Void Generator - Supersound (2014)

2014 CD Phonosphera Records ph06

2014 LP Phonosphera Records ph06v

          It is not easy to write a review of the great italian band Void Generator for its almost unknown content. You can't know what VG will do the next time and how their release will sound. If you know the previous releases, Phantom Hell and Soar Angelic, Collision ep, We Have Found The Space and so on, you should expect something different from a Supersound like that.

           We are talking about 7 super songs playing a shorter time that Phantom Hell facing with a superfuzzed guitars, a super grooving drumming, very improved vocals and a different direction that we could call an heavy psych with a range of nuances.

           Behind My Door is an heavy pysch song running a weird timing and a fantastic guitar solo at the end. Synapsex is a sort of stoner rush where the band shows all its playing expertise with a very nice middle organ work. Master Of The Skies is a sort of occult/sixties rock reminiscence running on a waltz timing...oh how good is this song ! Check the guitar solo, it's a masterpiece. Here the vocals seem close to James Douglas Morrison.

            Then What Are You Doin', a cover of McChurch Soundroom, that is organ driven (remember: you'll find mr. Enrico Cosimi on keyboards...), super groovy and super sixties. Hidden Orbit is a sort of modern heavy song lying on a super odd heavy riffing going into a super grooving verse. Universal Winter is an acoustic and super lonely psychedelic song that breaks your groovy mood had before. Globular Cluster is a sort of homage to Monster Magnet of Superjudge.  

                 Ultimately you'll find here: heavy psych, stoner, prog, psychedelia, doomish mood, super recording, super playing, super production, super groove. A Supersound.

                   Don't miss it, this is one of the best release around and it is intended to be that for a long time.   

Tracklist

1 - Behind My Door 8:09

2 - Synapsex 4:38

3 - Master Of The Skies 9:33

4 - What Are You Doin' 4:17

5 - Hidden Orbit 6:24

6 - Universal Winter 3:32

7 - Globular Cluster 5:04

Dewolff - Orchards/Lupine (2011)

 

Dewolff - Orchards/Lupine (2011)
(REMusic 28024)

I Dewolff sono tre giovanissimi ragazzi olandesi che rispondono ai nomi di Pablo van de Poel (guitar, lead vocals), Luka van de Poel (drums, vocals) e Robin Piso (Hammond, vocals, theremin). Autori nel 2008 di un ep omonimo, nel 2009 del full-lenght Strange Fruits and Undiscovered Plants, non devono passare inosservati. Benché in età impubere (o quasi), i tre in questione sembrano nati sessanta anni fa. Calati totalmente nelle atmosfere psychoprog degli anni 60 ci propongono un lavoro di 11 tracce ben fatto e dal sapore retrò. Già dall'ascolto del primo brano, rispetto al predecessore del 2009, si nota una presenza cospicua di tastiere a scapito delle chitarre ed il risultato è un disco più 'progressivo' (il virgolettato vuole intenderlo come concetto ampio: non è prog sinfonico, insomma...). Tuttavia, non dobbiamo fare l'errore di credere che i Dewolff siano un clone di qualcosa che è stato visto e rivisto migliaia di volte. Il sound retrò fornisce il destro per una composizione personale intarsiata nei suoni del progressive degli anni 60/70. Atmosfere dolci e quasi-complesse ci avvolgono come in un film d'essai. Il terzo brano ci regala riverberi di tastiere dei King Crimson. Apre il quarto pezzo e comincio a chiedermi se i pezzi continueranno a mutare sensazione e ad essere sempre validi come questi appena ascoltati. La cosa mi preoccuperebbe. Sono molto preoccupato, il quinto pezzo spiega alla gente come si scrive un pezzo efficace facendolo sembrare semplice. Love in C Minor, ascoltatela e fatemi sapere. Ecco i King Crimson in Higher Than the Sun ! Ed ancora i Cream, gli Allman Brothers ecc. Insomma, il disco è solo apparentemente derivativo. Anche se a tratti, e soprattutto nella seconda parte, il disco perde qualcosina in intensità - paradossalmente proprio nei pezzi più rock - le composizioni qui presenti sono degne di estrema attenzione. Una sorta di rivisitazione personale del '68... 

Dewolff are three Dutch young boys: Pablo van de Poel (guitar, lead vocals), Luka van de Poel (drums, vocals) and Robin Piso (Hammond, vocals, theremin). Authors of a self-titled EP in 2008, in 2009 the full-length 'Strange Fruits and Undiscovered Plants' should not to go unnoticed. Although they didn't reach the age of puberty (or almost), the three in question seem born sixty years ago. Totally fell in the psychoprog atmospheres of the 60ies present to us a well done job and 11 tracks really retrò. Already hearing the first track, compared to its predecessor of 2009, there is a conspicuous presence of keyboards at the expense of guitars and the result is an more 'progressive' album (the quotation marks want to hear it as a broad concept: it is not symphonic prog...). However, we must not make the mistake of believing that Dewolff be a clone of something that has been seen and re-seen thousands of times. The retro sound gives the chance of a personal composition inlaid in the sounds of progressive from the 60/70 years. Sweet atmospheres and Complex and almost-complex enveloping us like a d'essai movie. The third track gives us reverbs of keyboards of King Crimson. Fourth piece is on the go and I start to wonder if the pieces will continue to change feeling and be still valid as the latest heard. I'd be worried by that. I am very worried...the fifth piece explains to people how to write a successful song making it look easy. Love in C Minor, listen and let me know. Here King Crimson in Higher Than the Sun! Then the Cream, the Allman Brothers, etc.. In short, the disc is apparently derivative. Although at times, especially in the second part, the disc loses a little bit in intensity - paradoxically more in rock songs - the compositions here are worthy of close attention. A sort of personal reassessment of '68 ...

Tracklist

1 Diamonds 6:08
2 Evil and the Midnight Sun 3:00
3 Everything Everywhere 7:19
4 Who Are You or the Magnificence of Loving a Million Strangers 2:49
5 Love in C Minor 5:02
6 Higher Than the Sun 4:06
7 Pick Your Bones Out of the Water 3:17
8 Seashell Woman 4:56
9 Fever 4:10
10 The Pistol 9:45
11 Poison 4:25 

75/100

Graveyard - Hisingen Blues (2011)

 

Graveyard - Hisingen Blues

Stranded     EKO 143
Nuclear Blast     NB 2716-8

Gli svedesi Graveyard approdano al loro secondo album  dopo l'omonimo del 2007. Joakim Nilsson (vocals, guitar), Rikard Edlund (bass), Axel Sjöberg (drums), Jonatan Ramm (guitar, 2007-present), Truls Mörck (guitar, vocals, 2006-07), Svala (guitar) sono di Göteborg (Hisingen è un suo quartiere) e vengono additati come una retro rock band. Cosa possiamo aspettarci ? Se amate le sonorità seventies questo è un disco da prendere assolutamente. Se invece siete paghi dei vostri già numerosi ascolti e non volete continuare ad ascoltare le solite cose, (senza rinnegare quelle che sono nei vostri scaffali) allora potete anche evitare di acquistarlo. Suoni da Fender + Marshall, non troppo distorti, che lasciano insomma spazio alle dinamiche del playing. A volte le chitarre - e la forma canzone - ricordano qualcosa del suono semi-distorto dei Witchcraft. A volte sembrano la logica - e migliore - continuazione dei Wolfmother. Ben registrato e - soprattutto - ben cantato. Che gli svedesi avessero un'estrema confidenza col rock era chiaro da tempo ma non vedo perché sempre con le solite cose. Conformarsi è semplice, il problema è prendere una strada propria con tutti i rischi del caso.

The Swedes Graveyard calling their self-titled second album after the epunimous of the 2007. Joakim Nilsson (vocals, guitar), Rikard Edlund (bass), Axel Sjöberg (Drums), Jonathan Ramm (Guitar, 2007-present), Truls Morck (guitar, vocals, 2006-07), Svala (guitar) are in Gothenburg (Hisingen is its neighborhood) and are pointed out as a retro rock band. What can we expect? If you love the sounds of seventies this is a very hard to take. If you are already a number of your pay and do not want to continue listening to hear the usual things (without rejecting those that are in your shelves) then you can also avoid buying it. The sounds is a usual mix of Fender + Marshall, not too distorted, leaving room for the dynamics of playing (rare nowadays). Sometimes the guitars - and the song form - are something reminiscent of the semi-distorted sound of Witchcraft. Sometimes they seem the logical - and better - continuation of Wolfmother. Well-recorded and - most importantly - well-sung. That the Swedes were familiar with the rock was extremely clear for some time but I do not see why always with the usual things. Comply is simple, the problem is to take his own way with all the risks involved.

Tracklist
1    Ain’t Fit to Live Here         3:06
2    No Good, Mr Holden         4:47
3    Hisingen Blues        4:13
4    Uncomfortably Numb         6:11
5    Buying Truth (Tack & Förlåt)         3:27
6    Longing         4:49
7    Ungrateful Are the Dead         3:10
8    RSS         3:49
9    The Siren         6:01
    Bonus Track        
10    Cooking Brew         4:06

65/100