Gazpacho are a motley band of Norwegian
prog maestros named after a Spanish style of chilled tomato soup. It
goes then without saying that this is a band rather unconcerned with
what people think of them. Such a disposition leaves them free to
pursue their eccentric muse and mine the depths of material that prog
affords them. This devil may care attitude is reflected all through
their new album Demon. The title might have you licking your
lips at the prospect of cacophonous riffs and bludgeoning occult
themes. So how is one meant to react to what the album actually
provides; four lengthy compositions that wallow in their peculiar
breed of gentle melancholy?
The arrangements of Demon are
closer in line with the ethos of jazz or classical music than rock
and roll. It is more Emerson, Lake and Palmer than Uriah Heep. More
Bitches Brew than Moving Pictures. By the time the
album wraps up you will not have heard a single chorus or radio ready
single. Instead you will be treated to hosts of mellotrons, pianos,
string arrangements, ghostly choirs, mandolins, decaying vocal
samples, banjos, and accordions (most of these contained within the track 'The Wizard of Altai Mountain' alone). This is the kind of grand pomp we
would expect out of a band like Muse, only extrapolated and inflated
to the nth degree.
In spite of best efforts to the
contrary, Gazpacho could not deny their heavy metal roots forever.
There are brief moments buried among these songs when the guitars get
to shine through the fog. They creep into the twists and turns of
both parts of ‘I’ve Been Walking’ and the hellish conclusion of
‘Death Room’. People won’t be banging their heads to this or
getting caught in a mosh anytime soon but it is a welcome addition
all the same. Just as suddenly as these heavier flourishes arrived so
too do they retreat back into the gloom.
The thick bass lines of that final
track ‘Death Room’ remind us of Norway’s metal legacy. The
trick is in how they are being used. Rather than being paired with
unrestrained thrashing and corpse paint, they help to frame something
far more delicate, adding muscle without upsetting the underlying
frailty. It is a tough balancing act to strike – the gentle and the
powerful make unlikely bedfellows. That contradiction is at the heart
of the album. Can emotional heaviness replace the sonic variety
without short-changing the listener? Demon is a definitive
argument that yes it can.
Scandinavia is
one of the final bastions of classic (non-ironic) progressive rock
that we have on Earth. The Americans and British have largely moved
on, trying to relegate this once-glorious genre to the past. Only in
the old world does it continue to thrive and Gazpacho have been keeping
the faith for over a decade now. Demon is just the latest in their
long line of modern day prog opuses. It is a challenging album but
will keep you coming back. With every listen it will reveal more of
itself to the listener – the prolonged tease that the genre is
famous for.
Rating: B-
Recommended tracks: Death Room, I've Been Walking Part 2
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