Artist: Conspiracy
Label: Inside Out Records
Release: 2003
Rating: 4/5
The follow-up to the 2000 debut simply called “Conspiracy” radiates far more cohesion. The side project of Yes’ indestructible bassist Chris Squire and guitarist Billy Sherwood (ex-Yes, World Trade), “inspired by conspiracy,” comes wrapped in an obscure cover, a bit like “The Animals” (1977) by Pink Floyd, but the music itself shines with an incredibly intense light, full of positive vibes.
The bass-string plucking on opener Conspiracy sends shivers down your spine, because Chris doesn’t beat around the bush and immediately serves up his famous rattling sound from that legendary Rickenbacker, without which Yes’ music is simply unimaginable. Just as that sound holds a special place in Yes’ identity, in this side project Squire’s signature is pushed up even further and forms the absolute foundation on which the two artists build their songs. Confess is structured in a way that, if this were the eighties, it would surely have been released as a hit single. Fluid in its setup, with an atmospheric, multi-layered vocal line and an outstanding chorus.
On New World, Chris will blow your head off with the bass voltage he builds up in it. For those of you who get hooked right away and have no patience for detours, this song will surely be the first attraction of the record. It’s the liveliest, most sped-up track on the album, practically bursting with pent-up energy! The bass sits front and center, with carefully layered banks of keyboards and tasteful guitar additions from Billy alongside, not to mention the impressive vocal duet of the two leading heads behind this project. Their partnership works perfectly!
½ A World Away is the song where the drums step absolutely into the foreground, working hard on all sorts of progressive rolls and electrifying the song’s atmosphere with full momentum all the way through. The drums are alive and clearly audible in the production, and together with Chris’s unique bass sound they carry the remarkable fluidity and dynamics of the sonic intensity of the rhythm line across the whole record. And Billy’s contribution? Billy cleverly put together the guitar motifs, seasoned everything with a variety of sound effects, and added keyboards that at times sound like a whole philharmonic orchestra is in the room, once again drawing attention to his exceptional musical talent, including his production work. The record deserves a straight ten in every respect. The songs are varied and polished to the max. Every time you listen to “The Unknown,” you find something new and surprising in the sound. Detailed design, precisely constructed sound, and the atmosphere is outstanding! Different moods constantly intertwine across the record.
The title track deserves special attention. The mini-epic composition, running over eleven minutes, begins with an innocent acoustic motif, followed by the sounds of a metronome, and suddenly a massive wall of sound joins in, as if someone had crossed Mahavishnu Orchestra with Yes! Yes indeed! An Orientally flavored extravaganza of motifs and sound! Chris also takes some room to use a bass pedal. To make his bass pulsate and cut effectively through concrete, this inventive guy once again layers in extra lines played on the high “E” and “A” strings of an electric guitar, reinforcing the basic bass line and “doubling” its sound. The Unknown is a song with a rare quality. It just refuses to sink into your ears, but every time you listen, a different set of feelings takes hold of you. Such a light simply shines through it that no music reviewer, myself included, can pin it down in matter through analysis. Yes, we can draw a parallel here with the all-powerfulness of Yes’ epics. Like a drug you can’t resist! The point where analyzing becomes completely superfluous.
The bonus track is on the limited edition (“digipack” tucked into a “slipcase” sleeve) and is called I Could. It’s a song with a heavier sound. The distorted and “metalized” (!) guitar riffing is muffled in the production and balanced by keyboards that once again bring in a heaping dose of symphonic flavor. The song is simply built and, much like Confess, set up so that you won’t be able to stand still. Alongside ignoring all possible trends and with them the chase for money, Conspiracy’s main message is: “Rise above your ego, don’t fear the unknown, jump aboard the new age, and be eternal light full of love!” “The Unknown” is a record that undoubtedly belongs in every respect at the very top of the progressive scene of 2003 and is its absolute number-one refreshment.
Lineup
Billy Sherwood – vocals, guitar
Chris Squire – vocals, bass guitar
Jay Schellen – drums
Production
Billy Sherwood
Tracklist
1. Conspiracy (5:05)
2. Confess (4:37)
3. New World (7:22)
4. 1/2 A World Away (5:47)
5. There Is No End (5:14)
6. The Wheel (5:26)
7. Premonitions (4:10)
8. The Unknown (11:30)
9. I Could (4:21)
Album length: 53:32
