This
has been a highly anticipated record. I have been following and been friends
with the band for more than 10 years now was really curious to hear this one.
The record is 82mins long and comes in a very nice 3 panel foldout CD pack or a
double vinyl record. I have to say that this is the best sounding Colour Haze
record ever. The sound production is just fantastic. Look forward to the vinyl,
sure it will sound killer…
CD1
starts off with 18min title track, She Said. It has a slow build up with a nice
cool piano line and really rich, deep bass line. The mid section is super cool
with congas and a real jam, like nothing the band has done on a studio record
before. Several of these firsts are reached on this record! I think this track
is pretty Hendrix inspired but done Colour Haze style.. Cool stuff. A short
interlude track called This comes before the song Transformation, which many of
you have probably heard as this has been on the net for a while now. It is like
a small false start and then a really cool jazzy track starts up but is too
short. I wonder if they play this live in an extended version? Anyway, back to
Transformation. This is my favourite track on the CD. Just a really cool floating
element and some killer guitar and it really gets flying with some super cool
double tracking and probably the most psychedelic song they have ever done.
Great stuff..
CD2
starts with the 12min long track, Breath, which is a long emotional journey
like the bands version of Third stone from the Sun but with vocals and
different instruments like piano and an Mario on backing vocals. They are
trying lots of new things. More complex arrangements and a bit jazzy at the end
with some fantastic double tracked guitars before they go back to the riffing.
Slowdown starts with Phillips bass line and Stefan singing a very forced vocal
and he is supported by two other vocalists as well. This is a quite uptempo
track with some nice melodic guitar, again with some layers, which is nice but
the standard “Koglek” guitar sound is intact. The track fades out as they
really start to get it on…. maybe live they jam this one out? Stand In starts
slowly with a light bass line and Mani, playing the rim of the drum as Stefan
slowly takes the lead. This is a nice 8min riffing instrumental with a cool
organ part that comes into compliment the build up towards the end again.
Classic Colour Haze! Rite again allows Philip to take the lead and Stefan kicks
in with the vocal right away as it stays pretty melodic. The Kyuss/Colour Haze
guitar riff kicks in at the break and later he does some skat vocals
(do-do-doo) over the top and follows this with a similar guitar line which
later morphs into an acoustic guitar layered over the top before the Kyuss riff
returns. Grace rings in at nearly 12 mins and closes this record. It starts off
with acoustic guitar and surprise, a string section. This is something totally
different before the familiar takes over again with some very nice guitar soloing
and over the acoustic background. The Symphonic part returns at the end. Cool
instrumental song and a good one to have at the end.
Awesome review~ thank you Dr.Space! cheers from Macedonia!
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