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ON THE OTHER SIDE
Tracklist: The Jerk (5.04); Waiting For the Sandman (4.37); I Freak Out (4.59); Railways (4.50); Clockworks (4.45); This Hour (4.45); Unaccomplished (4.15); Farewell Song (4.31); Lucky Fool (2.03); On The Other
Side (7.53)
Brother Ape is a four piece outfit hailing from the outskirts of Stockholm. The band consists of Stefan Damicolas (vocals, guitars), Peter Dahlstrom (vocals, bass, keyboards), Gunnar Maxén (bass, keyboards,
vocals) and Max Bergman (drums, percussion).
Although they have been around for about 10 years, they have until now remained relatively unknown outside their native Sweden.
As is often the case I am afraid to say I don't have much in the way of biographical material to draw from but from what I can piece together I think the following covers the main points. After starting out in the mid 1990's, Brother Ape very quickly recorded some demo tracks for an album, but never released it. The next few years were spent building up their own recording studio at their rehearsal room, while at the same time continuing to write and record new material.
Late in 2003 the band did at last bring out a CD for sale at their live shows, but the release was limited to just 500 copies. Now, in 2005, Progress Records have taken this 'demo' album as the basis for the
band's first official label release, and with the addition of a couple of extra tracks, have made "On the Other Side" available to a wider audience.
The music sets out to create a blend of traditional and progressive rock with some jazz touches in the vein of Weather Report and Brand X.
On the band's website influences from the likes of Saga, Yes and Rush are cited, and it is fair to say that there are also some more than passing similarities to A.C.T. Having said that it should also be said that the band have successfully managed to incorporate these diverse elements into a sound of their own.
The album opens with "The Jerk", a track whose style demonstrates perfectly what this band are all about. The music has a strong upbeat feel and successfully mixes 70's style progressive with neo-prog
trends, and although the jazz elements are for the most part very light,
they still manage to add an extra sparkle. The vocals meanwhile are clear and sharp and have that slight but obvious A.C.T. feel which I mentioned previously.
After such a promising start the album continues to deliver the goods with "Waiting For the Sandman" which is a somewhat more subdued piece.
The vocal style here is lighter and is delivered in much softer tones, while the keyboard work has touches that are reminiscent of a kind of hybrid between The Enid and The Flower Kings. Very interesting and most effective.
"I Freak Out" has a more lively feel and initially there are similarities of late period Genesis, particularly from the point of view of the keyboard sound, but I have to be honest and say I found it
a little too repetitive at times.
On the plus side however there is some superb guitar work to be found just past the mid point, and this largely made up for any misgivings I may have had about the track as a whole.
The pattern of alternating between upbeat and more relaxed numbers works very well and the next three pieces continue the trend. Initially "Railways" takes things back down to a far more relaxed pace.
The drums introduce a train like rhythm to the track while the music pushes smoothly forwards with soft vocal accompaniment. Next we have "Clockworks" with it's more upbeat, driving sound. The track has a solid vocal performance supported by slick yet restrained lead guitar work. Then we move into "This Hour", another slow laid back number which utilises acoustic guitar and a soft vocal line to good effect.
There is a slightly quirky edge to ""Unaccomplished" which utilises both guitars and keyboards to good effect creating a punchy energetic piece.
"Farewell Song" struck me as something of a mix between AOR and neo-prog. The main points of interest here were the excellent use of vocal harmonies and piano sounds which added a light airy ambience.
The penultimate track, "Lucky Fool", seems to pick up where "This Hour" left off. The overall sound and mood of the two pieces are so similar that this could almost be a continuation of the
earlier song.
Finally we come to "On The Other Side". Suprisingly the vibrato guitar sound and initial vocal tones here reminded me strongly of The Police, but this effect soon subsides.
The track develops quickly and after a mid section which is very strong on drums we move into a different frame of reference altogether with an uplifting build to the finish which is supported by strong vocal harmonies that are reminiscent of Yes at their best.
All in all I found this album to be a very strong debut release.
The pleasing blend of styles is something that should help to ensure that this album appeals equally to fans of both progressive and melodic rock. If you favour 70's style progressive music with a modern edge, then this is another band that could give The Flower Kings a run for their money - Worth checking out!
Simon 10th July 2005
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