Morglbl are guitarist Christope Godin, bassist Ivan Rougny, and drummer Aurelian Ouzoulias, and if you haven't yet discovered their zany, quirky, and often times quite heavy instrumental brew, then do yourself a favor and check out their latest release from Free Electric Sound, titled Tea Time For Punks. With 18 years together and six studio albums under their belt, Morglbl are just rampaging along like a well oiled machine, their bizarre mix of Steve Vai, Frank Zappa, Primus, and Dream Theater never sounding better and impressing on every level. Godin is a monster player, ripping off a never ending variety of chunk-o-rama riffs and shredding leads, while the rhythm duo of Rougny & Ouzoulias flail away underneath utilizing every ounce of funk, metal, prog, and jazz-fusion tricks in their arsenal.
For those who have experienced the joys of Morglbl, Tea Time For Punks doesn't really deviate from an already winning formula, so expect plenty of musical acrobatics and generally quirky arrangements, much like we've come to expect from this French band. "Banjovi" mixes in some wild banjo sounds amid thunderous heavy metal shredding & wah-wah licks, while "Rood" and the title track offer up enticing rhythms and complex arrangements that bridge together so many musical styles. "Chinese Buffet" is the first straight jazz-fusion tune on the album, complete with some tasty lead guitar work and tight riffs, while "Mariachi's Burger" combines blistering lead guitar work from Godin with some humorous vocal sections. "Untoon That Guitar" is a real funk-metal workout, "Far Tea Time" reminds at times of some of the works of Allan Holdsworth or Frank Gambale, and "God Shaved the Queen" (love that title!) sees Rougny dropping in some awesome popping bass lines alongside brutal shredding from Godin. The guitarist wrenches his whammy bar to death on the moody "Atomic Tom Mohawk", another pretty heavy tune with plenty of musical acrobatics from the band.
In the end, Tea Time For Punks is a hell of a lot of fun, and while it will most certainly appeal to guitar lovers and fans of progressive rock, jazz-fusion, and instrumental metal, there's enough quirkiness and humor going on throughout these songs to perhaps open it up a wider audience. Well done once again Morglbl!
Track Listing
- Banjovi
- Rood
- Tea Time For Punks
- Chinese Buffet
- Mariachi's Burger
- Untoon That Geetar
- Far Tea Time
- Treeball
- God Shaved The Queen
- Atomic Tom Mohawk
- Big Ben Shaved The Queen Interlude