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Beardfish: Mammoth

Progressive Rock

5.0/5.0

InsideOut Music
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by Craig Hartranft,  03.07.2011

Those who love those heady days of early progressive rock with bands like Yes, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, and (early) Genesis will find inspiration in Beardfish's latest project Mammoth. This is a tour-de-force of creativity and ingenuity, two of the things that make prog so entertaining. While fresh and imaginative, there's nothing really modern about Mammoth. Ironically, Rikard Sjoblom (v,g,k) and David Zackrisson (g) started out in a grunge band, only to abandon the pernicious and predictable genre to do, in their words, 'something fresh.'

At the start, Beardfish hooks you with the hard rock riffs and quirky shifts of The Platform. Those historic prog elements of yesteryear combine on And The Stone Said: If I Could Speak, easily the best song, with a touch of Pink Floyd and a very groovy saxophone solo. Tightrope turns on simple melodic rock for bare but mature piece. Green Waves returns to that heavier motif but also invokes a sometime psychedelic feel. Later, you'll find Beardfish blending progressive rock with elemental jazz, and that wonderful saxophone returns.

All this is merely an overview, a taste, of the delights within Mammoth and, to be honest, a rather poor expression of them in words. Buy and listen. Mammoth must be savored to be enjoyed. I recommend a quiet evening and a glass of your favorite wine for proper enjoyment.

Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.

Beardfish's Mammoth turns on old school melodic progressive rock, and they're damn good at interpreting it for a new generation. Mammoth could be their finest work: both provocative and entertaining. Get it and dig it!

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Next year, American metal band Riot V, founded by the late guitarist Mark Reale (d. 2012), will celebrate their 50th anniversary in the metal business. Though we haven't had a new studio album from the band ... [ Read More ]