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Outstation: Malevolent Energy
My previous knowledge of Outstation comes not through the band themselves but from the Verulium project created by guitarist Steve Blakely during a time when it appeared that this outfit was no more. An interesting, gentle symphonic prog debut album that maybe lacked for a little polish was what was to be found there but then a few mere months later we have the resurrection of Outstation and their Malevolent Energy. Hence, with little to no knowledge of this band I kind of (foolishly) presumed they’d be of the same ilk, which immediately led me astray. While the using the same font for this band’s logo as Iron Maiden do for theirs offered another fruitless clue. Instead, the eight tracks to be found here reside more in a spacey situation where dreamy ideals are allowed to manifest in different ways. Some of the tracks are soothing meanders, such as “Etched Upon A Scroll”, although most actually remind of Hawkwind at the more forceful end of their swirling guitar driven musings.
That’s exactly where “Astaroth: The Eternal Prince Of Darkness Parts I&II” and “The Overdriver” point proceedings and it has to be said that through the confident drumming from Mark Durrant, pointed guitar work courtesy of Blakely himself and the sax, flute and synth interjections from Kris Aylesbury, the effect is convincing indeed. There’s possibly an unintentional looseness about much of what happens on this album - an apparent seat of the pants aspect actually proving quite intoxicating as you can’t quite escape the feeling that these songs were elongated and adapted as they were being created. Add in the superbly well controlled vocals from Amanda Sanderson, who does a tremendous job of singing purely for the music she becomes a part of, and there’s a lot to involve yourself with here.
When Malevolent Energy clicks, it’s a truly heady, powerful force but quite cleverly, a few pace changes are offered along the way, “Lord Of Ages” pulling back to reveal an ethereal airiness that’s both endearing and unsettling, while “Sailing On The Seas Of Fate” is a synth fixated exercise in less is more, even though the man providing it remains deceptively busy as he builds a multifaceted, if remarkably patient, soundscape. Aylesbury again stars on “Whispers On The Breeze”, a track where the bass work from Finn Smyth meshes perfectly with the synths, however it’s actually the flute solo from the keyboard man that adds yet another window through which to view this album.
Personally, for me, while maybe not the issue it could have been in a different musical setting, the production, while tasteful, can be ever so slightly cluttered, but the impressive songwriting does just enough to continuously shine through. Special mention also to the band for the excellent booklet housed in the simple, but smart digi-pack, with the design of the former adding to the overall atmosphere of the album. It may not be perfect, but Malevolent Energy lives up to its name and stands up to repeat listens remarkably well.
Track Listing
1. Astaroth: The Eternal Prince Of Darkness Parts I&II
2. Etched Upon A Scroll
3. The Overdriver
4. Lord Of Ages
5. The Rituals Of Infinity
6. Fire Your Demons Into Space
7. Sailing On The Seas Of Fate
8. Whispers On The Breeze
Added: August 28th 2021 Reviewer: Steven Reid Score: Related Link: Outstation @ bandcamp Hits: 835 Language: english
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