|
RECORDING INFORMATION |
Predator Fish Records
This release features Jerry Goodman (Mahavishu Orchestra, Dregs) on two tracks.
|
|
|
| COMMENTS & REVIEWS |
|
MJBrady
|
Published on: 4 Nov 2006
I absolutely love when an obscure band comes seemingly out from nowhere to kick my behind. And though California is somewhere, this band has done just that. Coming at you with a high tech, ultra dense progressive fusion attack, this Navy SEAL led band has all the talent and imagination to stifle the minds of the hardest core fusion heads anywhere. And they don't just appeal to that genre, this music has such a unique sound and the players are outrageously gifted, that progressive rock fans that have a flair for instrumental adventure will find more than enough to appeal to their senses.
Hectic Watermelon is able to draw from a wide array of influences coming mostly from the fusion side of things, but with enough Zappa-esque flair to keep the music bumpy and non-repetitive. Each song is a flavor of it's own, showing the innovations of Mahavishnu, the virtuosity of The Dregs, the class of Return to Forever, and the humor and daring of Zappa more challenging instrumental compositions. While this may seem an exaggeration of sorts, trust me when I emphasize that the musicians in this band are equal to the task in every way. They have enlisted some outside players to assist on various songs, even Dregs/ex-Vishnu violinist - Jerry Goodman.
I have heard a LOT of fusion and progfusion stuff, and this is as good as it gets for this small subgenre, the members of this band feed on all of your aural imagery through the clever constructions of this music, while they are all impressive soloists in their own right, what they are doing as musical inventors is where they make their mark, as this cd will impress you not only at the first passing, but each successive listen will continue to challenge and awaken your attention to the details of their unique brand of music.
So, In hearing this band for the first time, I was floored, so much so, that I was convinced that musicians this seasoned have been doing a lot of things with a lot of artists, but this seemingly is not so. So add them to a new generation of important prog/fusion bands that need to be heard to convince you. Along with Helmet of Gnats, Bad Dog U, Kick the Cat, there is another wild breed of music on the front, one that will appeal to those that long for the days of yore, and don't mind musicians that are forward thinking, while paying homage to the roots of the genre itself. Excellent recording, top recommendation!
|
| TRACKS |
CREDITS
(click to view performer credits) |
PROGGNOSIS SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY
(click to view Release Page) |
- Sacred Watershed 3:53
- The Third Derivative of James Brown 5:12
- Bionic Hillbilly 5:45
- F Street Fulano 5:10
- Dreams of Concrete Jungles 2:08
- Subterranean Rapid Transit 5:51
- Layover in Hamemet 2:00
- Stray Dogs Messaging Project 2:05
- Steve's Stunt Double 4:02
- Twenty-first Century Visigoth 4:21
- Bullets,Dice and 30 Megabytes 6:24
|
|
|
|
ProGGnosis - Progressive Rock & Fusion
PO Box 27226
Golden Valley, MN 55427-0226
Copyright © 2000 - 2010 where appropriate - All rights reserved.
Comments & Feedback - email:
ProGGnosis Webmaster
|
|
