When Malady was founded in 2010, the band members wanted to make one album before the age of fifty. Judging from this one, I certainly hope it will not be the only one. I admit, I had to get used to the whole but all of a sudden I envisioned myself playing with that old pick-up player and one of my father's records. Yes, this totally reeks of the seventies, of psychedelic rock with both an experimental and a folk-rock edge.
In fact, most of the music on this album consists of instrumental passages with psychedelic guitar solos. On other occasions, acoustic guitars and flutes enhance the traditional elements and once in a while there even seem to be some post rock influences. Bands I'm often reminded of include King Crimson, Anathema, Porcupine Tree, Alquin, Dream Theater and even Pink Floyd. I know, it's an impressive set of names to be compared with.
And then of course, there are those brilliant outbursts of hammond-driven psychedelics, taking me way back into a time when I wasn't even born. They certainly make me wonder why I haven't been listening to this album earlier. I hope this band takes this show on the road. I can already imagine the joyful sounds floating through the air while trippy projections fill the walls of the venue. Those should be awesome evenings...
Serge