▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Gazpacho ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Soyuz █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2018 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2018-11-09 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Kscope ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ For some reason, the new album from Gazpacho has █ █ been a difficult review for me to write. ôSoyuzö █ █ (meaning ôunionö, and also referring to a doomed █ █ Russian spacecraft) is one slow burner of an █ █ album, but when you grasp it mentally, it really █ █ shines. The new album released on May 18th through █ █ Kscope. █ █ Gazpacho hails from Norway. The band consists of █ █ Jan Henrik Ohme (vocals), Jon-Arne Vilbo █ █ (guitars), Thomas Andersen (keyboards, █ █ programming), newcomer Robert Johansson (drums), █ █ Kristian Torp (bass), and Mikael Kr°mer (violin, █ █ mandolin). These players all have signature █ █ sounds that I recognize immediately, further █ █ placing this band as quite unique in the prog █ █ community. █ █ ôSoyuzö is somewhat difficult to review because █ █ the album actually has both familiar and new █ █ sounds for this band. The first half of the album █ █ sounds like something typical of their past works █ █ (not a bad thing); with the expected melancholy, █ █ slow paced atmospheres, historical and cultural █ █ references, and unexpected twists and accents. █ █ This is not the band to play when you want to rock █ █ out, certainly. █ █ The second half of the album, though, feels █ █ somewhat different. It feels brighter and less █ █ dreary, like Jan is singing with his hands held to █ █ the skies as MikaelÆs violin is used in a more █ █ orchestral fashion than normal. The lyrics deal █ █ with the idea that human moments are lost in time █ █ helplessly, and so the album muses over human █ █ moments that seem more frozen in time, like the █ █ doomed Russian spacecraft, Buddhist monk funeral █ █ rituals, or classic stories. This makes █ █ everything feel even more philosophical and even █ █ celebratory at times, like a look at the human █ █ condition under the blazing sun of our solar █ █ system. As you can tell, the sound is nuanced and █ █ difficult to explain, so I hope my descriptions █ █ helped a bit. █ █ Like I said, the album flows from familiar █ █ Gazpacho to something of a new sound. Some songs █ █ are soaring and almost ancestral in tone; while █ █ others are gritty, textured, and sorrowful. There █ █ is something fuller and richer about this album as █ █ compared to past offerings. The musical quality █ █ is on par with their last two albums, but the █ █ production and depth here feel somehow bigger, █ █ elevated, and more detailed. █ █ All of this is performed mightily. Jan sounds █ █ great, as usual, and his tone often matches Matt █ █ Bellamy of Muse in some of the more upbeat moments █ █ (I hope he doesnÆt mind me saying that). █ █ Jon-ArneÆs guitars are dark and more post-prog in █ █ tone, while ThomasÆ keys and programming are what █ █ really make this album feel whole. IÆm a huge fan █ █ of RobertÆs drums and KristianÆs bass on every █ █ single album, too, as they always manage to create █ █ twisting, interesting beats and bass lines. They █ █ sound like no others that I know. Meanwhile, █ █ MikaelÆs strings are adding accents and wonderful █ █ melodies to create an amazing final layer. █ █ In full disclosure, all my favorite songs are on █ █ the last half of the album. The first half is █ █ great, too, though. ôHypomaniaö is probably the █ █ best one, being more upbeat for a Gazpacho song, █ █ and I love the vocal melody and programming. I █ █ also love the dark nuances of ôExit Suiteö, a █ █ classic Gazpacho track. █ █ ôSky Burialö starts the flow into a different █ █ sound. This song is ethereal and mounting, almost █ █ like a crack of thunder in the endless sky. █ █ ôFleeting Thingsö follows and is like an ode to █ █ the passing nature of human constructs, and I █ █ absolutely love the chorus. ôSoyuz Outö and █ █ ôRappacciniö end the album with philosophical █ █ musings (I assume RappacciniÆs poisonous daughter █ █ from Nathaniel HawthorneÆs story is the reference █ █ here) and almost a bit of hope. Almost. █ █ Gazpacho has yet another winner with ôSoyuzö. The █ █ band still isnÆt for listeners who want metal or █ █ kinetic technicality, but for those of us who █ █ appreciate textured musings, deep lyrics, and █ █ unusual twists; this album is perfection. █ █ █ █ --- █ █ █ █ "Soyuz" is Norweigian progers Gazpacho's 10th █ █ studio album. I have seen quite a lot of different █ █ opinions trying explain what their music is like. █ █ And I will try to do it here but it is difficult. █ █ But what I can say is that it is prog, they are █ █ different from the norm and they like to really █ █ challenge the listener whose prepared to spend █ █ time trying to really unlock their music but at █ █ the same time people who don't have the time to █ █ get into their stuff can still be rewarded. What █ █ I'm saying is their music works on 2 levels and █ █ that is one of the things that make this band so █ █ special. █ █ The album has a nice opening with "Soyuz one". I █ █ love the build up on this track as it begins █ █ another facinating Gazpacho journey weaving gently █ █ into the album. Then the track has these wonderful █ █ heavy then soft moments reminesant of "Even Less" █ █ by Porcupine tree but done with the Gazpacho █ █ stamp. The second track "Hypomaina" also has a █ █ gentle introduction but after that the band throw █ █ a bit of a curve ball and go into a terrority I █ █ have never really heard Gazpacho go in before. It █ █ actually sounds like Radiohead's "The Bends" era. █ █ And with "The Bends" being my favourite Radiohead █ █ album, this is no bad thing for me at all. This is █ █ an excellent track and nice to see a band who █ █ after 10 albums are still mixing things up a bit. █ █ The thrid track "Exit suite" acts as a nice break █ █ after the heavier "Hypomania". What I like about █ █ Gazpacho is really they have 3 musical weapons. █ █ The guitar, the keyboard and the violin. Instead █ █ of creating say a guitar driven track or a █ █ keyboard driven track. They often give each █ █ instrument the limelight within each song. For █ █ example in "Soyuz one", there is a violin solo █ █ outro to the track which is just amazing and █ █ something which seems quite rare on a prog record. █ █ But again this is just another thing which makes █ █ Gazpacho stand out and keeps them interesting. The █ █ 4th track "Emperor Bespoke" is a great example of █ █ this with some bits focusing on the keyboards, █ █ some the guitar then some bits are a mix of both. █ █ This is an 8 minute track and is one of my █ █ favourites off the album. The soaring vocals on █ █ this track just top it off for me. █ █ Then the album takes a bit of a down turn for me █ █ with in my opinion the 2 weakest tracks off the █ █ album being "Sky burial" and "Fleeting thoughts". █ █ The thing I don't like about "Sky burial" in █ █ particular is the 2 notes being played on the █ █ keyboard over and over again throughout the track. █ █ While with "Fleeting thoughts" there is just not █ █ enough happening for me in this track. But it was █ █ almost like these are the 2 calm tracks before the █ █ epic 13 minute centrepiece which is "Soyuz out". █ █ This track really just takes my breath away and █ █ just shows how good Gazpacho are at constructing █ █ long songs while keeping them interesting. The █ █ album finishes with "Rappaccini" which is a nice █ █ wind down track and a good way of finishing the █ █ album. █ █ Overall this is a good album with many magical █ █ moments. There are a couple of bits which for me █ █ weren't as good but somehow they are positioned █ █ into the album in a way that they kind of made the █ █ best with what they had. I have heard quite a bit █ █ of Gazpacho's back catalogue this year and this █ █ one certainly fits into it very well. On the whole █ █ it is an album I would go back to try unlock more █ █ of the hidden secrets that lay within. And you █ █ never know hopefully those thoughts I had about █ █ those 2 tracks will just have been fleeting █ █ thoughtsà █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Soyuz One 6:21 ░ ░ 2. Hypomania 3:38 ░ ░ 3. Exit Suite 3:38 ░ ░ 4. Emperor Bespoke 7:42 ░ ░ 5. Sky Burial 4:25 ░ ░ 6. Fleeting Things 4:18 ░ ░ 7. Soyuz Out 13:23 ░ ░ 8. Rappaccini 4:06 ░ ░ 47:31 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░