Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Phideaux
Label: Bloodfish Media
Released: 2007
Length: 66:59
Rating: 5/5
Whenever Rudi the fox-hoofed devil has naughty brats like Hansel and Gretel firmly in check, all of hell shakes in fear at the arrival of the unruly kids. That’s the first thought that pops into your head when you look at the mischievous cover of this superb album. »Doomsday Afternoon« was the sixth studio effort from the brilliant American multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Phideaux Xavier, and also the second part of his ambitious concept saga about a dystopian, apathetic and ecologically destructive society under the watchful eye of ‘Big Brother’, where profit and security are the two core values. Sounds familiar? Phideaux is one of the few contemporary American musicians and lyricists who write intelligent, socially biting lyrics, which has led more than one person to mistake him for some European prog rock musician (his French roots surely had something to do with that, too).
On top of that, Phideaux successfully blends some of the best elements of symphonic prog with influences from early Genesis, King Crimson, Camel, Pink Floyd and Van Der Graaf Generator, adding choral female harmonies, psychedelic rock and folk, with the odd other genre tributary thrown in for good measure. At the same time, he even manages to make sure that not a single arrangement on his albums recalls something you’ve heard before in the work of the various prog classics, which tends to happen to the so-called third-wave prog revivalists. On »Doomsday Afternoon«, Xavier took an almost completely different stylistic, vocal and arranging approach from the more compact predecessor »The Great Leap« (2006), which was the first part of the aforementioned dystopian-society concept saga.
Compared to its more psychedelic, folk-leaning predecessor, »Doomsday Afternoon« is a real treat for all fans of ‘old-school’ prog rock, the kind that, apart from a few ‘lone wolves’, hadn’t been heard in American prog production for quite a while. No wonder, then, that this was the breakthrough Phideaux album that finally won Xavier the respect of even the choosiest prog gourmets, whom his earlier projects hadn’t quite managed to satisfy. With its complex compositional and atmospheric nature, this masterpiece was closer to the album »Chupachabras« (2005), while »The Great Leap« was closer to »Ghost Story« (2004).
The female vocal contributions, courtesy of the regular members of Phideaux’s band Ariel Farber, Molly Ruttan and Linda Ruttan Moldawsky, who took over the lead vocal harmonies quite a few times, are more prominent here than ever before. That was a good thing, since they nicely balance out the atmosphere against Xavier’s charismatic singing. He sings most of the tracks on »Doomsday Afternoon« in an almost completely different way than on »The Great Leap«, where he sounded far more psychedelic, obscure and less sophisticated, whereas this time his vocals come across as much more pleasant for all you symphonic prog lovers.
Complex multi-part harmonies, mighty orchestral arrangements, interesting improvisations and unexpected time changes never run dry across the whole album, and there’s an abundance of epic, melancholic and dark atmospheric moments that wonderfully complement the dystopian concept. Besides two longtime collaborators, guitarist/producer Gabriel Moffat and drummer Rich Hutchins, who shine like never before, the new keyboardist Mark Sherkus really stands out this time on traditional symphonic prog keyboards. Xavier, who in addition to his traditional vocal duties played quite a few keyboards, led by the minimoog, as well as a twelve-string guitar, has never put much stock in bare virtuoso ‘showing off’ between the instrumental sections when making his music. There are admittedly quite a few virtuosic, technically enviable moments on the album, but they never cross the line of good taste, and with Phideaux the melodic side always comes first.
In the spirit of the Pink Floyd masterpiece »Wish You Were Here« (1975), »Doomsday Afternoon« is bookended by two interconnected epic pieces, which open and close the album and together clock in at almost half an hour. Xavier shows no mercy toward the social order, so right in the opening epic, meaningfully titled »Micro Softdeathstar«, he unfolds a picture of a modern dystopian society that serves the authoritarian levers of ‘Big Brother’ and gleefully destroys everything within reach.
The serene opening section, where Xavier’s vocals radiate undisguised sarcasm, soon moves into energetic territory with mighty layers of Hammond organ, bristling electric guitar passages and gorgeous vocal harmonies. Every section of this wonderful epic is a completely different chapter. In the opening stretch you can revel in rustic string arrangements, ethereal keyboard curtains and moving vocalizations, slowly building a tense, melancholic atmosphere. Dramatic turns through rhythmically turbulent meanders, ruled by splendid orchestral arrangements and brilliant female vocal harmonies, add extra spice to the unpredictable nature of this excellent piece of social criticism.
The lovely instrumental »The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part One)« opens with pompous minimoog passages, while the ramified orchestral backdrop helps build a mighty atmosphere. The bravura wind arrangements are a real feast for the ears, and the keyboard improvisations are a chapter all their own this time. Moffat, too, really lets loose with a guitar solo. With its mysterious, gloomy mood in the style of some gothic film production from Tim Burton’s directorial domain, »Candybrain« is yet another clear proof that Xavier is in no way short on arranging and improvisational wizardry. Phideaux shines with emotionally rich singing and subtle twelve-string guitar playing, while the moving female vocal harmonies deepen the nostalgic atmosphere even further.
»Crumble« is a short but atmospherically rich instrumental with delicate piano arrangements and choral vocal harmonies. »The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part Two)« is an even more ambitious effort than the first part of the ‘doctrine of eternal ice’, where Xavier ruthlessly settles scores with social conformism and apathy and a few other ailments of modern dystopian society. In the opening section the male and female lead vocals trade off harmoniously, then mighty orchestral curtains take over, stamping this ambitious composition with an epic seal. Xavier once again impresses with his biting vocals, so uncharacteristic of an American rock singer, while the lyrics never stop mocking the human ‘sheep’ who wouldn’t stop handing the whip to their masters for anything in exchange for ‘security’. In the closing section Xavier and his companions manage to craft a very interesting and innovative instrumental motif, after which mighty instrumental variations take over and crank up the epic atmosphere even more.
ABBA once sang »Thank You For The Music«, while Mr. Phideaux sings »Thank You For The Evil«. The latter opens with an ethereal intro where gorgeous keyboard-and-guitar harmonies flow, and you can’t miss how important an influence Pink Floyd were on Xavier’s musical path. Everything in this epic masterpiece is devoted to building an ethereal atmosphere, while Phideux, once again in a ‘cynical element’, transforms his vocal approach like a chameleon. The melodic nature of the individual arrangements isn’t disturbed even by the keyboard and guitar improvisations in between, which are played at an enviable technical level. »A Wasteland Of Memories« features dramatic, pastoral-rustic string arrangements and moving female vocals, which partly recalls some of the best moments from the career of the legendary Mike Oldfield. »Crumble«, a piano-driven ballad with fragile arrangements and a female lead vocal, is another lovely proof that the maestro Phideaux has always known how to write compact songs with healthy commercial potential, too.
»Formaldehyde« is a brilliantly arranged treat of a prog-folk-rock nature, where flute pastorality and gentle acoustic guitar chords run riot, while the minimoog nicely spices up the all-pervading Celtic atmosphere, in the middle of which the female lead vocal fits like a glove. The same goes for Xavier’s singing, which provides an effective atmospheric contrast. The nostalgic mood will please all prog-folk enthusiasts and fans of some of the modern bands in that vein, led by Mostly Autumn and Karnataka. The cunning closing instrumental section is utterly specific to Mr. Phideaux, who has always counted Jethro Tull among his chief influences, which you can plainly hear here.
The almost fifteen-minute closing epic, »Microdeath Softstar«, is the atmospheric climax of »Doomsday Afternoon«. A sacral intro with thick layers of organ and ethereal choral harmonies is followed by a shift into a complex instrumental section in which the melodramatic mood keeps building. The epic symphonic arrangements are topped off with contrasting vocal harmonies between Xavier and the female singers, with plenty of bristling variations among keyboards, guitar and strings that will delight all lovers of ‘old-school’ progressive rock. Brilliant instrumental moments aside, though, it’s Xavier’s vocals that, while tearing apart the self-destructive reality of society, charismatically tie the individual arrangements together and convincingly bring the album to its epic conclusion.
»Doomsday Afternoon« is a masterpiece of modern progressive rock and the album that finally catapulted Phideaux Xavier into the ranks of the most exciting prog rock artists of the 21st century. Everything on this album, delivered by an incorrigible musical perfectionist, is a dream come true for everyone who was convinced that the modern prog rock scene couldn’t offer anything particularly innovative and witty. »Doomsday Afternoon« should become the textbook example of how to make a modern, original-sounding symphonic prog rock album. Back in 2013, Xavier announced the release of the third part of the concept trilogy, but we’ll have to wait a while longer for »Infernal«, which is good in its own way, since the hyperactive guy is busy, in his typical perfectionist fashion, with every last sonic detail and wants to squeeze the absolute maximum out of the recording process.
Lineup
Phideaux Xavier – lead vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards, handclaps
Rich Hutchins – drums
Ariel Farber – violin, backing vocals
Valerie Gracious – piano, backing vocals
Mathew Kennedy – bass guitar
Gabriel Moffat – lap steel guitar, handclaps
Linda Ruttan Moldawsky – vocals
Molly Ruttan – vocals
Mark Sherkus – keyboards
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Steve Daudin – flute (9)
Rob Martino – flute (3)
Johnny Unicorn – organ, Moog Voyager, handclaps, backing vocals (3, 10)
Joel Weinstein – guitar solo (10)
Mark Baranov – violin
Bing Wang – violin
Richard Elegino – viola
Jerry Epstein – viola
Dale Silverman – viola
Elizabeth Wilson – viola
Stefanie Fife – cello
Barry Gold – cello
Jason Lippman – cello
Dennis Trembly – double bass
Brian Drake – French horn
Bruce Hudson – French horn
Boyde Hood – trumpet
James Wilt – trumpet
Chris Bleth – flute, oboe, clarinet
Paul Rudolph – conductor
Production
Gabriel Moffat
Tracklist
Act One:
1. Micro Softdeathstar (11:17)
2. The Doctrine of Eternal Ice (Part One) (3:01)
3. Candybrain (4:06)
4. Crumble (2:55)
5. The Doctrine of Eternal Ice (Part Two) (8:08)
Act Two:
6. Thank You For The Evil (9:18)
7. A Wasteland Of Memories (2:22)
8. Crumble (2:55)
9. Formaldehyde (8:17)
10. Microdeath Softstar (14:40)
