Could I have picked a harder album to review? Probably. Could I have picked a more polished album to review? Definitely. A more professional album? Yep. A more mature album? Uh huh. What about a more focused album? Of course. But could I have picked a better album? Doubtful.
Gatling's "Hen In A Pumpkin" is one of the most interesting listens I've had in a long, long while. The album jumps from genre to genre without so much as a second glance, and there really isn't any thought put to making a focused, linear album. Instead, we get an incredibly fun, never boring, and consistently great CD that delivers memorable moment after memorable moment with virtually no filler whatsoever.
How many genres are present on here? Well, it ranges from the simplicity of punk rock to the complexity of avant-garde, from the pure brutality of grindcore to the beauty of opera, and from calm, atmospheric rock to blistering shred solos. That being said, however, this is just as great an album to listen to in short bursts as it is to hear in whole. This is partly because while each track is so different, they all contribute to the album equally and bring something new and refreshing to the table. Each member of the band is very competent at their instrument and more than capable of the frequent genre-jumps present on here.
The most drastic examples of this technique are track nine, "Carnival Bistro," which combines avant-garde metal, acoustic balladry, ambient, opera, and experimental music, and track three, "Grayscale," which features a breakneck guitar riff, a truly epic guitar solo, a techno section, heavy metal riffing, and a drum solo, all crammed into a span of 3 minutes, 38 seconds.
Every song really contributes here and there are very few weak spots, though the short "1001010" does spring to mind as feeling a bit pointless. "Rocks Don't Make Noise" also slips beneath the cracks a bit, mostly because it is a short and straightforward metal offering, though not a bad song by any means. Other weak spots include the production, which I will admit isn't perfect, and... that's about it.
Simultaneously fun, serious, experimental, and conventional, Gatling's "Hen In A Pumpkin" is one album you must listen to. This relatively unknown band deserves much more recognition than they are currently getting (they aren't even signed to a label). Do yourself a favour and get this.
