Misplaced Childhood Blog

15.05.2004., subota

___________pSyChOtIC WaLtZ__________

psychotic official link i napokon jedan post posvećen jednom pravom heavy metal bandu.ali nikako ne nekakvom stereotipnom metal bandu koji poziva junake na junački otpor silama mediokritestva pa onda konan barbar spašava stvar a red sonja puči usnice u smjeru krvožedne publike.niš od toga.ovo je bend koji u svom izražaju ima duboke korijene u legendama s kraja 60-tih..led zeppelin,black sabbath i naraočito jethro tull.ali nije to puko recikliranje..kao što to rade bezbrojni stoner bandovi danas.psychotic waltz imaju svoj univerzalni sound..i zvuče kao niti jedan heavy bend prije njih.ima tu i naravno utjecaja vrhunske škole prog metala...utjecaji watchtower i fates warning su vrlo izraženi...ali ovaj bend ne gubi niti sekundu u originalnosti.i zaista..oni su progresivni metalni kult.sound je pun efekata..cijeli bend kao da pliva u moru psihodelije..a ipak to je vrlo snažan i moćan heavy metal. vokal..buddy lackey..je i glavni tekstopisac benda..a tekstovi poniru u najdublje tajne ljudske psihe..ljubav se susreće sa smrću..misao sa transcendencijom..tijelo sa bolom..i olakšanjem u snovima.nažalost psychotic waltz su se radi problema sa drogama raspali 1997 godine...i danas postoje frakcije benda..kao darxstar...i kao fenomenalni dead soul tribe..čiji je vođa buddy lackey..ali pod novim imenom devon graves..naime on se uspješno odvikao od heroina..i u austriji..u beču..osnovao ovaj band koji je toliko željeni nastavak psychotic waltza.i ovdje se čuje njegova flauta(da flauta u metalu!)..a ovaj put svira i lead gitaru. a sad evo diskografije benda i što o njima veli gibraltar rock enciklopedija: _________DISCOGRAPHY_________ A Social Grace (90) Into the Everflow (92) Mosquito (94) Bleeding (96) Days and Birth of a Legend (98, Compilation) Dark Millenium (99) For me personally they were most-appreciated prog-metal band for a long time, as they were more powerful and less mass-appealing than Dreamy Theater or Fates Warning. As the monicker suggests they have feeling for "heady" things (to certain extent). I have first four albums and have also heard the compilation. The line-up is (almost) usually metallic, which means two guitars, bass and drums with some keyboard programming, but then again there was a central figure, vocalist/ flutist Buddy Lackey, who also wrote lyrics (rather socio-critical). All mentioned 'bout him certainly recalls a comparison with Ian Anderson (of Jethro Tull fame - which are in turn responsible for few more intelligent approaches in hard rock and metal in the 80's), albeit I don't know, if Buddy also used to stand only on one leg during performances. Debut A Social Grace is a good mix of Watch Tower and more melodic/ harmonic riffs, quite heavy, quite complex and a bit murky. Actually melodies prevail, but dischords seep through here and there. The best picks are the sharp opener "And the Devil Cried", more controlled "Halo of Thorns" and "Another Prophet Song", elegiac "I Remember" and a few darker tracks like a "Spiral Tower". Their second, Into the Everflow is for my opinion their best. Sound of debut is mixed with 70's sympho, 60's psych, funk, alternative, etc. The "plateau" opens with anthemic "Ashes", which sounds really exalted, then continues with quite heady "Out of Mind"."Tiny Streams" is paying an homage to Black Sabbath in some way, while "Freakshow" is an appraisal of Jane's Addiction leader Perry Farrell (Lackey was seemingly great fan of Janes at that time), but is extraordinary track, where Lackey show his talents in vocal acrobatics (he gets my vote for the best singer in metal.) PW are also in longer song format contest. "Into the Everflow"and "Butterfly" are both 9+' minute long. Both shift through different atmospheres. "Little People" is interesting song whose lyrics (probably) deal with tv-soapies like Santa Barbara and the like (with which American readers are probably more acknowledged than I am -- I mean that tv-programs boasts of this more than on the ol' continent). It's hard to believe that such crap can inspire such good music. Mosquito sees the band navigate into more alternative/grungy waters (close to sound of Soundgarden circa Superunknown), but the ending result is very good, also more "spacy". Outstanding pieces: simply fantastic "Mosquito", pretty laid-back "Lovestone Blind" and maybe the best Pinky Floydy influenced number of all times, "The Mindsong", to name only few. With The Bleeding, the band shifted "back to the roots" with more modern production. Album sounds powerful but did not convince me for some reason. Still some good tracks like "Morbid", "Locust" and "Faded". Days of Birth and Legend offers some unreleased tracks and outtakes of never finished tracks plus a recorded concert from times just before A Social Grace was released. The sound is quite rough, but the effect is excellent. Tracks from A Social Grace sound darker but much much cooler. I'm not sure if the compilation contains the first Aslan demo. In the time when Days was released, Lackey went out and was replaced soon after. When Dark Millenium came out, I didn't even bother. But if you find yourself to like metallic prog, first three albums are a necessary purchase. -- Nenad Kobal

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