THE DEATH DEFYING UNICORN

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  • #21284
    CaptainAubrey
    Participant

      @Grimr: "Part way through part two. Not so sure about 'La Lethe'. Bit over long and serves no real purpose as an audio exercise – perhaps would work as the soundtrack to something visual. The tenor solo is nice."

      Funny you should say that, because "La Lethe" is, so far, my stand out track. Haven't had the chance to really dig in to the album just yet, but I have listened to it two times on the bus.

      Love it so far, though I have some problems with the 70-s prog melodies. They have always seemed boring to me, and they aren't more interesting when Motorpsycho try to recreate them.. But the music in between is A-Ok.. I'll give it a few more spins on the old Iphone, and I bet I'll love it!

      #21285
      boomer former helm
      Participant

        have to wait another 2 weeks until my first listen, as i am still travelling asia at the moment. as i read the reviews, i am getting more and more excited now.

        btw: the walter moers reference as mentioned is really funny to me. I love his books (the later the better) very much, and if the album goes as far as that stories…. man, really can' t wait. :cheers:

        wish you all good and intense times with the album.

        #21286

        > Review in Puls

        > The reviewer wants this album to become a movie!

        Agree, at least something visual, hoping for ballet dancers in Opera show :-)

        BTW: snah created music for Ronja Røverdatter show on Trøndelag Theater some years ago, his piece sculls in limbo is not very far from the Ronja soundtrack.

        #21287
        Tomcat
        Participant

          BTW: snah created music for Ronja Røverdatter show on Trøndelag Theater some years ago, his piece sculls in limbo is not very far from the Ronja soundtrack.

          Is that available somewhere, has it been recorded? Sounds interesting :-)

          #21288
          supernaut
          Participant

            @boomer

            it's the sailor's yarn and Kim's artwork that made me think of Moers. The band of course cites other, more classic, references in the liner notes, but yeah, I can't help it… :mrgreen:

            have fun in Asia.

            The album is not an easy listen and not an instant woawoawoaowoa! But that's not its intention. It's an open invitation to a rather unfamiliar listening world.

            Anyone mentioned the outstanding singing yet? Since there's been the odd complaint now and then through the years, it should be pointed out strongly. On this one it's one of the most amazing ingredients. Very elaborated, very much care went into it. Oh Proteus – A Prayer has my favourite vocals. And the lamenting sighs on La Lethe? Worn down and sick and starving men rowing and rowing towards whatever horror awaits them.

            Anyone seen Valhalla Rising btw?

            Quote:
            hoping for ballet dancers in Opera show [:-)]

            ha yes, absolutely. :)

            Quote:
            Bent really is a great bass player. So underated. Just listen to his playing in 'The Hollow Lands'.

            Oh yes. He's my bass hero actually anyway.

            #21289

            MASTER-fucking-PIECE!

            #21290
            TAF
            Participant

              Quoting BronYAur from the Black hole – no canvas thread:

              "King Crimson prog (the bass/hi-hat change at 6:15 of Into the Gyre is pure "Larks Tongues in Aspic")

              Really, the entire song from 3:40 until the ending crash wouldn't be out of place on that KC record. :) Mutiny also has a very King Crimson-esque middle section beginning at about 4:30. The break repeating at 4:50/5:18/6:10 is *pure* KC, similar to a lot of their material from Lark's… onwards, most recently heard on Level Five, the opening song on The Power to Believe.

              Quite fittingly I'm also hearing Yes all over Into the Mystic, particularily the ending: epic chordwork over a repetitive guitar riff a la Siberian Khatru, with the synth from And You And I soloing over it. :P

              Also, in Oh, Proteus – A Lament, when Shah comes in at 0:30, the chords and particularly the vocals really remind me of Beach Boys – stuff like some SMiLE songs or "Til I Die" have a similar feel to my ear.

              Finally, on the subject of references (conscious or otherwise): for some reason, the acoustic guitar on Hollow Lands coming in after 2:00 really sound a LOT like something I've heard before, but I'll be damned if I can remember what it is. It's similar to the opening to Jeff Buckley's song Grace, but I don't think that's what I'm reminded of. Anyone else?

              #21291

              Fantastic! This album is magnificent. This band is still growing! Thank you, MP!

              #21292

              The Death Defying Unicorn is a masterpiece, different from other MP albums, but anyway a masterpiece. And it becomes bigger, listening by listening. It's a deep journey into MP sound…

              #21293
              otherdemon
              Participant

                TAF: The first part of Into The Gyre is quite King Crimson as well. Kinda like the Islands album (and Bent even mention Sailors Tale in the lyrics)

                #21294

                Probably just preaching to the choir here, but I have to add my admiration for the new album. My expectations were very high. I've always been a fan of the King Crimson-y jams, and absolutely loved the Supersilent session, and the rumors leading up to the album made it sound tailored for me. At the same time I was afraid my expectations were too high, and that I'd end up disappointed.

                Well, I most certainly didn't. After the first few runs this album is even better than I dared hope. Ståle deserves tons of credit for his work, at the same time the Motorpsycho signature is very strong. And to repeat another cliché: that a band of Motorpsycho's age keeps innovating and exploring new sides of themselves is just amazing. I expected the album to be far more similar to LLM/COTF/HMF, but in many ways this is yet another dramatic departure from any previously released album.

                This is great stuff, guys. Again. Thanks a lot!

                #21295

                Dutch review Nu.NL

                Psychonauten, de fans van Motorpsycho, worden al twintig jaar op hun wenken bediend. Vrijwel elk jaar een langspeler, altijd kwalitatief hoogstaand en liveshows waarbij je werkelijk de ruimte in lijkt te gaan.

                Ook op The Death Defying Unicorn laat Motorpsycho de psychopaten niet in de steek. Sterker, samen met de Noorse jazztoetsenist Ståle Storløkken lijkt het trio op het vijftiende studioalbum in topvorm.

                In samenwerking met het Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, strijkerscollectief Trondheimsolistene en een handvol andere gastmuzikanten legt de band de lat voor rockopera’s (na Timothy’s Monster) wederom een trapje hoger.

                In ruim tachtig minuten wordt de luisteraar meegenomen in een epos gebaseerd op het mysterieuze ongeluk van de walvisvaarder Essex, begin 19e eeuw. De strijd met Poseidon, met Moeder Natuur en onder elkaar wordt op magistrale wijze muzikaal neergezet. Vanaf de eerste toon wordt je meegesleept in het verhaal, dat je tot de laatste minuut vasthoudt.

                Eenheid

                Out Of The Woods, waar de plaat mee opent, toont meteen de kracht van dit grootse project. De hand van Storløkken, die dit nummer schreef, is meteen hoorbaar en duidelijk. Als medeschrijver van acht werken, maar vooral als arrangeur, is hij de schakel tussen Motorpsycho en de orkestbak vormt hij de eenheid.

                Blazers, orgel, gitaren en de zang van Saether versterken elkaar. Het resultaat is een van de best psychprogplaten van de afgelopen jaren. Een absolute trip voor psychonauten, maar even goed niet te missen voor eenieder daar buiten.

                Beoordeling: 4½/5

                NU.nl/Tjeerd van Erve

                #21296
                stereosofa
                Participant

                  record of the week at german music magazine VISIONS

                  http://www.visions.de/platten/platte-der-woche/

                  crazy…

                  #21297
                  monomind
                  Participant

                    Holy crap! This album is amazing. I've used every occasion to listen to it this weekend, and I'm being more and more blown away by it. Such a stunningly rich an varied release. Stand out tracks so far are Through the Veil, Into the Gyre (great melody…Supernaut: this one's memorable, I'd say), Oh, Proteus – A Prayer (again, the melody), Sharks, Mutiny! and Into the Mystic.

                    Having said that, this is not an album where the quality of individual songs is of most importance. It's an album that works as a very complete piece of art, and deserves to be listened to from start to finish.

                    There's a pretty big chance of this album being on top of my albums of the year-list by the end of 2012.

                    #21298
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                  …hanging on to the trip you're on since 1994