Release date: 03/21/2011
Label: Bloodfish Media
Production: Gabriel Moffat
Length: 44::44
Genre: progressive rock
Rating: 9.5/10
“Snowtorch” was the eighth studio outing from the ‘psychedelic-progressive-gothic-rock’ outfit Phideaux, as their chief Phideaux Xavier once described them. After the conceptual masterpiece “Number 7” (2009), which told the strange, post-apocalyptic adventures of a little blue mouse from an alternate dimension, the super-ambitious American composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist and director may have created his most impressive work yet, one defined by two outstanding qualities: despite the sheer complexity of most of the arrangements, “Snowtorch” is full of melodic sections and catchy yet epic male-female vocal harmonies, which marked some of Phideaux’s earlier records too, and at the same time the album pulls you instantly into an incredible atmosphere that runs from start to finish, just like we’ve gotten used to on most Phideaux albums since “The Great Leap” (2006, RockLine review).
The great cover art already hints at it. It looks like strange weather phenomena on the surface of an unknown planet, but it’s actually a hugely magnified shot of sperm battling it out while trying to break into an egg. It tells you this will be anything but an ordinary album, and Phideaux Xavier and his band of exceptional musicians have cooked up yet another superb ambient trip across unpredictable sonic plains.
The centerpiece of the album is the epic title track, split into two separate parts in the style of the Pink Floyd classic “Wish You Were Here,” with two shorter pieces sandwiched in between and at the end, both of which turn out great too. “Snowtorch (Part One),” as mentioned, grabs you instantly with its odd time changes, regal symphonic arrangements, solo breakouts, crazy percussion ideas and all sorts of cross-genre experiments, including jazzy sax passages, while the back-and-forth between the male and female vocal lines, from Xavier and Molly Ruttan, comes off incredibly tasteful. Throughout, there’s a wonderfully fitting blend of mysterious, gothic, dark and epic moods.
“Helix” is marked by the solemn sounds of Hammond organs, while Ruttan, backed by almost space-rock synth textures, tight strings and mighty guitar passages, delivers an extremely energetic vocal performance.
Next up is the second part of the “Snowtorch” suite, which in its first half runs through faster, more dramatic rhythms with plenty of wild solo spots, especially on Hammond organ, before an elegant shift into an epic section with another energetic vocal turn from Ruttan. The short closing instrumental “‘.'” has folk-rock elements with playful string arrangements, while the cheeky sounds of an imaginary crowd in between create an almost humoresque vibe, reminiscent of the lively goings-on in the middle of an Irish pub.
Phideaux Xavier and his crew of seasoned musical aces, who are also people he grew up with and has known almost his whole life, remain masters of modern progressive rock on “Snowtorch” too, and on every new album, his take on the genre comes across as refreshing. That’s why “Snowtorch” can take its place among Phideaux’s peaks like “Doomsday Afternoon” (2007, RockLine review) and the aforementioned “Number 7.” After some criticism that Xavier’s crew was releasing new albums too fast, a full seven years had to pass before the next one, “Infernal” (2018, RockLine review), but the long wait definitely paid off.
Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Track list:
1. Snowtorch (Part One) (19:42)
a. Star of Light”
b. Retrograde”
c. Fox on the Rocks
d. Celestine
2. Helix (5:54)
3. Snowtorch (Part Two) (16:28)
a. Blowtorch Snowjob
b. Fox Rock 2
c. Coronal Mass Ejection
4. “.” (2:40)
Phideaux:
Phideaux Xavier – acoustic guitar, piano, lead vocals
Gabriel Moffat – electric guitar
Ariel Farber – vocals, violin
Rich Hutchins – drums
Mathew Kennedy – bass guitar
Ariel Farber – vocals, violin
Molly Ruttan – vocals, percussion
Linda Ruttan-Moldawsky – backing vocals
Mark Sherkus – keyboards, piano
Jonny Unicorn – keyboards, saxophone, backing vocals
Stefanie Fife – cello
Chris Bleth – flute, soprano saxophone
