| |
| Track by Track Review
|
 |
Forbidden By Rule
This is killer catchy prog based in a bluesy groove. This one is a dynamic piece, changing and realigning itself throughout, and it features some soaring guitar work. This is a great way for the band to start off the set. It ends with a short riff that feels a bit like early Rush. |
|
The Red Monk
The one starts with a percussive rhythm section, and the band start building layers over the top of this in a noisy, but accessible fashion. This alters after a time to a fast paced, more melodic prog section that has a wonderful texture. This serves as an excellent change of pace. They drop it back to an almost funky bass groove before heading into a jam that feels a bit like a Southern rock take on the more exploratory side of Jimi Hendrix. |
|
Night of the Mexican Goatsucker
The riff that drives this one out of the gate feels almost Zeppelinish. It shifts gear later to something more akin to the battle sequence from Rush's "Bytor and the Snow Dog", then a slightly off kilter, almost Primusish mode takes it. This one has a ton of changes and even gets a little funky at times. It is a real smoker. This one gets very heavy toward the end, feeling a bit like a cross between Jimi Hendrix and Black Sabbath. They really tear it up on this one. |
|
No Man's Land
It's amazing how much this feels like mid period Rush in the beginning. The band eventually begin to change it over into a more jazzy jam, then moving into almost Satriani like zones with it. The Rush modes return, though, especially in the rhythmic patterns, which feel a lot like Peart's timings. This is another smoking number that shows a lot of versatility and dynamic song structuring. This gets quite heavy in places. The guitar soloing certainly screams throughout a lot of the piece. |
|
The Hanging Tree
A bit of a breather, this one is more laid back, and feels a lot like a modern take on Procol Harum. This one carries on in fairly organic movements, the band creating some intriguing waves of movement with the soaring soloing, but it never really gets very heavy. That shows the versatility and sense of restraint the band has. This is a tasteful and tasty number that still has plenty of drama. |
|
All Clear
This one comes in funky and jazz oriented, with a fast paced fusion oriented progression. This one is based firmly in a killer retro texture. This gets quite intense in terms of power, but without becoming extremely hard edged. This cut is a standout number that again shows that Djam Karet is far from a one trick band. Indeed, this jam, slightly re-worked, could easily be imagined to show up on an album by Al Dimeola or Alan Holdsworth. It drops to a cool fun, bluesy riff later. From there it shifts gear into some seriously spacey material, and the first dissonance of this extended piece. |
|
Web of Medea
This is a highly dramatic and dynamic cut that probably features some of the most traditional prog the band does. It is quite mysterious at times, and the bass work gets incredibly fast and potent in places. This one even features a tasty segment that feels a lot like James Bond music. It is a definite highlight. |
|
Feast of Ashes
Feeling like two different songs, the first part of this is a fairly consistent and fun jam that runs through for a while in fairly unvarying format before ending down to silence to begin the next movement. This section starts off quite mellow, with ambient textures and slowly builds up from there. At times this one feels a lot like Pink Floyd (Wish You Were Here era). It doesn't make any sudden changes, instead moving gradually into new patterns, eventually morphing into a fairly quick paced jam, first in the form of a guitar solo segment, then in a more oddly timed group effort. |
|
Burning the Hard City
This is an incredibly dynamic number, the group moving nimbly through rather major stylistic changes. At times this comes across as a bluesy Zeppelinesque rocker, while at other points it takes on a full on jazz arrangement. They speed it up in places, and slow it way back at others. This one is a musical showcase for just how well these guys can create and manipulate a soundscape, while still maintaining a coherent texture. What a powerhouse way to send the set and the disc! |
|
 |
|
 You'll find an audio interview of this artist in the Music Street Journal members area. |
|
 You'll find extra content from this artist in the Music Street Journal members area. |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
|
|
© 2024 Music Street Journal
Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com |
