Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Posts Tagged ‘Bob Fisher’

Herd of Instinct – Manifestation (2016)

Posted in Instrumental, Progressive Rock, Review, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 28, 2016| 7 Comments »

herd

TRACKLISTING:
1. Manifestation Part Two (5:54)
2. Gridlock (3:37)
3. Baba Yaga (4:35)
4. Manifestation Part One (5:16)
5. Saddha (7:00)
6. Nocturne (1:48)
7. Dybbuk (6:08)
8. Time and Again (3:26)
9. Shatterpoint (6:34)
10. Waterfalls and Black Rainbows (3:46)

LINEUP:
Mark Cook – Warr guitar, fretted and fretless guitar, fretless bass, mellotron, thumb piano, synth, samples
Gayle Ellett – mellotron, moog, Hammond organ, guitar
Mike McGary: mellotron, Rhodes, organ, clavinet, synth, piano, bells
Rick Read – Chapman stick, fretted and fretless bass, Taurus pedals
Ross Young – drums

With:
Bill Bachman – drums (1, 3, 7)
Bob Fisher – flute (4-7), saxophone (2, 8)
Stephen Page – violin (2, 6, 9, 8)

Three years after Conjure, Herd of Instinct are back with a brand-new album, and an equally brand-new lineup. Only Mark Cook (recently in the spotlight on Hands’ outstanding 2015 album, Caviar Bobsled) remains of the original trio that released its self-titled debut in 2011, immediately awakening the interest of the progressive rock fandom. Drummer Jason Spradlin and guitarist Mark Davison have left, replaced by Ross Young and Rick Read,  a pair of excellent musicians from the Dallas-Fort Worth area, formerly with Cook in another local outfit named Minefield. The lineup is completed by multi-instrumentalist Gayle Ellett (of Djam Karet and Fernwood fame) and keyboardist Mike McGary. Drummer Bill Bachman (the other half of the Spoke of Shadows project), violinist Stephen Page and flutist/saxophonist Bob Fisher (who guested on the band’s previous albums) are also on board.

Released on Djam Karet’s Firepool Records label, Manifestation marks both a continuation and an evolution in the band’s approach. While its sound is almost immediately recognizable, based as it is on the versatile, hypnotic sound of the Warr guitar and other touch instruments, it has also acquired a dimension that I might call “symphonic” – though not exactly in the sense it is commonly meant when discussing prog. Indeed, Herd of Instinct may be one of the few currently active bands who have managed to forge their own individual sound, in which influences are incorporated into the fabric of the music without coming across as overtly derivative. The overall effect is one of effortless melody coupled with heady tempo shifts, where the sharper edges are softened by the lush, multilayered instrumental texture. In particular, Rick Read’s Chapman stick and the pervasive presence of prog’s iconic instrument, the mellotron, add depth and complexity – as well as that symphonic feel that sets the album apart from its more austere predecessors.

Clocking in at under 50 minutes, Manifestation continues with the band’s tradition of compositions whose short yet pithy titles evoke mental images. On three of the ten completely instrumental tracks, a somewhat longer running time than on the band’s previous albums allows the musicians to display a wide range of modes of expression, though leaving no room for self-indulgence.

Opener “Manifestation Part Two” introduces the “new” Herd of Instinct, successfully infusing  the band’s seamless ensemble dynamics and stunning solo spots with a haunting sense of melody. Interestingly, “Manifestation Part One” occupies the fourth slot, reprising most of the features of “Part One” (including a lovely Warr guitar solo towards the end), though in somewhat more streamlined fashion. In “Gridlock” the sleek interplay of violin, saxophone and guitar is supported by a brisk drum beat, while the Hammond organ and wailing guitar in the angular “Time and Again” blend vintage psychedelic suggestions with echoes of Eighties King Crimson. On the other hand, intriguing funky elements and an almost wild guitar solo coexist with sound effects and majestic mellotron washes in the energetic “Shatterpoint”.

Manifestation does not forget to tap into Herd of Instinct’s trademark Gothic vein, evoked by the weirdly bleak landscape depicted by the album’s cover art. While the strategically-placed, flute-and-violin interlude “Nocturne” turns from pastoral to almost dissonant in under two minutes, “Baba Yaga” paints a haunting, doom-laden picture in which gentle classical guitar arpeggios are juxtaposed with eerie keyboards and harsh riffs. The intense “Dybbuk” takes the listener on a rollercoaster ride, introducing elements of jazz (courtesy of Rick Read’s fretless bass) and metal into its foundation of interlocking guitar lines fleshed out by keyboards. The 7-minute “Saddha” (a Sanskrit word for “faith”, one of the central tenets of Buddhism)  makes use of a panoply of eerie, ominous sound effects (including a spoken reference to Kafka’s The Metamorphosis) to reinforce the darkly Crimsonian tapestry of guitar, mellotron and flute, backed by Ross Young’s uncannily precise drumming. Finally, “Waterfalls and Black Rainbows” starts out in almost subdued fashion, then increases its dramatic quotient to wrap up the album in style.

Although 2016 promises to be a bumper year for progressive releases, Manifestation is already poised to become a favourite for many of the genre’s devotees. With this album, Herd of Instinct prove they have finally reached their maturity, and have the potential to go on to even better things. Highly recommended to fans of  instrumental prog (especially the King Crimson-inspired brand),  Manifestation is also a must-listen for anyone interested in touch guitars, either as a listener or as a practitioner.

Links:
http://herdofinstinct.wix.com/herdofinstinct

https://www.facebook.com/Herd-of-Instinct-153462274689341/

 

 

Read Full Post »

Spoke of Shadows – Spoke of Shadows (2014)

Posted in Instrumental, Progressive Rock, Review, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 25, 2014| 1 Comment »

cover

TRACKLISTING:
1. Dominion (5:16)
2. Images (3:10)
3. One Day (2:20)
4. Harbinger (3:37)
5. Lost One (3:25)
6. Pain Map (7:25)
7. Persona (3:17)
8. Splendid Sisters (3:17)
9. Tilting at Windmills (6:11)
10. Accord (2:32)
11. Dichotomy (3:33)
12. Drama of Display (3:58)

LINEUP:
Mark Cook – Warr guitar, ADG fretless bass, guitar, keyboards
Bill Bachman – drums

With:
Joe Blair – guitar (10)
Gayle Ellett – mellotron, Fender Rhodes (8)
Bob Fisher – flute (2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9)
Michael Harris – guitar (4)
Jeff Plant – fretless bass (12)
Tony Rohrbough – guitar (2, 4, 6, 9, 11)
Dave Streett – Warr guitar (8)
Shannon Wickline – piano (3)

The project named Spoke of Shadows was born in early 2013, when a mutual friend put Texas-based multi-instrumentalist Mark Cook (who had been writing some music of his own after completing the mixing of Herd of Instinct’s second album, Conjure) in touch with renowned session drummer Bill Bachman. After some virtual recording sessions, Mark and Bill met in person for the first time in Dallas – an essential step for taking their project to the next level. The duo’s self-titled debut album, recorded in various locations throughout the US, was finally released in February 2014 on Djam Karet’s label Firepool Records, like Herd of Instinct’s two albums.

As Spoke of Shadows features 12 relatively short, completely instrumental tracks, first-time listeners might be forgiven for expecting the third chapter of the Herd of Instinct saga, although with different personnel involved. However, Cook has stated on several occasions that the project has allowed him to branch out from his main band’s trademark Gothic-tinged, cinematic sound, and add new elements to his sonic palette – also thanks to the contribution of artists coming from a wide range of musical backgrounds. Obviously, the connection to Cook’s work with Herd of Instinct is clearly on display, but quite a few surprises await the listener throughout the 48 minutes of this sophisticated, highly eclectic album. While the obvious comparisons with King Crimson have been made, Spoke of Shadows does possess a strong individual imprint that sets it apart from so much overly derivative fare.

Unlike some musicians who seem to be in a hurry to take their distance from the “prog” tag, Cook and Bachman (who, among other things, share a love of Gabriel-era Genesis) embrace the definition, as highlighted by the prominent role given to the genre’s iconic instrument, the mellotron. Coupled with Cook’s masterful handling of the hauntingly versatile Warr guitar (an instrument that, in many ways, symbolizes modern prog, even if it has never become truly widespread), it builds lush yet deeply mesmerizing atmospheres that surge and shimmer, conveying a wide range of moods in a subtle yet clearly recognizable way.

The resemblance with Herd of Instinct emerges in the skillful blend of atmospherics and aggression of opener “Dominion”, with its polyphonic guitar chords offset by Bachman’s nuanced drumming. “Images”, however, heralds a keen change in approach – more straightforward in compositional terms, and therefore more reliant on contrasts of light and shade, Bob Fisher’s expressive flute adding an almost free-form touch towards the end. The short, jazzy mood piece of “One Day” – embellished by Charlie Daniels Band’s keyboardist Shannon Wickline’s lovely flowing piano – introduces the razor-sharp Crimsonian workout of “Harbinger”, where the haunting wail of the Warr guitar and the pastoral tone of flute and mellotron rub elbows with a “shredder” solo by Thought Chamber guitarist Michael Harris, as well as a funk-tinged one by Tony Rohrbough (formerly of West Virginia metal band Byzantine). “Lost One” brings back a gentle pastoral mood fleshed out by lush mellotron, while the 7-minute “Pain Map” (the album’s longest track) closes the album’s first half on a striking modern classical note – mellotron and evocative field recordings vying with riff-heavy passages and eerily echoing guitar.

Generally speaking, the album’s second half heads in a more low-key direction, with “Splendid Sisters” a particular highlight. Co-written and -performed by Dave Streett, another Warr guitar enthusiast and long-time collaborator of Cook’s, the wistful, elegiac track with its soothing guitar and flute, understated drumming, and solemn mellotron and electric piano (courtesy of Djam Karet’s Gayle Ellett) is dedicated to talented Italian stickist Virginia Splendore, who passed away in 2011. The restrained, atmospheric “Persona” and “Accord” are conceived along similar lines, while the dramatic, cinematic sweep and doom-laden riffing of “Tilting at Windmills” hint again at Herd of Instinct, and “Dichotomy” starts out in deceptively subdued fashion before developing into another commanding, Crimson-hued number propelled by Bachman’s imperious drumming. “Drama of Display” wraps up the album by expertly mixing different styles, assertive riffs coexisting with ethnic-tinged drumming and a panoply of intriguing sound effects.

An album whose understated elegance belies its high level of technical accomplishment, Spoke of Shadows offers an ideal complement to Herd of Instinct’s two albums and Djam Karet’s latest release, Regenerator 3017. As usual, the visual aspect – with a dark grey background interrupted by a row of bright orange windows (courtesy of photographer Garth Hill) – has been carefully thought out, providing a fine foil to the music within. While the album should not be missed by devotees of the King Crimson school of instrumental progressive rock (which includes the work of Trey Gunn and Tony Levin), it also has the potential to appeal to a broader section of the prog audience (unless, of course, they object to all-instrumental music).

Links:
http://spokeofshadows.wix.com/spokeofshadows

Read Full Post »