Album: Sounds That Can't Be Made
Year: 2012
Label: Interact
Review: Diego Camargo
Rate:
Thoughts: Bands, artists and ‘owners’ in general tend to criticize the illegal downloads for low numbers on sells and they blame that same thing for bands being ‘shrinked’ at some level. In fact, what make albums sell less is the lack of quality, now we have options, we can download something, listen, and then say if our money will be well spent or not in that particular record.
That’s why some bands, specially the big ones, never present more than one song when they’re on studio recording a new album, like Marillion did with ‘Power’ a few months ago. And that’s why many many bands, like Marillion again, do those ‘pre-order’ kind of thing with ‘gifts’ and want us to believe that will help to finance the album, even when the band owns the studio where it were recorded… And I'll not even talk about the huge amount of 'special' releases they do every year...
And why I started this text with that? The reason is, if I could listen this album before buy it, I would never buy. And many people would do the same, and will do the same in the next months. And that’s the exact kind of thing that they want to hide with the political right speech most of the time.
I was listening and listening and wondering where the great music lies in this album that a bunch of people claim to have. I was avoiding to listen it for some time and now I know why, in the back of my head I knew it wasn’t worth of attention. Specially after that lame excuse to an album that Not The Weapon But The Hand (2012) is.
Progressive Rock today don’t have any guts anymore, there’s no sound anymore, just a bunch of pop produced material wrapped on pseudo Prog elements. Exactly like on Sounds That Can’t Be Made (2012).
Poor in songwritting, poor in tones, specially poor in vocals, poor in lyrics and the worst, the album fails in make you feel interested in what they’re playing. Those things are made very clear on ‘Gaza’, ‘Pour My Love’ and ‘Montreal’. At least ‘Invisible Ink’ and ‘The Sky Above The Rain’ are not so bad.
Maybe Steven Wilson helped them to write and produce, this would explain a lot why is so bad…
Buy it:
Ingranaggi Della Valle - Warm Spaced Blue
X-Panda - Reflections
Izz - Ampersand Volume 2
Violeta De Outono - Spaces
XII Alfonso - Djenné
Mate you must be listening to a different CD - your review has moved me respond in the band's defence. The two songs you have selected as 'not bad' are two of the more immediately accessible songs on the album. Have another listen to the atmospherics in Power build to a crescendo - turn off the lights and crank it up :) You fail to comment on the accomplished guitar, keyboards and rhythm section that pervade their music.
ReplyDeleteThis CD grows on you and there is lots to like here - not least the value for money - over 70 minutes of great music! This CD demonstrates a further maturing in their style.
Personally I would have put Gaza as the last track, rather than open with this - love the guitar solo from 12:42.
H is one of the best vocal talents around. If you are not convinced check out his range on the cover of Hocus Pocus!
Newer listeners should check out Size Matters CD (or the Out of Season DVD) - especially This is the 21st Century; The Invisible Man; This Strange Engine; Neverland - to get a good flavour of what these guys are about - be transported to the Planet Marzipan :).
They are one the best live acts around and lovers of decent prog music (Yes, early Genesis, Floyd, Tull, King Crimson, Focus, ELP, Camel, BJH) looking for some quality music should listen to their very extensive back catalogue - I am a fairly new fan and was amazed that these guys are not household names.
suppersready56
I respect your opinions suppersready56. But I confirm my statement: worst album in the last year for me :)
ReplyDeleteI feel like that snipe at Steven Wilson really discredits this review. If there's anyone that knows what they're doing, it's him.
ReplyDelete