Unearthed some more beauts.
Best of the Week
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Monkey3 - Sphere
2019 6 tracks (52:13)
German stoner jamming rock music, says it all. Only known by their first names (Kevin, Walter, Boris, and db), the compositions are clear clean thundering unrelenting guitar and keyboards with solid bottom lines and rhythm, occasionally throwing in some spacey music (as evidenced by the 11-minute “Spirals”).. No vocals. Just great lingering melodies with shades of Ozric Tentacles.
Giant Walker - All in Good Time
2022 9 tracks (40:37)
Delain - Apocalypse & Chill
2020 13 tracks (56:10)
Something about metal rock led by female vocalists is very appealing. Both Delain and Giant Walker are along this vein. With much of dark metal featuring the male growl vocals, female vocals aim for beauty to counter the growl in the guitars and staccato bass lines.Of the two, Delain has more growl but not nearly enough to bring down the catchy lines and tunefulness it does. Giant Walker has great musicality throughout that generated numerous adds to my music player.
My Sleeping Karma - Atma
2022 6 tracks (48:47)
The refreshing thing about My Sleeping Karma is that it doesn’t aim to use its rock format to pound you into submission. Instead, it balances Edge-like guitars with a subdued bass and percussion back beat. The instrumentals are long enough to build drama. Bound to have Tool comparisons, it has a layer of welcomeness to it giving the added depth that makes you hope the song doesn’t end.
Interesting Finds
The Bardic Depths - Promises of Hope
2022 9 tracks (1:01:16)
Some parts feel like it’s some kind of movie soundtrack, but it really has a full featured band beyond the usual guitars and keyboards. Favoring longer songs allows for much interplay between assorted instruments and vocals.
Radiohead - Kid A Mnesia
2021 34 tracks (2:05:20)
A collection of oddities, fragments, and leftovers that, for the most part, are strange. But then, this is Radiohead which means it is likely a gem will be thrown in.
Nektar - The Other Side
2020 8 tracks (1:06:11)
This is “old” prog from the early days of the 60’s and 70’s. It is clearly evident with sounds reminiscent of Procol Harum Hammond organ, Yes keyboards, and King Crimson mellotron. There is nothing wrong with old prog and they do a good job of presenting the best parts of that era with song hooks and chord shifts galore. Only the original bassist and drummer remain so it is remarkable they are producing a product anything like the past at all.
Forgettable
Tim Bowness - Butterfly Mind
2022 11 tracks (43:18)
Known more as Steven Wilson's partner in No-Man, Tim Bowness represents a simpler kinder rock with his easy keyboard arrangements and gentle vocals. The production is pure silk. Other than “Dark Nevada Dream”, the songs don’t stretch out as much as they could have, which is too bad. His vocals are too dominant and drags down many of the songs. Brian Ferry he ain’t.
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