Under the Radar Music: February 2024

Efter Efter (2011)

I've felt that all three of the 2000+ era Trettioariga Kriget albums have been very good. These are not clueless reunions or cheap cash-ins, but rather answer the question:"What would have TK sounded like after Krigssang in today's world?" Very few bands are able to capture the original spirit of their youth, while still possessing a keen understanding of modern times. It's unfortunate that more groups from the early 70s couldn't accomplish the same feat. And now time is running out.

So bravo to Trettioariga Kriget for yet another splendid effort. For my money, Efter Efter is the finest of the latter trilogy. Even closer to their 1974-1976 work. For my tastes, their debut is a Top 10 ever album, and while they don't come close to that greatness here, it's still nice to hear an intelligent and relevant effort.

---12/20/11

Hej På Er (1978)

1978 was a tough year for mainstream progressive rock bands in general. And while Trettioåriga Kriget were hardly a household name here in the States, they certainly were well known back home in Sweden. To survive, the expectation was for a band to produce a hit record of some sort. It's pop, punk, and disco - and a global plague of ADD. No more long journeys into the netherworld to sit back and contemplate. And Trettioåriga Kriget's first two brilliant albums are just that, showcasing an imaginative and talented band. So what's a group like this to do? Compromise. And honestly, Trettioåriga Kriget did about as good a job as anyone in accomplishing this. Had everyone followed this blueprint, prog rock may have indeed survived longer than it did. But most were hapless at trying (and leading lights Yes and ELP certainly turned in their respective clunkers for the year). Hej På Er balances straightforward rock with deceptively complex progressive music in compact form. It's not perfect of course, and the first two tracks are pretty bland. As if they were trying to fool the coked out record execs, and hoping they'd leave before the good stuff began playing. It's not a monster album naturally, but it's accomplished and not something to apologize for. It's instantly recognizable as a Trettioåriga Kriget album, but a bit more diluted. Something akin to a double IPA being reduced to a lager.

---9/27/17

Trettioåriga Kriget (1974)

Though Sweden had a healthy psychedelic progressive movement in the early 70s, Trettioariga Kriget (or the more proper spelling Trettioåriga Kriget) added a large dose of frenetic heaviness into the mix, and arguably laid down the ultimate Swedish progressive rock blueprint. Sounding like a weird mutant of Led Zeppelin and Yes, the music starts off in a ferocious manner and never truly lets up. A quartet of two guitars, bass, and drums, Trettioariga Kriget is one of the most exciting rides at the progressive rock theme park. There are no traditional keyboards, but plenty of mellotron to add an eerie feeling to the proceedings. And that gets us to vocalist Robert Zima. He has quite the pipes and can scream with the best of them. But it's the Swedish lyrics that are front and center. When I say Swedish, I mean with a capital S. The language plays a critical key role into the overall sound of Trettioariga Kriget, which is why they were the forbearers of the Swedish retro prog movement that ultimately led to Anglagard, Landberk, and the rest of them. Zima is an unlikely hero in this case, given that he himself was from Vienna, Austria! No matter, he went to high school with most of the band, and clearly mastered the language. It's really hard to pick a favorite, as every track is a 5 star winner, but I'd go with 'Röster Från Minus Till Plus' which encapsulates their overall sound best.

---8/22/21

Other albums I've heard: Krigssang (1975); Mot Olla Odds (1979); Elden Av Ar (2004); Glorious War (2004 - archival); I Borjan och Slotet (2007)

12/20/11 (new entry)

February 8, 2024

Kikagaku Moyo ~ Japan

Heavy psych; Krautrock styled

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Latest: Hasenheide (2024) archival from 2016.

UMR review page for Kikagaku Moyo

12/4/13 (new entry)

February 6, 2024

Deus Ex Machina ~ Italy

Progressive rock; Hard rock

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Latest: Devoto (2016)

Deux Ex Machina don't appear to have any new activity since 2018.

Devoto (2016)

Deus Ex Machina go back to their hard rocking roots on Devoto. It's a surprising return to form, especially for a band who had dabbled in more academic avant prog waters for such a long time. Hard rock guitar, crunchy organ, shredding violin, a driving rhythm section, and the Demetrios Stratos-like soaring Italian vocals of Alberto Piras, define this fine album. It's not dumbo hard rock either, but very much the complex sound of the early 70s. Truth be told, classic Italian prog was always more heavy than ever given credit for. Even bands like Area and Arti+Mestieri kicked out the jams once in awhile. If you listen to the early Deus Ex Machina albums, this is the sound you'll find, except now with more vintage gear in tow. Devoto is about as grimy, nasty, and dirty-under-the-fingernails as you'll ever hear on the refined Cuneiform label. My kind of album.

---9/2/16

Cinque (2002)

When this album was released there was an air of disappointment among the prog rock set that I associated with. I can't recall the discussions as to why. Even for myself, I had it the lowest rated of their seven studio albums (as of 2024). This was their first album to be released on Cuneiform, which had a much larger global footprint than the regional Italian label Kaliphonia. Maybe we all wanted too much from it? I'm not sure, but in retrospect, I hear it no different than its predecessor. It's a fine mix of complex prog rock and driving hard rock. I think sometimes the latter was off putting to my peers. It's just this element that has aged well for me. One interesting real-time review from Brazil on RYM states: "Too much American publicity. It's not that good." Maybe that also captured the mood from an international perspective. For bands that I have multiple albums of, I usually can find a few representative works, and ditch the rest. Not sure Deus Ex Machina has any weak spots. At this point, I hear all seven as essential.

---2/5/24

Equilibrismo da Insofferenza (1998)

In 1998, Deus Ex Machina were one of those bands that myself and my running set were tracking real time. Their first three albums were all excellent, and they seemed to improve with each release. I had the pleasure of seeing them live in 1996 and they didn't disappoint there either. So there was much anticipation when Equilibrismo da Insofferenza was released. And boy, did it pack the WOW factor! They had streamlined their sound further, added even more complexity, while bringing forth a more mature songwriting approach. Not to mention a much better, more retro styled production. For 1998, it seemed to be their best effort yet, and one of the finest prog albums for the entire year - a sentiment shared by many at the time. 22 years later, and that impact has diminished somewhat. The music is dense, with tons of stop/start moments while Piras continued to push the boundaries of the Demetrio Stratos styled vocal gymnastics. And now he's singing in his native Italian verse Latin - which remains a plus in my book. Truth be told, I didn't remember much about the album going into revisit. And I don't remember much about it afterward - and it was only three weeks ago! When reflecting on Deus Ex Machina's best songs, it's starting to emerge that their sophomore effort is their most accomplished, and the one album the band relies on more for their live repertoire. The 90s tinny production was more the issue considering that release. There is an exception to everything I said above - and it's very significant: 'Cosmopolitismo Centimetropolitano' may very well be the single finest track (ever) to marry hard rock and avant prog. And it is memorable. It never stops driving forward, with one of the all time great guitar riffs combined with complex rhythms. And Piras has never been better than here. It was this one song that I think propelled it as one of the great albums in my mind. And for 10 and a half minutes, it most certainly is. For the other hour not so much. Is it Deus Ex Machina's best album? It may still very well be. We'll see how the other albums fare on further revisits.

---11/13/20

De Republica (1995)

I bought this album upon release, and played it quite a bit through the time I saw them live in 1996. And I don't think I've heard it since. 22 years later, my opinion remains unchanged, though I recalled little about it as I listen again. The rhythm section along with Alberto Piras' Demetrios Stratus imitation is what really makes it work. Not very melodic, but definitely rocks hard despite the complexity.

---12/20/18

Deus Ex Machina (1993)

I feel sometimes that this album, Deus Ex Machina's second offering, is the forgotten work in their canon. Since much of their live repertoire is taken from this album, it appears to contain their strongest material from a composition standpoint - at least as the band sees it. The execution isn't as crisp, and the sound quality isn't dynamic (a bit of a flat digital sound - typical of early 1990s albums). Singer Alberto Piras demonstrates here what a force he was to become. A very good album that has aged well and I feel a slight improvement on their chaotic and unfocused debut.

---3/13/11

Gladium Caeli (1991)

Deus Ex Machina burst onto the progressive rock scene in 1991 with their debut Gladium Caeli. When me and my running set acquired this CD real time, it was quite the revelation - and not easy to handle honestly. I've often referred to this album as chaotic and unfocused. But it's probably been 25 years since I last heard it, when it was found hiding deep in the collection. And after all that time, my conclusion is...

...it's chaotic and unfocused. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing mind you. Deus Ex Machina draw just as much influence from 70s hard rock as they do from progressive rock. And that's a fine mix as far as I'm concerned. There's some long form guitar jamming here that certainly recall Led Zeppelin or even Deep Purple. The vocals are one of many unique twists - Alberto Piras being one of the marvels of the Italian prog renaissance. His idol was none other than Demetrio Stratos of Area, and to add even more distinction, he sings in Latin! Most of the album was ignored by the band for later stage shows, and it's easy to see why, as they lack the kind of memorable hooks one seeks to hear in a live setting. One exception to this is 'Ignis ab Caelo', sometimes referred to simply as 'Ignis'. For awhile the band played a truncated version of 'Dialeghan' arguably the album's finest track, and most certainly the fieriest. There are no major peaks here, but everything is at least very good. It's a fine first effort, released at a time when progressive rock was just rolling again. It was well received, and they would improve leaps and bounds from here. And yet I find this album just as enjoyable, rough and tumble as it may be.

---5/9/19

Other albums I've heard: Non est ars quae ad effectum casus venit (1997); Imparis (2008)

9/2/16 (new entry)

February 4, 2024

Cinema Styge ~ Italy

Retro prog; Neo Italian prog

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Latest: Tra di Noi (2023)

Tra di Noi (2023)

Cinema Styge are one of many bands languishing in complete obscurity. In my era, these were the groups that might record a few pieces onto cassette and hand them to friends, family, and the six people in the audience that went to go see them at some dive bar (where some drunk would inevitably put something on the jukebox in the middle of the show).

Right from the beginning we hear organ, impassioned Italian vocals, hard guitar, mellotron, piano, and woodwinds. Plenty of start / stop moments. Oh... this is an Italian prog album alright.

Segueing nicely into the second piece, the music starts out in the grand tradition of adding a chugging hard rock element. These guys are doing everything the retro way. Italian narration and synth solos while they're at it. This track comes with a video and we can see they are enthusiastic young men. All of this takes me back to the late 1980s when progressive rock was being revitalized for the first time since the classic era.

Track 3 begins in mellow fashion with synthesizer in the lead. Recalls the 70s Midwest American scene, with Italian vocals of course. About two thirds through, it breaks out of ballad mode and goes into something like pop psych, similar to the earliest Italian bands. And then onto a jazzy sequence that's quite cool with mellotron (early Latte e Miele comes to mind here).

This is followed a short sound collage / percussion interlude. Tracks 5 through 7 could be seen as a suite, with a soft ballad sandwiched between two more traditional prog rock tracks. The finale wraps up their sound nicely with a mix of battle and love.

It's clear that Cinema Styge has a soft spot for the romantic element of the style, which is also true to many of the masters. Perhaps a bit more dynamism is required during these moments to give it the sit- up-on-the-edge-of-your-seat that makes Italian prog special.

There's no physical release for this album. Like Architrave Indipendente, this is ripe for a gatefold LP. The artwork they are using is perfect for that too.

2/4/24 (review)

2/4/24 (new entry)

February 3, 2024

Zero Hour, USA-California

Prog metal; Tech thrash

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Latest: Agenda 21 (2022)

Another group that I thought was long gone. They reformed recently without twin brother bassist Troy.

Specs of Pictures Burnt Beyond (2006)

This CD is what made me think of the band in the first place. I haven't heard any Zero Hour in many years, and these CDs (I have four of them) are gathering dust on the shelf. I had this one rated as the lowest. Well, then, I guess I'm in for a treat when I get back to the other three! The best comparison I've read about the band in general is that of Watchtower meets Meshuggah. You get the technicality, melodicism, and high pitched voice of the former with the sheer heaviness and calculating rhythms of the latter. Nothing sits still for too long, and the music will challenge your synapses.

---2/3/24

Other albums heard: The Towers of Avarice (2001); A Fragile Mind (2005); Dark Deceiver (2008)

2/3/24 (new entry)

Under the Radar Music

February 18, 2024

Lucifer Was, Norway

Kerrs Pink, Norway

February 11, 2024

Trettioåriga Kriget, Sweden