In Extremis is the second album to be released by the band Days Between Stations, following the 2007 release of the debut album, titled Days Between Stations.
The band nucleus comprises only two permanent members and they are
Sepand Samzadeh (guitar) and Oscar Fuentes (keyboards). The name of the
band apparently came from a 1985 novel which one of the two was reading
at the time. Both members describe the music produced by the band in
different ways, Sepand describes the music as art rock, while Oscar goes
for post rock. I have subsequently seen references to the music as prog
rock, psych rock and even, space rock. All this time, I thought I was
the only one who struggled with the modern sub-genres of progressive
music.
There are guest musicians aplenty on In Extremis
and include, Billy Sherwood (guitar), Tony Levin (bass and chapman
stick), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), the late Pete Banks (guitars) and
Colin Moulding (bass), which means there is a wealth of talent on show
throughout this album.
In Extremis
is an 8 track album clocking in around the 69 minute mark, with track
6, “Waltz In E Minor,” the shortest at only 2:06 minutes and the final
track, also the title track, “In Extremis” stretching to an epic 21:37
minutes, and it is a real “tour de force” to end the album.
This is an album that, for the first time, contains vocals, as the earlier Days Between Stations
(2007) release was purely instrumental. Although Sepand and Oscar wrote
all the music, Billy Sherwood was involved with the lyrics and both
Sepand and Oscar acknowledged that he added another dimension to their
ideas.
On an initial listen to In Extremis,
I found myself slightly confused by the unexpected content range as the
music stretches across progressive themes, into ambient sound and even
full orchestra territory, and it has taken several plays to “get into”
the music.
Highlights
for this reviewer after many listens to the music would have to be the
quirky track 5, “The Man Who Died Two Times,” the penultimate “Eggshell
Man” and that “tour de force” that completes the album, the title track,
“In Extremis.”
“The
Man Who Died Two Times” (4:11) is a very catchy track, due to its
quirkiness, which makes it particularly memorable. Colin Moulding,
former XTC member, delivers the perfect vocal on a track which conjures
up comparisons with Genesis and the Moody Blues as a short punchy prog
pop track. Three giants of the prog world, who have all at one point
been members of Yes, come together on the penultimate track of the
album, “Eggshell Man” (11:58). Pete Banks, Billy Sherwood and Rick “The
Caped Crusader” Wakeman are all featured on this track. There are tempo
changes, rich harmonies and superb instrumental passages from all
concerned producing a stunning prog rock classic. A slow gentle
introductory passage has an amazing flute (possibly a mellotron?) as the
phased harmonies carry the track along to the 3:30 minute point when
there is a shift in tempo and a terrific piano led passage with
excellent drumming. Around the 5 minute mark, there is a very unusual
sound in a prog track, that of a lute, apparently a Persian lute called a
Tar. The tempo shifts this way and that before the 9 minute mark sees
the entrance of an amazing moog solo from Wakeman which drives the track
onwards until the return of the phased vocals from the start, together
with the flute and a subtle change in tempo which takes the track out.
The
final track, “In Extremis” (21:37) is a real epic piece of progressive
rock which moves through six distinct phases incorporating orchestral
themes and choral style vocals, to create a constantly building wall of
sound over which both Pete (Banks) and Sepand (Samzadeh) add guitar
flourishes over the pulsating sound until around 8:30 minutes or so when
the sound drops away and there is another of those piano/acoustic
passages and a very plaintive vocal delivery. At 11:15 minutes there is a
flourishing passage of synthesizer which builds up in intensity and
around 13 minutes there is the briefest hint of a church style organ
before the guitars set about a stunning passage, always underpinned with
a synthesizer melody. Another change of tempo brings back the crystal
clear vocals with a simple piano motif over drums and bass. At around 18
minutes there is the appearance of another instrument not normally
associated with prog circles, a muted trumpet, as the track starts to
build towards its finale, with the orchestral sounds and choral vocals
adding to the effect.
In Extremis,
the album, is a concept album of some description with the theme being
the progression through birth, life and death, suitably encompassed in
that 21:37 minute title track album finale. Throughout the album there
are hints and nods in various prog directions and it is possible to
detect Genesis, Yes, Floyd and vocals similar to Jon Anderson and Peter
Gabriel, but it is a feather in its cap that the album is not a rehash
of those influences, but a stand-alone excellent progressive album.
While not quite getting a “One To Buy” special sticker it is definitely
an album worth a listen or two which will see it take its place on many a
CD shelf.
4.5/5 STARS
Key Tracks: The Man Who Died two Times, Eggshell Man, In Extremis
Jim “The Ancient One” Lawson-MuzikReviews.com Staff
June 19, 2013
No comments:
Post a Comment