Yeah, the band name is right. I checked, and I checked, and I checked again and it’s really this way. I don’t have a clue what it means, but I guess it might mena something very complex because we’re talking about an instrumental Prog Rock band and everything in an instrumental Prog Rock band is complex and intricate. I wonder what “The Strange Animal from the North” could be. No clue from the track tittles because they are all too Prog Rock as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Movement. So, no clue about the animal. Ops, I just saw it now. There’s no 3rd movement.
Ok, enough with the jokes. Instrumental albums are always hard to review because the lack of a singer takes many things to write about out. Many, but many things. Vocalists give a lot of work – hahahahahahahahah. Good Golly, there are some things to say when there are some vocals. Ok, but fear not, there is still plenty left to say. The way album opener “1st Movement” starts my dear child of the night won’t notice its Prog Rock prone as the song starts with a guitar solo and then goes with a guitar strumming that could be in any Metal song especilaly when come to mind bands as Scorpions that used to have all those melodic strummings. Things only get Prog when at the background my dear child of the night notices the typical Prog Rock keyboards sonancy. It’s when the fun for Prog Rockers starts. From then on “The Strange Animal from the North” gets more standard. One thing to say about the album is that it’s full of nice guitar phrases. Of course, when there is no voice an instrument has to take over and do the melody. Ergo, the guitar here does the magic and play what would be the lyrics so to say. The keyboards I’ve mentioned before do a nice figure here. On second though, here about “1st Movement” the keyboards do some of the melody besides being one more instrument. My dear child of the night who’s aware of 1970s Prog Rock bands will enjoy the ten minute song a lot. Following song “2nd Movement” has a more 1980s Prog Grip with a stronger guitar doing the melody intertwined with non traditional keyboard sound at first. The guitar here has some more overdrive in its overtones that gives them a more acid sounding. Here and there a nice acoustic guitar comes. And there goes “The Strange Animal from the North.”
I still haven’t found which animals the album talks about. I still haven’t found the meaning for the name of the band either. Well, it doesn’t matter. Great album for the fans who have a flare for a well-thought Prog Rock.
cye The Band “The Strange Animal from the North” was released on September 01st via Moonrecords.
Track Listing:
• 1st Movement (11:00)
Part A: Introduction
Part B: The Shadow Killer
Part C: The Sunstorm Glider
Part D: Dr. T. White
Part E: The Time Agent
• 2nd Movement (8:30)
Part A: The Voice of the Bard
Part B: Animal Theme
Part C: Captain Wren
• 4th Movement (7:12)
Part A: Introduction
Part B: The Mind Bender
Part C: Shifting Realities
Part D: The Matrix Twister
• 5th Movement (10:15)
Part A: Transformed Thoughts
Part B: The Secret of Rhythm and Rhyme
Part C: Turning in Circles
Part D: Dancing with your Twin
Part E: Animal Theme II
Part F: Medusa’s Eyes
Part G: Time is changing into Distance
Part H: Yad
Part I: Over the Horizon
Watch “1st Movement” official video here:
