Another stellar band that I have neglected to review, even though I own all their four albums, each one of consistently high quality and oozing creative space prog, led by the mercurial Mert Gocay. He renders raucous guitar riffs that scour the wild blue yonder, bolstered by an energetic rhythm section that balances propulsion and melodic underpinning when required. The various keyboards serve as orchestrations that add even more intensity to the fiery display, knowing when to alternate into regular pools of cosmic ambiance. These attributes span their entire discography and is clearly revealed on the opening piece “The Fate”, a seasoned galactic promenade, where the piano detail appears as the movement veers into its final outcome. Yet, the jaw dropping melody on “Open Your Eyes” steals the thunder, long enough for the forceful brutality of a relentlessly pounding beat to slam one in the gut, while omnipresent synths revel with a sombre piano motif. Masterclass.
From that point on, the gears shift back to more robust trimmings, as “Keep on Slay” plows forward uninhibited, spewing irate lyrics about ‘sneaky friends’, before a bass-fed monolith chugs onward. The tectonic tremors trigger the needle to wander into the red, a savage electric guitar path leaving fiery sparks trail in the otherwise gloomy darkness. The next track maintaining the pressure with a nearly punkish ‘welcome to my world’, reminding us how much rebellion was involved with the original purveyors of space rock (we know who the guilty are), an obtuse synthesizer cameo appearance doing a fair amount of damage.
Some reflective commentary on “Every Human” reminds us that with every step forward, their comes the obligatory push back, gravity seemingly always seeking some semblance of unjust balance, combining more teetering to go with the tottering. Proof arrives in form of the disturbing segue , where the title illuminates the proof that ‘Somewhere Between Doom and Prophecy” remains the scourge of human advancement. We ultimately learn more from our hapless setbacks that our gloating achievements, the melancholic guitar swinging from one to the other like a pendulum, an early Floyd vibe ‘speaks the truth’. The systematic use of emphatic piano patterns as a complimentary detail is exemplary.
Throw in commentary on injustice and damnation on the next two tracks, with a stinging guitar as a faithful companion, and one cannot help but to realize that the interplanetary voyage has become internalized and fully introspective, the inner self even more mysterious that the visible universe. The sorrowful anthemic atmosphere is crushingly accurate on the second one, elevated to sublime heights with an unfettered instrumental bridge that divulges a sensitive melodic line. I know that it bucks the current trend, but Eternity does sound better than Hell. Speaking of the underworld, “Let It Burn” is not an ode to Joan of Arc but rather a hopeful expectation of some salutary phoenix eventually rising, leaving the ashes of corruption, destruction and lies behind, a corrupt nightmare that only peace can dissolve. Acoustic reverie ‘with so much more’, bucolic climes, expressive voice and a glorious sheen. A revelation indeed.
Time for the epic spot, a series of five connected tracks, starting with the 8 minute and change “Return to Void”, a gliding suborbital pause for battery recharge and eventual deflection into igniting the organ, bass, drums and synths into full bloom, though keeping the throttle plunge for the final surge. Keeping the mood intact with its spidery acoustic guitar gloom, “End of the Day” is surely another highlight core moment on an already wonderful recording. Imagine a first half laden with unbearable restraint, suddenly evolving into a brave new world of spirited angst, the roiling energy kicking in with just the slightest hint of venom, immediately bleeding into the vaporous and shrivelled “All this Time”, a curious mix of straightforwardness and charm, daubed with hazardous keyboard work and a rigid leaning towards melancholic disposition, then slicing through the “Emotions of Gray” within a sea of forlorn narration, where blandness is expressed with deadpanned passion. Having descended from the empty penthouse and meandering through each floor of self questioning patience, and multiple rooms of both tedium and ennui as expensive furniture, we all together as one arrive to “the Gate”, either a hopeless entrance from which there is no return, or au contraire, an illuminating doorway to liberation and freedom. Seventy minutes of thrilling music to figure out the answer.
Previous reviews have rightfully vaunted the merits of this Turkish delight and, all it takes is one listen to agree that it certainly ranks among the very best of 2025. It begins with fate and ends at the gate. Very slick…
4.5 Bosphorus Twilights