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Led by the illustrious Lady Obscure, music freak extraordinaire, Lady Obscure Music Magazine is a high-end production focusing on bringing together both the musicians and the fans with real passion for everything that is music. Lady Obscure Music Magazine is here to bring amazing music from around the world to light. Since 2014, Seven Days has allowed readers to comment on all stories posted on our website. While we’ve appreciated the suggestions and insights, the time has come to shut them down — at least temporarily. You must be a forum member to post a review, please register here if you are not.
The result is an updated take that both honors and teases prog conventions and manages to paint outside its royal red lines. As a registered member , you can post rating/reviews (& edit later), comments reviews and submit new albums. It’s a masterful finish, made all the more satisfying by the previous restraint. The band has an interesting method of sharing the vocal leads, as three different members offer their performance here. And last but not least, the crown jewel arrangement on the sublime and surreal "Errol McSquisitor", all conspire to startle the unprepared listener into being vaulted into sheer bliss. I was expecting something tasty but this was a very enjoyable ride, indeed.
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Here however the guitars suddenly insist on bursting through for the first time, John Whyte rivalling his keys-mate for domination, and also taking lead vocal duties for this song. The results are the most Rush like sound in evidence here but again it is done extremely well and in a way that gently persuades, rather any attempt to "in your face", or "look at me", most bands insist upon; less often providing so much more. Despite that seemingly bloated run time, the album is actually quite efficient.
For there's no doubt that it deserves a rightful place as one of the best albums I've heard all year. They combine classic sounds with new ideas to great effect, and I'm immensely impressed. They have a new album arriving in Spring 2014, so be sure to check it in addition to this album, too. "Errol McSquisitor" is another nice, down-tempo, atmospheric song, most likely the best of the bunch . Dan Bolles is Seven Days' assistant arts editor and also edits What's Good, the annual city guide to Burlington. He has received numerous state, regional and national awards for his coverage of the arts, music, sports and culture.
Adam Rabin | Elephants of Scotland | Mailbox
Through all my time with Mailbox, I always had a side stash of songs that were too rocking and epic to do without the right live band. This is the debut album by Elephants of Scotland which includes some of those songs and others that were written in collaboration with the guys. Elephants of Scotland's latest album Home Away From Home lays down a lot of familiar elements combined in ways that are fairly conventional but still show skill in composition. Apart from that, there seemed to be an overall lack of energy in the recordings, sort of a stagnant feel throughout. In the end, die hard fans of neo-prog may be satisfied but Home Away From Home may have difficulty reaching a broad range of prog audiences.
Led by vocalist, keyboardist and primary songwriter Adam Rabin, EoS deliver a generally well-crafted suite of material. It’s founded on songwriting structures that are rigid enough to give each song an identifiable framework but pliable enough to allow for flights of improvisational fancy. As prog aficionados know, there’s a fine line between instrumental ingenuity and outright wankery.
ELEPHANTS OF SCOTLAND Home Away From Home reviews
The Seed is one of those songs that, whilst seemingly in complete contrast to the rest of the album, works so well. If I didn’t know any better I would say I’ve stumbled on a forgotten relic of the synth pop era of the 1980’s. A mournful vocal glides over a soothing synth line and a pared back guitar note, all the while the smooth bass and pared back drums holding steady in the background. The solo is a gem in fact the guitar sound on this song is brilliant throughout, making the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. Title track Home Away From Home is the shortest track on the album, a funky, reggae style guitar intro and strong vocal lead you into the track keeping a relatively slow pace until everything gets shaken up a little by the great guitar making use of some great effects. Taken on its own, the song could be said to be a bit short in stature but, in the context of the album as a whole it fits in well with the rest of the tracks.
They have a classic rock vibe buried in their style that keeps the music moving along without much pause for noodling or the like. When I come to neo-prog, though, I mainly come for the excellent keyboard work, and Elephants of Scotland do not disappoint in this area. They manage to fuse spacey atmospherics with organ leads and solos to great effect.
First track Geograph rolls in with some nice keyboards and a cool bass line, the drums already adding a quality feel to proceedings. When Adam Rabin’s vocals kick in I am immediately reminded of IQ and the song has a similar vibe all the way through, a very tight rhythm section holding things together before an excellent solo from John Whyte, impressive musicianship all round here. Full Power has a delightful keyboard intro, lilting and quite mesmerising before the piano takes over, overlaid by the distinctive vocal.
I was in the mood for some great neo-prog, and I was certainly not disappointed when I purchased this debut album from Vermont's Elephants of Scotland. I was, to my shame, attracted by the interesting name and the great, spacey artwork . In other words, this album has a certain attraction to it from the start.When I popped it into my player, I was floored by the musical proficiency I experienced. The band has a wonderfully soulful style full of awesome bass lines, catchy guitars, and rip-roaring drum work.
Adam Rabin has another chance to shine again on "Full Power" as his piano leads the way in the beginning of the song to transition to a more atmospheric and lush second half of the song. The interplay between bass, guitar and keys leading into the lush part is wonderful and Rabin's keyboard solo is hauntingly beautiful. Burlington is hardly a bastion of prog rock — at least not in the current century. On their debut record, Home Away From Home, the band draws on the genre’s late 1970s and early ’80s heyday.
Home Away From Home is the first album by New England based Elephants of Scotland. The first thing I noticed is how great the toms sound on the drum lead in, and, throughout the rest of the album. After a few moments of chunky groove, chaos crashes in by way of the guitars and organs before we get back to the groove. Next up, we get to hear Keyboard player and main vocalist Adam Rabin voice for the first time. John Whyte shines on his first solo of the album, his tone vaguely reminiscent of Chad Taylor of Live.
This is a stunning debut from this previously unknown band, composed of musicians who handle their instruments with confidence and ease. Adam does most vocals and displays a barrage of synthesizers to slippery effect, involving lovely piano segments and Manfred Mann-ish bending solos. Guitarist John Whyte has a slashing Lifeson/Summers style that exhilarates, sizzles and soars while drummer Ornan McLean thumps convincingly, using toms, cymbals and his double bass drums to perfection. Bassist MacDonald nimbly adds his rumble to the mix, giving a sturdy platform for the others to boom along! Every song is a delight, my only slight disappointment is with the overtly Rush- influenced "Starboard" where Whyte's singing has the same uneven tremble that characterized Geddy Lee's mid-period nasal twang. I mean, I understand that Whyte operated a Rush cover band for awhile but this piece, while having genial moments , just does not do justice to the previous and ensuing compositions.
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