems Varix has taken their Exodus roots and added a big heap of Anacrusis to the mix (minus the histrionic vocals of said band). Certainly their most progressive and intriguing tracks to date. I would recommend hearing the album in this order, otherwise each successive phase will seem less accomplished than before. The opposite effect for a quality listen. It's worth mentioning that the 2016 reformation track is not a mere throw-in, and picks up nicely from their Harmonic Distortion output. There was talk of a reunion effort, but you know how that goes.

Overall another worthy adventurous German progressive metal band to consider, though not as complex (Sieges Even, Skeptic Sense) or as nutty (Payne's Gray, Cant) as others from there we've covered in the past. But miles better than the usual straight ahead Euro styled power metal we get from Germany.

Personal collection
CD: 2016 Divebomb (USA)

Usual great retrospective from Divebomb. There are copious liner notes, lyrics, photos, etc... contained within the fat booklet. As is custom for the label, the historical notes are gathered via an interview with the band. There are quite a bit of differences of opinion in their remembrance (respectfully I might add) which made it even that much more interesting to read.

Inner Sanctum - Knowledge At Hand. 1989-1995 England (archival)

Holy Smokes! This is the good stuff right here. Fans of progressive metal meeting technical metal will be pleased with this archival compilation from Inner Sanctum (pre Fifth Season for the five people who have heard that CD). It features 6 demos, of which 5 of them sound like early Watchtower meets Psychotic Waltz. Very complex metal, yet they never lose sight of the song. And the vocals are somewhat in control, so it isn't non-stop ball squeezer shrieking. Being British, they have an inherent knack for more restraint than their American counterparts - at the points where restraint is needed. I suppose if I had to pick a favorite demo, it would have to be Sensorium (1992) which shows Inner Sanctum at their heaviest, and perhaps most technical too. First demo Fear is Life's Blood (1989), is almost a completely different lineup and the band here is more in the Slayer / Celtic Frost mold. Certainly not a bad thing, and enjoyable in its own right. Different that's all.

Personal collection
CD: 2013 Divebomb (USA 2xCD)

This is a 2 CD set and features full historical liner notes via an interview with the band - and many photos. A must own item that will for certain provide enjoyment over many repeated listens.

CD1:
Tracks 1-3: Knowledge At Hand (1995 demo)
Tracks 4-9: Questions? (1994 demo)
Tracks 10-12: Shine (1993 demo)

CD2:
Tracks 1-3: Sensorium (1992 demo)
Tracks 4-6: Static Veins (1991 demo)
Tracks 7-9: Fear Is Life's Blood (1989 demo)

Today the band has been rechristened Synaptik, and their debut turned out to be awesome as well (see next post).

Last listen: February 24, 2015

Chainsaw Jazz - DisConcerto. 1993 USA

Lead by bass player Mark Smoot and joined by Muffins drummer Paul Sears, Chainsaw Jazz unleashed one of the hardest and most energetic avant progressive albums ever released. The kind of album that would be the crown jewel of the Italian AltRock label had it been released in modern times. Joining the aforementioned rhythm section, Chainsaw Jazz employs two guitarists providing the necessary raw hard rock (not metal) edge that propels the music forward in an exciting way. The melodic components are provided by the other two members - one on saxophone while the other plays violin and electric mandolin. The first 3 tracks demonstrate that Chainsaw Jazz can possess restraint and discipline, and avoided those annoying tuneless and cacophonous improvisations that mar many of these type of releases. But starting with 'Neon Baby' they would occasionally spazz out as if they had to prove they belong to the spirit of free jazz. Had they avoided this common trap, I would've been compelled to rate this higher.

Personal collection
CD: 1993 Cuneiform

Outskirts of Infinity - The Altar of the Elements. 1993 England

Once upon a time there was a project from England called Bevis Frond, led by a guitarist named Nick Salomon. They were a band who mixed 60s Hendrix psychedelia with 80s indie rock... to great popular success, and are still around today. During this same historical time and place, there was also a guitarist named Bari Watts, a former member of the aforementioned Bevis Frond, who led a project called Outskirts of Infinity. They were a band who mixed 60s Hendrix psychedelia with... 60's psychedelia... To little popular success, and are long gone. The latter, perhaps predictably, are more to my personal tastes. OK, I think we're done here. Any questions?

Oh, we do have a question! What's that? Frank... Frank Marino? Do I hear...? Yes, yes, I do hear Frank Marino too! Alright, goodnight everyone.

Personal collection

LP: 1993 Dark Skies

The CD features a 15+ minute track called 'Infinite Madness', which I haven't heard.

Locomotive. 1993 Canada

Well done avant prog from Montreal, with a psychedelic edge, which is somewhat unusual for the era and genre. While avant-prog can often be bogged down by a weighty academic disposition, Locomotive aren't afraid to rock out on occasion, and will even throw in some funk bits. I was most reminded of France's Philharmonie, though a bit less stilted.

A little bit of discography cleanup here. The band is clearly noted in the liner notes, disc, and packaging as Locomotive, not as a solo title by guitarist Andre Duchesne. The only time his name is separated out is on the front right corner, where they splash Duchesne, perhaps as an advertisement to those in-the-know. In addition, the disc is copyrighted 1992, though the liner notes mention that recordings concluded in January 1993. So 1993 seems to be a reasonable date, and certainly not 1991 as noted on RYM (nor 1992 on Discogs, which I have since fixed myself).

Sold the CD in 2020.

7/1/16 (new entry)

Blim - Zero + No Frills. 1992-1993 England

Outstanding festival psychedelic space rock band. Blim were an offshoot of Omnia Opera and were originally intended to be a more progressive variation of the already excellent parent band. And they achieved just that. If you ever wanted to hear Ozric Tentacles take things to a more complex level, Blim is your chance to hear it! Also reminds me some of Mandragora's earlier works, when they were  experimenting with various styles and structures. These are two of the best albums I've heard from the entire festival scene. Brilliant guitar work throughout. I would say that No Frills is the more complex, aggressive, and less spacey of the two. It also features a more professional sound, and I think it's the better of the two albums. Having said that, both albums feature a much better production than many of the cassette releases of the day.

CD: 2013 private

The originals were cassette only. I remember seeing both of these in the early 90s through the old Freak Emporium catalogs (back when they were still paper!), but never ventured to try them. Only within the last 6 years or so, did I finally hear them. They were instant hits with me, and were promptly labeled Priority 2 for my CDRWL. And now we have a wonderful 2 CD set (last photo), with additional bonus tracks on each album. Almost 2.5 hours of quality music here! About the only thing missing are historical liner notes, though as long as their website is up, you can read about Blim there.

Deus Ex Machina. 1993 Italy

I feel sometimes that this album, Deus Ex Machina's second offering, is the forgotten work in their canon. Since much of their live repertoire is taken from this album, it appears to contain their strongest material from a composition standpoint - at least as the band sees it. The execution isn't as crisp, and the sound quality isn't dynamic (a bit of a flat digital sound - typical of early 1990s albums). Singer Alberto Piras demonstrates here what a force he was to become. A very good album that has aged well and I feel a slight improvement on their chaotic and unfocused debut.

Ownership: CD: 1993 Kaliphonia. Jewel case release.

1993; 3/13/11 (new entry); 4/13/18

Atman - Personal Forest. 1993 Poland

Atman were perhaps the original freak folk band from Eastern Europe. Personal Forest is about as psychedelic as any album ever released, and yet it's not entirely clear if that's what the band were striving for. In fact, it takes a bit to get going to be honest. It's not unusual to see folks call this a "world music" or, even worse, a "new age" album. It does start off by giving that vibe, but as the album goes deeper into the middle, or forest as it were, the album becomes incredibly intense, and is truly a trance inducing album. Voices, strange homemade and ancient instruments along with tribal drums take the listener to places formerly not discovered. All of Atman's albums are recommended, but none came close to the brilliance of Personal Forest. And that also includes the post-Atman group The Magic Carpathians.

Ownership: CD: 1997 Drunken Fish

Originally released as a cassette under the moniker Theatre of Sound Atman.

1999; 2/15/10 (new entry)