Review Summary: The album is a must. This is thinking man's sweet piece of cake, this is real inspired art and real music. Feed your mind, soul and ears with the music of Phase, you will never regret it.
I guess that the adventure of listening is all about music... What I mean? For ages and ages everyone addicted to art of sound is hunting new bands, new songs, new musical genres, just go offer in the ear new pleasures and new listening adventures... and this absolute power of every new discovery is often turned to creativity... and this creativity is the force that gives new life to the art of sound... Yes the people behind Phase are addicted to music persons and their debut record's debut song is called 'The Smile'... Nothing is random in here....
'The Smile' captures all the richness of the mid 90s alternative guitar world, being a bombastic opening track that is NOT preparing the listener for what is about to follow... 'Perdition' dives into a mysterious trip hopping vortex - thanks to its rhythm section- while its guitar and hypnotic vocals are guiding further into the trip... Soon it will turn to an exotic piece of music blessed by the touch of The Tea Party...
'Transcendence' starts with a narrative acoustic melody. The vocals will offer you a small caress and the song will go on: small electric touches... the mystery fills the air.. Again this exotic touch would make you NOT want to wake up. A psychedelic, piece of inspiration blessed by melodies forgotten (but not dead). I wish it could last a little longer... Fortunately 'Ibidem' follows fast and in this specific case that someone would wait for a breaking through a new song -after the acoustic 'Transcendence' this is simply not happening.. A deeper dive into the vortex... new exotic melodies... vocals narrates their story singing beautifully strange... they climbing on the melodies of the guitars.. and back again and then the breaking comes... electric, heavy and (again) exotic. An electrified, heavy anthem, with eyes straight into the 70s.
An 'Evening On My Dark Hillside' follows, can you bring this very specific picture into your mind using just the music? This song will help you. But I have to point that this song is so attractive that the pictures that were created in my own mind were covered with a little more light, no matter the title, a multi-instrumental still carrying this exotic touch.
'Hypoxia' is probably the most ideal track for the band's live shows. Hardly guitar driven, it really bombs your mind but it would still get you into the trip... It carries a wonderful chorus... and some real into the point dialogues between clean and overdriven guitars. The effects are there to spread the dark colours around and the vocals in here are carrying this cold touch of the early 80s Bauhaus influenced dark wave. The outro -and intro- piano melody is saving the day.
A mourn is clearly pictured through 'A Void', dark and heavy song and do not search for electric low tuned guitars in here... just the loneliness of a clown behind the mirror. A song to stuck you on the wall. Be careful. After this the cold post industrial overdose of 'Static' is what the listener would need.. it is just when we put the mask again. Anger... No the word 'industrial' is not here to describe any music... I am stuck on the song's electrified outbreaks.
Seriously longing for an epilogue after so much different emotions, strange forces, colours and felling having overtaken the mind... Seriously... 'The Next Illusion To Fade' is simply this although the song would push the listener deeper finally there WOULD BE a way out, thanks to those leading violin melodies.. and this clean guitar is still haunting me before the final breaking...
I have written in the beginning of the review that the people behind this band are musically addicted. I realised that after a careful listening to an album including music so much inspired and with SO MANY different influences. From the late 60s Psych Rock, to Led Zeppelin, to the 80s Dark Wave, to the Neo-Psych of the 90s (Delirium Records), from exotic traditional and folk music of the east (ancient and newer) to the 90s Alternative and from the focused musical vision of Tool's second period to the Trip Hop of Bristol. Bands like Porcupine Tree, Anathema, Gathering -third period mainly- and Tea Party would also come to your mind on your trip to the Phase world.
Originally posted on Forgotten Scrolls Webzine by Chris 'Countraven' Papadakis
