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BROTHER APE
www.brotherape.com
Now this is an album I’ve been waiting for with great anticipation, having followed the band’s progress since their third album a couple of years back, and having been instantly hooked by their originality and immense talent. Now on their fifth studio album, the Swedes haven’t failed to deliver yet another class release. The album launches into a fairly standard Brother Ape-fare of breakbeat-style and polyrhythmic drumming and groovily distorted gritty bass, overlaid with subtle melodic guitars and vocals, and whilst you cannot fault it, there’s just a part of you that hopes they’re going to push the musicality further than on their previous release, which they seem to have a particular penchant for. To be honest, the first two or three tracks left me a little disappointed on this front (despite being excellent tracks in themselves) but, by the fourth track, you realise that all good things come to those who wait. ‘Seabound’ is where the album truly comes alive. A delicate and evocative track, equally as beautiful and well-penned as David Gilmour’s more recent work, with vocal harmonies at the start being partly reminiscent of the Everly Brothers. ‘Instinct’ follows on from this; a particularly outstanding mid-paced track, with bass, drums and programming high in the mix to start with, and then the vocals start…luscious indeed! The concluding track, consisting purely of acoustic guitar, brings the album to a satisfactory end and, once more, like all their preceding albums, leaves the listener eager to hear more new material, and to see how much more they can progress as a band. Perhaps one of the most pleasurable aspects for long-term fans will be the apparent leap forward in the maturity of the songwriting and the album’s construction. The subtle, disparate, yet fitting musical elements of light and shade; delicate acoustic guitars and heavier technical riffing, make this album an absolute joy for the listener to behold. In addition, Stefan Damicolas’ vocals have matured even further since the last album, to the point where I would happily declare that he is one of the best contemporary prog rock vocalists around at the moment and in terms of album artwork, drummer Max Bergman has easily created their best artwork to date. And the production and mixing? Immaculate, as it always appears to be with Brother Ape. Their best album to date. You won’t be disappointed!
LABEL:
FORMAT:
Progress Records
Album
A RARE MOMENT OF INSIGHT
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Review by Hannah Sylvester
RUNNING TIME:
53:48
RELEASE DATE:
15th Nov 2010
TRACK LISTING
1) Juggernaut Now
2) Chrysalis
3) Ultramarathon
4) Seabound
5) Instinct
6) Echoes Of Madness
7) The Art Of Letting Go
8) In A Rare Moment
COUNTRY OF ORIGIN:
Sweden
"Their best album to date. You won’t be disappointed!"
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