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Osiris the Rebirth

Remnants of Life

Review by Gary Hill

This first disc from Osiris the Rebirth finds the group in a great space rock meets mainstream prog style. Had I gotten this album the year it was released, it would likely have made my list of best for that period of time. This features guest appearances from Nik Turner, Bridget Wishart and Cindee Lee Rule. There are some definite nods to Hawkwind, but those lumping this in as some Hawkwind clone would be missing a lot of varied elements also present. Whatever you call it, though, this is a great album.

This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2011  Volume 4 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review
Phase Transition Initiate

This checklist for flight preparation is directly related to the countdown on Robert Calvert’s Captain Lockheed album. One can tell that it’s an intentional nod because of the direct quote of “the little white ones, wa, wa, white.” Like that cut, this serves as an introduction.

Colgate Valentine
Here’s a cool Hawkwind-like jam that works quite well. It works through a few minor changes and alterations while following a rather direct route. There are some processed spoken vocals, then we get a more traditional progressive rock jam based on a killer driving bass line that’s quite Hawkwind-like. This is a killer piece of space rock. The guitar solo later is quite incendiary, while still melodic.
Starlight Scorpio
Bass guitar and keyboards lay down a cool, rubbery, sultry space rock groove. Bridget Wishart’s vocals come across in killer fashion, building on those musical themes. This is a slow, and rather understated tune, but it’s also very tasty. This stays quite mellow, but that doesn’t keep it from being one of the most dramatic and powerful pieces here.
Siren
We get a harder rocking space rock sound here. This is a killer tune. It almost feels like Lemmy (in his Hawkwind voice) is guesting here, but he’s not. There’s a spoken section that calls to mind “Sonic Attack” a bit. They grow out into some pounding space rock from there. It moves back to the earlier sections of the sound from there.
Gymnofeetie
Starting mellow and quite pretty, this isn’t Hawkwind-like at all, but rather more mainstream progressive rock oriented. It works through a few changes in terms of chord progression, but the general musical motif remains unchanged. It’s a fairly short instrumental.
Dragonslayer
Intricate and beautiful piano leads this off and as the vocals and other instruments join this is very much in a strong melodic prog rock motif. Around the one minute mark it turns harder rocking with an almost garage-band turned prog sound. It shifts to a nice instrumental movement later with some tasteful guitar soloing. Then it drops way down for the next vocal treatment. This works through a number of changes and varying sections. It’s the most dynamic cut on show and it’s also one of the coolest. Remarkably, it is also the least Hawkwind-like tune here.
(Announcement 1)
A short piece, this is just atmospheric keyboards and a spoken monologue bit.
Osiris
Flute, played by Nik Turner, starts this one off and the cut builds gradually in atmospheric ways. A spoken vocal is dramatically placed overhead. Intricate and pretty, this is essentially a space rock ballad. The credits list it as a Nik Turner composition, so it shouldn’t be a surprise that’s there’s a Hawkwind vibe to it. Still, plenty of other sounds can be heard, too. It becomes more hard edged around the five minute mark and slips into a familiar Hawkwind melody. Then it fades downward, though, and atmosphere and recordings that sound like ambient bar sounds take it out.
Bliss
A short piece, this features ambient music and a spoken word bit.
Karmic Vortex
Rising from the previous number, some noisy guitar enters and seems destined to pull this into the realm of hard edged space rock. It works through very slowly, though. It doesn’t fully climb up. Instead, around the two minute mark the bass begins to drive the piece. Then the number is reborn in a motif that’s related, but different. There are lots of cool keyboard layers over the top as it threatens to fire out in a hard rocking jam. Instead the guitar comes over lending a fusion meets space approach. As it continues there is another Hawkwind melodic nod, then they fire out into the hardest rocking segment of the number around the four minute mark. Again space rock is merged with more pure progressive rock as they continue. There’s some inspired guitar soloing and this is a real screamer. While some might hear this as decidedly Hawkwind-like, and certainly those comparisons are not without evidence, this number works through more changes and alterations than are typical in Hawkwind pieces and this is the strongest piece on show here.
(Announcement 2)
Sound effects and a spoken monologue are featured on this eighteen second piece.
Technology
Starting with the sound effects from the previous cut, this shifts to an electronica meets space rock arrangement for the first vocal movement. This is very much mainstream progressive rock over space rock. There’s a tasty saxophone solo wailing overhead later as the cut continues to evolve.
End of Something
This rises up from the previous number. Some cool guitar soloing works through in a melodic and understated way over the top of the keyboards laid down in the backdrop. Around the two minute mark it powers out into harder rocking territory. It shifts back down, though and flute soars over the top. Then it drops way down for Cindee Lee Rule’s vocals. The number continues to change and adapt and at times it resembles Renaissance quite a bit. A little before the five minute mark it shifts to harder rocking, Hawk-like space music. Various instruments solo overhead as this continues. This is one of the more dynamic tunes and they take it through a number of changes. Different instruments solo at different points. This is a great marriage of space rock and more traditional progressive rock.
 
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