Originally, in the 90s, the Norwegians of 'Motorpsycho' started by releasing at a high frequency, albums of alternative metal which gave pride of place to arrangements close to experimental music, then, over the years 2000, with the album 'Let Them Eat The Cake' their style is oriented towards a progressive rock with psychedelic and jazzy influences. 2020 sees the release of 'The All is One', the third part of the 'Gullvåg' trilogy, the first two of which are 'The Tower' from 2017 and 'The Crucible' from 2019. For this last baby, they offer us a majestic continuation of more than 40 minutes, cut into 5 parts which is sandwiched in the middle of the opus by 7 other titles, the whole being a clever mix of the progressive of the 70s with bands like 'Yes', 'King Crimson', 'PinkFloyd' or even 'Genesis'.
To begin with, the eponymous track of the album starts in a psychedelic atmosphere of the 70s reminiscent of 'Barclay James Harvest' for the melodic side and 'Yes' for the progressive aspect, then 'The Same Old Rock (One Must Imagine Sisyphus Happy)' takes us on a track that alternates in a beautiful way partly calm and others more energetic and whose rhythm section reminds me of certain dynamics of 'Jethro Tull' and as for the following track 'The Magpie', we are also in a catchy atmosphere of progressive from the 70s. The short title 'Delusion (The Reign of Humbug)' constitutes a relaxing acoustic break just like 'A Little Light' and 'The Dowser' which are judiciously placed and allow ventilation to the whole. With 'Dreams of Fancy', we are fully in a refined and imaginative progressive with changes of intensity, the few guitar riffs and the instrumental arrangements being quite typical of the 70s and 'Like Chrome' sends us back to a mix between the last period of the 'Beatles' and certain tones of the beginning of 'Black Sabbath'. But the centerpiece of the album is undoubtedly the long 'NOX' development which, for any lover of great progressive developments worth on its own the purchase of this album (given the long duration of the album, I advise you to listen to it alone) : 'Circles Around the Sun, Pt. 1' opens the ball in a 'Floydian' psychedelic atmosphere with a slow crescendo rocked by a hypnotic and disturbing melody a bit like 'King Crimson' at the beginning of the 70s and with a grandiose finale, the violin which accentuates the scary side by imitating frightening cries, then, 'Ouroboros', with its repetitive rhythm section, allows to highlight the electric guitar close to what can do 'Carlos Santana' in the first part of the title and which continues in the second part with a crescendo which abruptly calms down for a part with jazzy sounds until the end again in crescendo and which brings a break with the following title 'Ascension ’, in a calm and serene psychedelic for a welcome break. We then approach the 15 minutes of 'Night of Pan' which takes up the melodic theme of the first title in certain places and which offers a 'Floydian' fresco obviously recalling the atmosphere of 'Ummagumma' and the albums which followed and which prepares the final of 'NOX' by the second part of 'Circles Around the Sun', in the same melodic theme as the first with an unbridled rhythm section and striking choruses to reach a brilliant final , stunning and grandiose.
In summary, this latest album from the Norwegians of 'Motorpsycho' is tailor-made for an audience that grew up with the beginning of psychedelic and progressive music and incorporates all the ingredients that make it a remarkable opus of this style but that you obviously have to take the time to tame as you listen... | |
