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Review:
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IO Earth has released two celebrated studio albums
that made some serious waves within the prog community,
supplying a modern curve to the well-travelled neo-prog
rock genre by infusing some quite brilliant vocals, such
as those by Steve Balsamo, who also participated on the
Rob Reed (Magenta) Kompendium project. Strange coincidence
(not) because IO Earth sounds like a proggier version of
Magenta in more ways than one. Both the debut album and
the amazing follow-up "Moments" really took us all by storm,
etching in their name into the 'next bright light' prog
pioneer category. After a few illness related changes, the
lovely and highly talented Linda Odinsen takes over the
microphone and does so very convincingly. Back are leaders
Dave Curaton (Guitars, keys and vox) and Adam Gough (Keys,
guitars and vox), as well as bassist Christian Nokes. New
drummer Christian Jerromes adds even more punch than before
while Luke Shingler adds stellar sax and flute work and
Jez King supplies violin and added guitar to the line-up.
They pack quite a wallop, indeed! The mammoth 2 CD "New
World" offers up a lavish cover with vivid artwork, sterling
production and a tremendous amount of musical flair and
bravado. The mood here is decidedly more bombastic, perhaps
even heavier than ever before, but maintaining all those
IO Earth elements that made the other two albums such complete
treasures. Namely, slick modern beats allied with shimmering
old school Celtic touches, some delirious Gregorian chanting
(I love that choral stuff!) and simply wicked playing by
this seasoned and tight crew, the guitar solos are particularly
vivacious and the arrangements constantly on the "qui vive",
like some alert sentry safeguarding a super-secret site.
The music is all over the map, with some heavy rock moments,
traditional touches as well as chorale spookiness. But the
aural dynamics of serene to thunderous are clearly defined
and wholly unexpected.***
To kick off a gargantuan opus with a romantic ditty
like "Move As One" only serves to showcase their grasp of
melody and beauty, cello ablaze and passionate voice up
front and center. And follow that with a steamroller progressive
rocker such as the zesty "Redemption", a bruising bass torpedo
heading out to slam and slam hard, in unison with sweeping
string synths, sizzling lead guitar and tectonic drumming,
hell, this is my kind of vibrant and nicely bitchy prog!***
"Journey to Discovery" has very little disco, as it's
another heavy symphonic onslaught of molten riffs that wink
at Ayreon and Rocket Scientists but in a way more exciting
envelope. Linda sings or rather howls with determined frenzy
("yayaya"), the sense of speed and travel quite obvious
and delightful. The swirling romanticism of a suave track
like "Trance" is particularly addictive, a typical IO Earth
track full of both originality and toughness. These musicians
are connoisseurs of the extremes that are well within their
expertise, displaying Gregorian choirs ( a perennial trademark)
to add to the insanity, choppy modern drum patterns and
a definite hypnotic quality that sustains their need to
progress beyond the clichéd styles that abound within the
more vocal anointed prog genres.***
On a lovely piece like "Morning", the mood lightens
up a fair bit, evoking folkier slants that perhaps wink
at other female-fronted bands such as Magenta, Mostly Autumn
and such.Linda Odinsen shows off her pipes, fragrant Crimsonian
flutes as a chaperone, then a simply executed electric guitar
solo that is all blues and hues before a more exuberant
finale that just explodes, out of nowhere. Then immediately
fall back on the noxious and volcanic "Collision", a twisting
and turning guided heat seeking missile that is in the clouds,
invisible one moment (ruminating violin) and suddenly bearing
down on your ass the next. Gothic monstrosity like some
sonic King Tiger tank gone berserk, crushing, pummeling
and relentless, this is perfect modern prog that every fan
of any denomination would simply bow to. Both Jerromes and
Frank Zappa alumnus Ed Mann add tons of dynamic percussion
to the epic conflagration.***
"Fade to Grey" is not a remake of the Midge Ure penned
Visage track of the 80s but a long excursion into the dark
side, though the acoustic guitar intro might throw the listener
for a temporary loop, insistent piano and lush voice not
far behind. Fascinating stuff, moody and redolent atmosphere
cut to ribbons by walls of bombastic symphonics that first
startle and then enthrall. Wow! When the sax does its foray
into the fray, you just can't help drooling. The slick fret
board solo sears the speakers into a fulminating mass of
plastic, before a return to the pastoral groove. The colossal
and repetitive "fading to grey, paving the way" chorus seals
the deal, with Linda sounding like Heart's Ann Wilson (that
is one hell of a compliment BTW). The first CD ends with
the tenebrous "New World Suite", a clearly symphonic piece
that flirts with dense classicism and choral expression,
an all-instrumental arrangement with a sweet synth solo
finale.***
(CD- 2) wastes little time in making you fumble the
giant sized popcorn bag, buttering the carpet as the screeching
bravado busts through the stereo speakers. "Insomnia" is
a nasty piece of work, commencing with sweeping dissonance
and a sense of uncontrollable angst, only to detonate mercilessly
when Linda clutches the microphone and invites the massed
choir to intonate the title. This is a heavyweight sucker,
full of surprises with thick and edgy moments, interspersed
with a bizarre sax segment that has a definite Barbara Thompson?like
feel , only to morph into a shocking double bass drum, heavy
metal flurry, complete with a zingy guitar solo that will
knock your socks (and your pyjamas) right off . The cinematic
outro is a sensational finale.***
IO Earth like to weave in some Indian influences on
occasion as well (see "Cinta Indah" track on Moments) combining
tabla percussion with more modern synthesizer runs as well
as a whirling dervish guitar solo from Dave Curaton. So
"Red Smoke" has those attributes and so much more, as the
theme gets heavier towards the end. Smoking! ***
The images of 9-11 are reproduced on the instrumental
masterpiece "The Rising", understanding clearly the visual
impact that incident has had on the entire planet, young
and old , all connected to the media on that cloudless sunny
day. The insistently sad guitar carves quite a long path,
aided by a sweltering saxophone foray, both drenched in
historical gloom but resolutely passionate. This is utterly
gorgeous, to the point of heartache, Linda wailing a long
"hooooooo"!***
"Body and Soul" sets out as a melancholic piano and
violin duet, until Linda intones a grieving lament, that
suddenly explodes into this heavy ballad that sounds like
Magenta on steroids, and then back to the sweet pastoral
for a moment before another turn into the tempest, a brooding
hurricane of sweeping mellotron strings, ballistic bass
and demonic drumming, gritty guitars and Linda howling like
a werewolf.***
Ya want depth charges galore? Ya like boom-boom heavy
rock? Two hard ones then for ya! "Colours" is bloody stodgy,
concrete and just plain nasty. Sharp rapier-like riffs and
binary drum artillery give the band a windswept platform
to push the limits far beyond, the mood more like Threshold
than anything else. This is continued on the rabid "Follow"
with male vocals (Dave Curaton) suggesting a doom-laden
crescendo of darkness that is closer to the early Stranglers
but armed with a killer guitar solo that sizzles, drizzles
and fizzles.***
"Dreams" again features a hushed and somnolent male
vocal, a stylistic detour that implies a much wider palette
than one might think. The brassy trumpet does the lilting
mood great justice, I thought it was a long lost the Beloved
track, done in a quasi-prog style. Very cool track and utterly
ballsy. The 'chaka-chaka' drums are a blast. Okay, this
was one hell of a long catalog, with all kinds of styles
and challenges, how do they finish up this recording? With
the title track, silly you! And just like CD1, the intent
is to rekindle the symphonic /cinematographic comfort zone,
with a few unexpected twists. This time, Linda carries the
tune with some operatic vocals, escorted by thunderous riffs,
lightning fast rhythms, blitzing solos and mammoth melodies
that serve as a kind of trailer or recap of what this album
is all about. Celestial !***
This is what progressive rock means to me, a vehicle
for deeply melodious adventures, tremendous instrumental
interplay and innovative symphonic arrangements that stretch
the norms of rock music and finally, a delirious afterglow
that yearns for one to return. Melancholic, taciturn, majestic,
elegant and overpowering, the music is beyond the pale!***
Another masterpiece in the prog pantheon. We all Owe
Earth from now on!***
5 fresh dominions***
(Thomas
Szirmay)
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