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Phideaux: Doomsday Afternoon
 The progressive rock band known as Phideaux have released their latest and perhaps most accomplished work here with Doomsday Afternoon, a near 70-minute prog opus that is sure to sratch that 70's symphonic itch that many fans of the genre have on a regular basis. Phideaux Xavier & crew have revisited some of the sounds & styles of their previous work Chupacabras on this one, and taken it to a new level, bringing such influences as Yes, Allan Parson Project, Jethro Tull, & Pink Floyd to the table, yet the music sounds fresh and modern with just enough of a vintage touch. Adorned by the lovely artwork of Molly Ruttan (who worked with the band on their last release The Great Leap), Doomsday Afternoon just looks and feels like old school prog from a visual perspective, and the feeling is cemented when you hit play and begin to soak in the sounds. Just listen to the lovely Moog & Rhodes work on "The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part Two)", or the complex, symphonic passages that permeate "Micro Softdeathstar", for examples of tasty, melodic prog. If you like more atmospheric & meditative sounds, check out the Pink Floyd paced mind-blower "Thank You For The Evil", which is littered with lilting guitar strums, spacey synths, and haunting vocals. The presence of members of the Los Angeles Philharmonic adds a classical touch to a few of the songs, and there's even a splattering of flute here and there which brings a nice pastoral element.
This is really wonderful stuff here, and there's no doubt that Doomsday Afternoon will sit near the top of many a prog fans lists of best albums this year when it is all said and done. Melodic, textured, emotional, symphonic, and vintage sounding-this release is all this and more, and a prog rock album not to be missed.
Track Listing
1 Micro Softdeathstar
2 The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part One)
3 Candybrain
4 Crumble
5 The Doctrine Of Eternal Ice (Part Two)
6 Thank You For The Evil
7 A Wasteland Of Memories
8 Crumble
9 Formaldehyde
10 Microdeath Softstar
Added: October 5th 2007
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score: 
Related Link: Blood Fish
Hits: 6694
Language: english
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Phideaux: Doomsday Afternoon
Posted by Michael Popke, SoT Staff Writer on 2007-10-05 13:53:07
My Score: 
At the risk of irking Glass Hammer fans, Doomsday Afternoon is one of the most beautiful-sounding retro-prog albums I've heard in a long time. Resplendent with appealing male and female vocals, layers of lap-steel and electric guitar, walls of Hammond B3 and Minimoog, an understated orchestra, mind-shifting moods, and eye-popping cover art and booklet illustrations that look like a mad mix of King Crimson, Genesis and Marillion imagery, this 10-song, two-act opus sounds better with every listen. Leading man Phideaux Xavier has overseen a tremendous peice of work, allowing the music to unfold smoothly — unrushed and uninhibited, ultra-melodic and highly sophisticated. Doomsday Afternoon is easily Phideaux's most accomplished work, and its 66-minute running time feels more like 46 minutes. When ordering the new Glass Hammer CD, don't forget to put aside some hard-earned cash for this thing, too...
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