|
|
|
|
Brother Ape - On The Other Side
Brother Ape dwells on the uplifting fusion side of prog and touches on a combination of a few bands (my instant gut feeling was Spock's Beard/It Bites plus the lighter side of Camel). The talented foursome of Stefan Damicolas (guitar, vocals), Max Bergman (drums), Gurra Maxen (keyboards, bass, vocals) and Peter Dahlstrom (bass, keyboards, vocals) sound more like an octet much of the the time. The secret lies in the band's arrangements, which add a complexity to otherwise straightforward melodies. The resulting sound can, depending on 'weather' conditions, sail dangerously close to a more mainstream 'pop/rock' style or encroach upon the territory occupied with bands such as Brand X. That said, even their more commercial side retains that certain something that keeps the more serious of listeners entertained whilst having a wider accessibility for the more general AOR audience. On The Other Side is a good album and only those into mindless pap (mainstream pop) would turn their nose up at it. The musicianship is excellent but I hope they don't stray too far into the AOR territory in their next release because I can see their potential for some more great things in albums to come and it would be a shame to lose them. Jem Jedrzejewski
|
|
ŠThe Hairless Heart Herald 2001-2008. Reproduction in any means or form of material published on this site is strictly forbidden without the express permission of the editor. |
As
we would be led to believe, the Danes like to keep hold of their lager but it
seems the same could be said of the Swedes and their progressive musicians. Take
Brother Ape for example.