psychedelic rock / progressive rock
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Whenever a band mentions the word "hard to classify" in their accompanying biography, I think "bring it on". I am a well-calibrated classification-machine, according to my wife, and she knows a little something about calibration techniques. So when Vulkan wrote me a nice email to present this album, I got instantly curious. Quite rightfully too, judging from what I'm listening to now. This is one of those albums that represent maturity, timelessness and an open mind.
Vulkan is a rock band from Sweden, home to many great bands. 'Observants' is their second album, after 'Mask Of Air'. It's a combination of styles, including post-rock, psychedelic rock and dark, progressive metal. First and foremost, it's loaded with immersive rock songs and enhanced with stunning electronics and soundscapes. There certainly are some highly skilled musicians in Vulkan, that's for sure.
The album opens with one of the best intros ever. 'Sleepwalker's March' is an awesome post-rock track, which almost made me wish the rest of this album was more of that goodness. However, things change a bit in 'Invisible Thrones', especially when the vocals come in. At this point I'm reminded of something between Tool, Anathema, Pink Floyd, Opeth and Explosions In The Sky. As a fan of all those bands, I can certainly approve of this blend.
'Hypnotica' is my favorite track, a weird blend of psychedelic rock and progressive metal with some industrial influences hidden in the background. There's also something odd in the vocals, which suddenly turn into a mix of System Of A Down and Middle-Eastern chants. There's so much going on that it becomes hard to follow, but luckily the song remains highly immersive. It sure takes some getting used to at first but once inside the mind of Vulkan, everything becomes brighter and intenser.
After the eerie breather 'Cosmigrants', the band continues with their quite unique sound, throwing out some more sonic power in 'Consequence of Ignorance' and the wildly psychedelic 'the Luning', which even reminds me of Hawkwind. This indeed is a highly varied and continuously interesting album which deserves your attention if you're into psychedelic and progressive music.
Serge
Vulkan is a rock band from Sweden, home to many great bands. 'Observants' is their second album, after 'Mask Of Air'. It's a combination of styles, including post-rock, psychedelic rock and dark, progressive metal. First and foremost, it's loaded with immersive rock songs and enhanced with stunning electronics and soundscapes. There certainly are some highly skilled musicians in Vulkan, that's for sure.
The album opens with one of the best intros ever. 'Sleepwalker's March' is an awesome post-rock track, which almost made me wish the rest of this album was more of that goodness. However, things change a bit in 'Invisible Thrones', especially when the vocals come in. At this point I'm reminded of something between Tool, Anathema, Pink Floyd, Opeth and Explosions In The Sky. As a fan of all those bands, I can certainly approve of this blend.
'Hypnotica' is my favorite track, a weird blend of psychedelic rock and progressive metal with some industrial influences hidden in the background. There's also something odd in the vocals, which suddenly turn into a mix of System Of A Down and Middle-Eastern chants. There's so much going on that it becomes hard to follow, but luckily the song remains highly immersive. It sure takes some getting used to at first but once inside the mind of Vulkan, everything becomes brighter and intenser.
After the eerie breather 'Cosmigrants', the band continues with their quite unique sound, throwing out some more sonic power in 'Consequence of Ignorance' and the wildly psychedelic 'the Luning', which even reminds me of Hawkwind. This indeed is a highly varied and continuously interesting album which deserves your attention if you're into psychedelic and progressive music.
Serge
