That infernal bass sound always does me in, as if seduced by a bewitching siren sitting atop a faraway rock, beckoning me into her loving arms ! Plus, this band is from Poland, which in my book, has a most favorite nation status attached to whatever is sent my way. Two main players lead the band, Artur Placzynski wielding a constantly threatening in your face bass guitar that show little mercy, while colleague and composer Andrzej Sesiuk handles all the keyboards and assorted programming , bringing along drum kit basher Torsten Bugiel, vocalist Mikolaj Krzaczek and guitarist Michal Kaszczyszyn. Other guest spots use backing vocals, trumpet and saxophone. “Universum” is their second release coming after the 2023 debut Illusions.
The diabolical bass flings “The Road to Nowhere” into a tremor-laden soundscape that shudders, shimmers and shapeshifts like a highway to perdition, Artur and Torsten on the low-end, settling scores long withheld, while Andrzej’s rousing ivories and Misha’s scorching axe grinds pack quite the wallop. It leaves Mikolaj all the freedom needed to let his lungs bellow like there is no tomorrow. “The Wheels of Time” keeps the four-string bulldozer on the accurate course, even though the contrasts between melodic heights and threatening valleys keeps the listener on perpetual edge. The vocalist is unafraid to venture into more profound dramatics, the rabid synthesizers looping like a speeding clock lost in space, showcasing a variety of new angles , that provide for the perfect platform for some stringed acrobatics from both Artur and Michal, who seemingly complement each other diligently. As if momentarily floating in the abyss of reflection, the echoing “In the Deep” develops into a moody statement that lets the music breathe, at times vaporous and otherwise breezy, harmony voices adding to the drama. That bellicose bass is delightfully romantic, like a patient lover looking for bliss, yearning for the explosive climax provided by a sensual guitar ejection.
A perfect set-up for the first of two epic tracks, “M.A.D” clocking in just under a dozen minutes and conjuring up quite the overt athleticism with muscular grooves, depth-charge drum patterns, eerie vocal aspirations, and molten riffs that swerve in between vast mellotron swaths, as if it was the harbinger ‘of the end of the human race’. There are plenty of dynamic shifts, to keep the listener skirting the edge of the void, unsure of what may appear next, from above or below, and in front or behind. The colossal orchestral section is cataclysmic, the ensuing riffs a lava flow of imminent carbonization, the rhythm section pounding the forges of Vulcan. A vault into a stunning mid-section, complete with melodic brass interjections and a squadron of stop and start acrobatics, more choir mellotron and slaughtered by a hushed vocal segment that elevates into a colossal wallop of emotions.
One can be angry about being a “Digital Slave”, it’s going to happen anyway, or so have the seers forewarned so long ago, technology will alter the balance between master and servant. But don’t worry , it will be for the betterment of humanity, when even feelings can be manipulated by the all-encompassing algorithmic gods, replacing evil politicians and corrupt public servants with kind-hearted and humane programmers. Freedom to surf and be kept in tow willingly, nothing more than a gullible audience to the governing ‘authoreatrics’ ( a made-up word, for now). Needless to state, the clever arrangement alternates between anthem and rage, between abject acceptance and surrender, each musician getting the opportunity to kneel to the spotlight.
The thoughtful “Universum” owns a bejeweled melody loaded to the gills with unabashed emotions, expressed vocally as well as instrumentally, a velvety touch that is most welcome, proving that this band has many more attributes than just blasting away in a narrow corridor of sound. Mikolaj Krzaczek in particular is quite the revelation, an uncanny ability to vary his tone just enough to meet the song’s requirements.
Back to that gruesome bass, which is after all, the bait I willingly bit into (you will too, fear not!), in full complicity with the others , coming across as a well-oiled machine that fears no struggle, able to alter the raspy vocal sonics into a gratuitous discourse on the “Empire’s Fall”, spewing theatrical epithets at some historical enemy that wishes to maintain their dominion. Good luck with the Polish, who along with their Hungarian brothers have watched a few empires tumble by the wayside. That bass rumble finale reminded me of the charge of the heavily armored winged hussars at the battle of Vienna.
Where I really admire this band (beyond that 4-string beast) is having the defiant courage to finish off this sophomore album with not one but two massive epics. The exquisitely neo-classical slant on “Agartha” is breathtaking, as composer and keyboardist Andrzej Sesiuk develops his influences with a calculated grandeur that illustrates a strong melodic sense, as well as enough drama and conviction to make the earth tremble in approval. The sheer audacity of involving a trumpet section reek of historical perspective, the trebly bass guitar emulating thousands of horses galloping with one goal, even daring to deliver a masterful solo (I am so in). The final moments are exhilarating , a masterclass in class.
Nothing wrong with an introspective finale and “A Look into the Inner Self” stamps the seal of approval with an 18 minute + behemoth, a rousing and quivering selection of intersecting movements that seek out new stylistics, proficiently playing the patience card, weaving a complex web of assorted sounds, at first relying heavily on electronic boundaries, where synthesized slivers of light within a darker expanse seek to cause concern and unease, as if a soundtrack to some inner revelation kept in the deepest recesses of thought, the gyrating bass unpeeling layers of guilt or fear with apparent impunity, and hypnotic whirling dervishes of sound from the razor-sharp guitars. Finally, all these elements of tone and disturbance combine into one vortex of turbo-charged mayhem that has no outer escape option. All must be internalized, nursed along by ambient sections of cottony numbness, at times like Tangerine Dream/Ash Ra Tempel on steroids. The intensely exploratory nature of this send-off is laudable, a merging of the simple and the complex, the sensual dancer and the mechanical robot doing a timeless tango, smiling at each other. The brass cavalry enters the fray with a seductive touch that is to die for, a modern jazz-funk electro fest of the highest order, as if Zawinul and Shorter (RIP) barged in as spiritual guests. This genius track alone is worth the price of admission and then some. It has everything needed for internal stimulation. The snoring bass takes this one straight to bed, where the pillows await. Incredible.
The band is even better when delving into cinematographic explorations, definitely a style they should keep on perfecting. The three longer pieces here are extraordinarily attractive , no disrespect at all to the shorter, harder pieces, but their prog influences and sensibilities are truly amazing to witness. Modern prog at its best.
4.5 Eternities