The first thing that clearly becomes noticeable about this Norwegian band is that they present a musicality that is full of enthusiasm and good mood vibes. That is something that sticks to the listener analysis from start to finish of the listening experience.
Chain of Foods is the second studio release by this band, and it presents an evolution from their 2004 debut. Here, the polyrhythm’s and dynamics are more polished and crafted and their overall sound is more compact and tangible. It is also more complete and faultless.
The band plays in hard progressive style, with crunchy rocker guitars and a powerful rhythmic section that is tighten up and embraced by an exquisite, even if not standing on the spotlight, keyboard playing. The singing is very good, sometimes in the vain of the 70’s hard rock bands, especially in the usage of that specific tone changing between harsh and convict and the more edgy high pitched vocals. In the vocal department it feels, many times, like listening to those Deep Purple, Uriah Heep or even Whitesnake golden years.
Musically speaking, the band stands proud and haughty in a secure platform high above the ground of commodity and numbness. They perfectly fit the vintage hard rock attitude with a full progressive architecture. The music becomes rich and worked out. Full of muscle while retaining a delicate approach that is reflected on the intricacy of the compositions and the way the music sounds filled and complete.
The band dresses up the music in a contemporary suit that is nevertheless based on the 70’s hard prog leanings, in a similar way to another great band within this same genre: Bigelf. But Anti-Depressive Delivery does focus a tad more on the progression and detail filling of their sonic building.
This is a great album by a distinctively inspired band. The resulting sound is not only pure fun and a vehicle for putting a smile on your face as you face the day with renewed stamina, but they handle and master that very difficult art of making a complex and crafted musicianship sound simpler and more direct than it really is. To top, they show themselves to be top musicians working for a common understanding of musicality, rather than wasting their time on the possible opportunities to shine as individuals.
This is an album for those who like power, joy and good mood in their progressive diet. The band fully delivers an anti-depressive musicality. And few bands do present such a suitable name for their sound!
