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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Adult Party Experience Overpenetration Review by Gary Hill This album is a bit unusual – OK, a lot. One only has to listen to the weird psycho fusion mix on this disc for a short time to figure that it fits into the genre of hard rocking instrumental prog that has a healthy dosage of jazz in the mix. Certainly King Crimson is the most obvious reference, but bands like Rush and Zeppelin also feature in this collage. So does Frank Zappa, Djam Karet and others. The thing is, as obvious as the music itself is to the progressive rock genre, plenty of prog purists will take issue with the track lengths. All the tracks but two weigh in at under three-minutes and some are only half that. The two cuts that break the mold are still only in the four to five-minute range. These are concise little pellets of hardcore fusion jamming. This review is available in book format (hardcover and paperback) in Music Street Journal: 2006 Volume 5 at lulu.com/strangesound.

Track by Track Review

Happy Jaw The opening to this one is a collection of short bursts of sound that is composed of crunchy guitar and keys. This gives the number a definite 1970’s hard rock feel. As it cuts into the song proper, though, this is a rather freeform fusion jam that feels a bit like The Dregs meets Djam Karet and King Crimson. There is even a bit of Led Zeppelin thrown into the mix at points.

Knee Grow Viagrathon Percussion starts this and the cut pounds out in a hard-edged electronic journey that again calls to mind King Crimson quite a bit. While I liked the opener, this one is purely incredible. It’s one of the best pieces of music on show here. It’s full of meaty sounds and great changes. It includes a jam that feels like Rush jamming with Jimi Hendrix on a Led Zeppelin song.

He Died From a Coke Induced Speed Metal Frenzy This one is a rather strange one. After a quick burst of metallic Crimsonoid jamming it works out into a mellower jazz-fusion excursion. This one is a bit too odd for me, though. There’s even a bit of Primus on this one in the frantic fusion-like segment.

Cross Dress Rehearsal Noisy clunking starts this. That segment only carries it for a short period, though. It gives way to a new musical journey that has the King Crimson and Zeppelin tendencies, with a hefty dosage of Frank Zappa thrown into the mix.

Lordbunny’s Departure This is another standout cut. After a quick percussive intro it launches into a killer jam that feels a lot like Discipline era King Crimson. These guys far up one of the most melodic tracks on the disc here.

Bypass This is a more freeform, crunchier jam. It’s another that rather loses me. The latter part of the track (this thing is less than two minutes in length) is quite strong.

Toilet Dweller Despite the title this one is among favorite compositions on the disc. It’s a killer jazzy jam that’s quite melodic. The addition of violin and horns (along with a smoking fast paced segment) really call to mind Red era King Crimson.

Thai Pants This is another that’s more melodic, but the whole sound is starting to wear a bit thin by this point. They could really stand to break it up a bit with some vocals or just a different type of track altogether.

S*** Absolute Well, I asked for a change up, and in some ways this works. While overall the musical texture isn’t all that different, this one is frantically fast and includes a bit of punk and even some surf music into the instrumental insanity. It’s enough of a change to re-freshen the disc a bit.

Spambot Killer A fast paced bass line leads this one off. Then the band launch into another of their patented (OK, patent’s probably pending) jams. This one doesn’t break any new ground, but it’s pleasant enough. It’s also the longest track on the disc. It gains some of that length through a cool sparse space jam that comes in later in the piece. That makes for a good change of pace.

Use To Be Thin A bluesy rocking guitar leads this one off and the band jump in with sort of a twisted boogie grind. They still have their off-kilter sound, but once again this is an interesting way to change things up. In an even greater change this one includes some vocals. I’d have to say that this one is one of my favorites on show here. The vocals have a sort of distant, processed approach that works quite well. I’d love to hear more like this from them. Well, actually what I’d like to hear is something between this and the rest of their sounds.

Overpenetration – Bonus Track This one feels a lot like Djam Karet at first, but powers up into a more straightforward jam from there. It’s another highlight of the disc.

Glass Eye Geisha – Bonus Track Bass leads off this frantic cut that feels a lot like Rush meets Djam Karet. This is a killer track. In fact, it may well be my favorite. It’s a great way to end the disc and make you want to hit “repeat.”

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