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Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Colouratura

WTF Was That?!

Review by Gary Hill

This act from Ohio plays an intriguing blend of music. It definitely qualifies as progressive rock, but it's not the prog of old. This is fresh and hard rocking. It has a lot of variety. While there are a number of influences I make out, Frank Zappa is the most frequent contender. Call this what you like. I call it entertaining and original.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 2 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
WTF Was That?!
Fast drumming gets the opening title track underway. After a time other instruments join in a classy and loud prog rock instrumental jam. This gets some powerhouse sound added to the mix. At less than two-minutes of music, they manage to pack a lot of cool into it. A spoken, non-abbreviated, title at the end earns this a parental advisory.
Toy Soldiers
This is a rocker with a lot of quirky art rock angles built into it. It's dramatic and powerful.
Flim-Flam Man
There is some serious funk in this mix on this hard rocker. I'm reminded a little of Frank Zappa on this, but his more straight rock side. The instrumental break with flute over the top begs comparisons to Jethro Tull. There is some cool synthesizer sound later in that section.
Side Hustle
The flute remains on this rocker. This heavy and electric guitar based, but it's also more traditional progressive rock. The Jethro Tull references are definitely valid here.
Lousy Smarch Weather
It seems that Zappa should definitely be mentioned again on this track. It's a hard rocking, nearly metal song, but there are definitely things that make me think of Mr. Zappa. This has some cool prog angles and interesting eccentricities.
Away
A balladic cut, this has some definite proggy elements in the mix. The classical instrumentation is a nice touch. While remaining true to its origins, this does get fairly powered up before it's over.
Palace of Blood
Pealing of cathedral bells is heard as this gets going. That drops away and a piano takes over. This instrumental is decidedly progressive rock based. It gets quite hard rocking and appropriately (given the title) dark and creepy.
SIMR
The synthesizer is a big part of the arrangement on this. There are some of those Zappa hints on this track, as well. The vocals make me think of something like Gentle Giant or Pentwater to some degree. Music of this is sans singing, though. It has some intriguing instrumental work.
Sleeping Giant
Spacey, trippy, yet fairly noisy, sounds get this going. The cut shifts to a mellower, melodic prog movement that creates a rather balladic approach for the first vocals. They power it out to some almost metallic modes for the chorus section. This continues to evolve and grow from there with some tasty keyboard work over the top later. It gets pretty freaky in prog ways as that continues driving onward.
The LSD No-No

There is a twisting kind of psychedelia meets electronic prog vibe to this. It's unusual, but also very cool. It gets pretty powered up and involved before it's over.

Mothman
Bouncy, driving and funky, this thing has some pretty crazy vibes. Zappa might be a valid reference here, too. The bass work on this is particularly cool. This whole track is so much fun. I absolutely love it. The same spoken thing that got the opening number a parental advisory is heard at the end of this song.
 
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