Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Gazpacho
Label: Racket Records
Release: 2007
Rating: 4/5
Gazpacho are a relatively new (neo) prog rock band from Norway, who most likely got their name from the Spanish national specialty – a heavily spiced tomato soup, although there’s also a song of the same name by neo-prog legends Marillion. I’ll be mentioning Marillion quite a bit in this review, because the two bands are tied together in all sorts of ways. First off, Gazpacho earned the music world’s attention as the opening act on Marillion’s 2006 tour. Musically, too, apart from that song, which could well be one of the sources of their name, there are quite a few similarities, though it’s far from the case that they imitate Marillion or, God forbid, steal their ideas. Gazpacho are pros from head to toe, with a sound all their own and an interesting, adventurous approach to each individual song, even if you can feel the influence of several different modern prog bands in their music.
“Night” is their most ambitious album so far, and it’s sure to catch the attention of most fans of modern progressive rock. Unlike its predecessor “Firebird” (2005), “Night” is a concept album, built around the well-worn idea of a journey between reality and dreams and the link between those two states of consciousness. The main character sets off on a long journey through different states of consciousness and sees a string of events, real and imagined, through the eyes of completely different people in different corners of the world. Along the way, for example, they travel to 18th-century New Orleans and all the way to mysterious ancient pagan rituals in the middle of a forest. Although the album consists of five separate, fairly sprawling, hypnotic and highly ambient compositions, it’s best listened to as one epic piece made up of many different fragments, and you’ll catch more and more of them with every repeated listen.
In a nutshell, I’d describe most of the music on the album as a hybrid of the neo prog of bands like Marillion, Pendragon, Galahad and IQ, with touches of post rock (Sigur Ros comes to mind), modern psychedelia in the vein of Porcupine Tree, and progressive-leaning pop in the style of Radiohead, while here and there you’ll also find some elements of a Hungarian waltz and classical music. The production is, in true Scandinavian tradition, crystal clear, while the musicians keep up a high level of virtuosity throughout the whole album with remarkable feel. After the very first listen there’s no doubt that Gazpacho are most influenced by modern-day Marillion. Not only because Jan Henrik Ohme’s vocals sound a lot like Steve Hogarth’s, but in the music itself as well. “Night”, as a highly ambient album, takes several listens before you can truly appreciate all its qualities. This is music that stirs up many different feelings, and you have to dive into it with all your senses, not just your ears. The chosen concept lets the listener feel a whole range of emotions all the way through, and in that respect “Night” more than convinces. The individual parts flow nicely into one another, much like some post rock compositions that slowly build, develop and create atmosphere. The hypnotic and ethereal moods melt into each other beautifully, mainly thanks to the expressive vocals and well-judged instrumentation, along with lovely orchestral arrangements that come into their own most in the opening and closing tracks.
The opening epic “Dream Of Stone” features a hypnotic (and by no means monotonous) rhythm, melancholic vocals and tasteful orchestral arrangements, with acoustic guitar used just right. The contrast between melancholic and bombastic passages keeps generating huge tension that keeps growing until the closing section, where they surprise us with a dreamy atmosphere featuring orchestral arrangements on violin and piano. That’s followed by a final climax with a determined rhythm section and guitar passages. The sound of this part reminds me a bit of the Scandinavian masters of dark prog Anekdoten, as well as of the progressive-leaning pop Radiohead make. “Chequered Light Buildings” opens and closes with melancholic waves of organ, fragile piano and melancholic vocals. The track is driven throughout by eruptions of individual instrumental passages and a fitting, convincing atmosphere. “Upside Down” starts out with dreamy vocals and piano, then tips over into a section with a strongly melancholic mood. That’s followed by an interesting transition with a good electric guitar solo and a wonderful finish, where a melancholic violin creates an exceptional atmosphere. “Valerie’s Friend” is another interesting creation, full of different moods. After an elaborate acoustic guitar and sensuously tinted vocals, they surprise with the sounds of a mandolin. Next comes an eruption of moods on guitar and dramatic vocals, which is then replaced by a bombastic atmosphere packed with good guitar passages. The closing section sounds like ambient electronic music, which is quite a contrast to the mandolin-soaked intro. The closing “Massive Illusion” is the emotional peak, with plenty of flute sounds, the majestic sound of the violin and Mellotron waves, plus an excellent combination of acoustic and electric guitar that also serves up a few sharper tones here. Ohme’s dramatic vocals reach their peak here and carry the exceptionally melancholic yet epic mood.
Although, as expected, “Night” doesn’t offer anything particularly new from a technical standpoint, its main strength is an exceptionally convincing whirlpool of excellent, dreamy moods that more than successfully capture the central concept of a journey between reality and dreams. “Night” is definitely their most mature album by far so far, and it will probably thrill fans of sentimentally tinged prog rock from bands like Porcupine Tree, Pure Reason Revolution and, of course, Marillion, although it also has some good commercial potential. Certainly one of the most interesting releases of 2007, and (mostly because of their more than obvious pop tendencies) it undoubtedly deserves the attention of a wider circle of listeners too.
Lineup
Jan Henrik Ohme – vocals, backing vocals
Thomas Andersen – piano, keyboards, programming
Jon-Arne Vilbo – guitar, acoustic
Mikael Krømer – violin, programming
Kristian Olav Torp – bass guitar
Robert Risberget Johansen – drums, percussion
Production
Peter Kearns
Tracklist
1. Dream of Stone (17:00)
2. Chequered Light Buildings (6:34)
3. Upside Down (9:41)
4. Valerie’s Friend (6:29)
5. Massive Illusion (13:37)
Album length: 53:21
