Beck continues with their weird kind of progressive rock/pop that really is very hard to describe. Melancholic but energic is a phrese that comes to mind. "21st century paranoia" I read somewhere and it fits, but I don't understand the point in this music. It does not speak to me at all.

1)Orphans (6,5)

2)Gamma ray. Sounds like the band Teddybears Sthlm. (6,0)

3)Chemtrails. Reminds me a lot of Barclay James Harvest from the 70's. (6,0)

4)Modern guilt. Boring. (4,5)

5)Youthlesss (6,0)

6)Walls (5,0)

7)Replica (3,0)

8)Soul of a man (5,5)

9)Profanity prayers (5,0)

10)Volcano (6,0)

Score: 5,35

This is this Swedish proggressive band from Uppsala's 5th album but the first I have heard. I've read about the band and have been curious about them and when I saw that fantastic cover and fold-up CD-package I thought that this must be good stuff! Listening to it a few times at home as backgroundmusic did'nt convince me though, but I undestood that this is music that needs much listening before one can dicide if it's good or not. So I did and one day I finally took my headphones and really listened to it... Firstly the album is way too long with it's 77 minutes of music. If they had good material for 77 minutes it would maybe have been okey but they havent. The singing is really weak and a singer with more power would have lifted the album. The songs are interesting and the variation is good, when they play like in the titlesong it's really good stuff but when they go into organ-mishmash and laid back tones and tempo that never stops it gets too much.

1)Awaken the sleeping (7,5) A 5 minute instrumental that gets the fantasy flowing.  hear similarities to Neil Morse's typical pompous keyboardsound and it's good and interesting playing.

2)Destined solitaire (8,5) In this 11-minuter piece of true progpower the singing comes in. Superbe passages and instrumental virtuoso and even though it's a long song I wich it would have been longer! The album's heaviest song and I really like it.

3)Until you comply (including Entropy) (7,0) This one is even longer, 15 minutes. I can hear inspiration from early 70's organ/keyboardbased prog here. Slow and laid back but sometimes it erupts into a crazy waltz, handclaps, a guitarsolo and more.

4)In real life there is no algebra (7,0) Suits fine with a normallength song here. Continues in the same style as the last song though. A little too soft for me.

5)Where the rain comes in (7,0) 70's organstyle prog. Nice talked part like there is on some places on the album. Maybe because the singing is'nt very strong? The clear voice is quite weak sometimes.

6)At home...watching movies (-) 2 minute fill-out.

7)Coup de grace (6,0) Includes accordion wich is nice. Laid back midtempo and istrumental. Nothing special and almost boring.

8)Abigail's question in an infinite universe (5,0) A boring song. I've heard it all before on the album and the singing is rather annoying.

Score: 6,86

Rikard Sjöblom-vocals, keyboards, guitar, accordion

David Zackrisson-guitar

Robert Hansen-bass

Magnus Östgren-drums

http://www.beardfish.argh.se/