Void's Last Stand, The: Rakash

Most progressive rock enthusiasts would agree that truly avant-garde music runs the risk of being inherently paradoxical. It may automatically be brilliant because it's so fearless, unique, and unconstrained; however, it's that exact same experimentation that may also make the music at least somewhat unlistenable. On its sophomore release, Rakash, German prog quartet The Void's Last Stand exemplify this irony perfectly. Love it or hate it, you've probably never heard anything like it before.

Formed out of the ashes of The Void (2005 – 2007) by guitarist/vocalist Jonas Wingens and guitarist Geoffrey Blaeske, the group's history certainly parallels that of At The Drive-In/The Mars Volta. By 2009, the duo had recruited drummer Ray Dratwa and bassist Rachid Touzani, and they also released their debut LP, A Sun By Rising Set. With Rakash (which, apparently, is a concept album), the group blends touches of 1960s pop, rock, and psychedelic music with schizophrenic rhythm changes, absurd timbres, and an overall sense of strangeness. While it tends to be a bit repetitive (melodically) and dull (production-wise) at times, more often than not, it's fairly fascinating.

Opening track "Mother Sun and the Other Son (Part III) – The Syrian Goddess)," whose first part appeared on the debut (and whose second part, as far as I can tell, is MIA), is by far the masterpiece of the record. At sixteen minutes long, it's a mad journey full of retro sounds, histrionic vocals, wild change-ups, and experimental wonder (or annoyance, depending on your preference). After some proggy riffs and syncopation, Wingens belts out an airy lead vocal while several—let's say—personalities appear in the background (including a wacky falsetto that bares striking similarity to Peter Gabriel 's performances with Genesis). As interesting as these different voices are (especially in how they intersect like puzzle pieces), their theatrics can get irritating. Still, one must applaud how well the jarringly different sections fit together, and to be fair, several of the melodies are quite catchy and hypnotic. There are traces of Brian Eno, David Bowie, Those Men, and John "Johnny Rotten" Lydon throughout.

Elsewhere, the record manages to be more straightforward while still packing in plenty of unexpected turns. "Sail My Ship Achilles" would be a run-of-the-mill rocker if not for the wonderful dynamic shifts, guitar solos, keyboard textures, and of course, over-the-top singing. "She's A Ghost/ They Shall Not Pass" is basically a slow acoustic ballad with colorful sounds, such as impassioned notes, throughout. The instrumental "Land(E)Scapes..." is highlighted by the interaction of complicated guitar arpeggios and simple chord progressions. Finally, and perhaps in homage to The Moody Blues, the album concludes with a spoken poem entitled "An Ode to Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud: Poesy in Asylum." Of course, as The Void's Last Stand adore a bit of silliness, the speaker's speech impediment and slightly immature, profane words denote that the poem isn't completely serious, which actually makes it more endearing.

Again, there is definitely a level of brilliance in how off-the-wall and unique this album is, but it can also feel too similar to itself at times. There's a certain template that The Void's Last Stand follows (mostly an oscillation between normality and insanity) that makes the record a bit predictable and tiresome by the end. Still, taken in small doses, it's testament to the kind of courageous freedom that true artists must possess. If you're a fan of bold, retro, strange, and sometimes catchy/sometimes inaccessible music, Rakash may be your cup of tea. Whether you're singing along, trying to decode its construction, or just plain wondering what the hell substances these guys were indulging in, you're guaranteed to find the album intriguing and unique. If nothing else, The Void's Last Stand deserves praise for having the confidence, vision, and commitment to write and record music that follows no set path and refuses to stray at all from its artistry, however narrow it may be.

Track Listing
1. Mother Sun and The Other Sun (Part III) – The Syrian Goddess
2. Sail My Ship Achilles
3. Cut Open Feet
4. She's A Ghost / They Shall Not Pass
5. Land(E)Scapes And The Beauty of No. 64
6. Glass Cabinet
7. An Ode to Antoine Marie Joseph Artaud: Poesy in Asylum

Added: March 7th 2012
Reviewer: Jordan Blum
Score:
Related Link: Long Hair Music
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Language: english

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