Amplifier
The Octopus

4.0
excellent

Review

by menawati USER (94 Reviews)
October 2nd, 2012 | 67 replies

Release Date: 2011 | Tracklist

Review Summary: Not quite enough ideas to be spread across a double-album but nevertheless an excellent release from the Manchester based purveyors of space-rock.

'Amplifier' are a three piece space rock outfit hailing from Manchester in England. The band originally intended to record their 3rd and 4th albums simultaneously but decided to release the bulk of the material as this double-album. They have been compared to Oceansize on a number of occasions and indeed after his former band had broken up guitarist Steve Durose joined Amplifier for their 2011 tour.

When somebody mentions 'space rock' the type of music that normally springs to mind is that of early Pink Floyd or Hawkwind, at least if you forget the term being associated with some American and British alternative rock bands of the 90's. Amplifier do indeed blend influences from both camps as the music does take on a slight alt-rock edge at times. The spectre of the aforementioned giants of the genre loom large only a short way into the album as 'The Runner' segues into the Hawkwind-esque 'Minion's Song'. But the fun doesn't really start until 'Interglacial Spells' heralds its arrival with a trumpeting fanfare and some deranged lead guitar mayhem before settling down into a churning riff which propels the song forward with a relentless groove. The title track maybe seems a shade overdone but once the music takes off at the halfway stage it is difficult not to be drawn in by the cacaphony of doomy riffs, chaotic lead guitar and swirling synths. 'Oscar Night // Embryo' and 'White Horses At Sea // Utopian Daydream' are a couple of the more contemplative offerings and are reminiscent of early-period Porcupine Tree. In fact when the band take things down a notch in this fashion the Wilson influences are quite evident.

Although the more laid back efforts on here are enjoyable Amplifier are most definitely at their best when they let loose and put the pedal to the metal. A case in point is one of the real highlights in the guise of the mesmerizing 'Planet of Insects' with its relentless spacey riffs and air of controlled chaos which admirably paints the ideal backdrop for a retro 60's science-fiction tale of an intergalactic war against a host of ravening insectoids. Listening to the song you can almost picture poorly animated giant ants raging across the landscape in glorious black and white while vocalist and lead guitarist Sel Balamir throws out psych tinged lines such as 'predating on their magic powers, that radiate before their fingers, and though they try to suck me dry, they’ll never manage to consume my feeling of overjoy' . Balamir's 'overjoy' spills over in buckets on 'Golden Ratio' with its trance-inducing melodies and floating wah-wah guitars echoing away behind deftly building walls of fuzz. The majority of the music on this album is enjoyably mesmerizing space rock with flashes of brilliance but on the more pessimistic side there isn't quite enough decent material here to be spread over a double-album. Some of the tracks are overlong and the ideas run a bit thin on occasion.

I would definitely have considered giving this an even higher rating if the ideas had been condensed to fit into 60 or 70 minutes of music. As it stands this double-album contains rather too much filler for my taste. However, as it is being sold at the price of a single album I cannot recommend it more heartily enough to any fans of the genre.

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