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IOEarth: IOEarth

In case you haven't heard, the self-titled debut from the UK duo IOEarth was nominated for "Best Debut Record" in Italy's 2009 Prog Awards. That honor recognizes the sheer variety of and ambition behind the music on these two CDs, which spans more than 90 minutes. Dave Cureton and Adam Gough make music that's hard to classify; elements of rock, pop, classical, jazz, world, gospel, techno and prog can be heard amidst influences from Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Devin Townsend, Pink Floyd, Mike Keneally and Sigur Rós.

The album — IOEarth's studio debut — evolved from a main melody Cureton and Gough were working on that became the musical theme for a small collection of songs. Taking that idea, adding a few more musicians and then running with it, the duo divided IOEarth into three movements: "Water," "Earth" and "Air." According to the band's web site, the first movement represents "the story of people living a carefree existence but longing to see more of the unknown world." The second movement is "the story of entrapment, of people held in situations they would do anything to be free from," while the final movement is "the story of liberation, of the joy gained from freeing yourself of your burdens and of the sacrifices you must make to achieve this."

It's difficult to imagine the sacrifices Cureton and Gough went through to achieve a record of this magnitude, as IOEarth is an elaborate, intoxicating and exhausting experience that likely will not resonate deeply until after several listening sessions. Each song is different: Some boast female vocals reminiscent of The Gathering ("Smoky Wood") and others levitate with techno-prog ("Sun Is Going Down"). "Loops" spins with dramatic Middle Eastern swirls that crescendo and then crash into the orchestral "Symphony #1" before finally venturing into metal territory on "Light and Shade" with screaming guitars. Along the way, listeners happen upon strategically placed short and ambient interludes, sometimes with buried vocals.

This is serious, occasionally mind-blowing, stuff. Unfortunately, there's also little wiggle room for the multiple musicians and vocalists. Everything sounds so precise that it's almost as if Cureton and Gough refused to let themselves have fun with this project. Maybe they did have fun, I don't know. But everything about this album — from the music to its artwork and liner notes — reeks of pretentiousness. Now, that's not necessarily a bad thing; I'm just sayin'…


Track Listing:
Disc One:
1) 1st Movement: (Water) Introduction
2) 1st Movement: (Water) Storyteller
3) 1st Movement: (Water) Eeee
4) 1st Movement: (Water) Interlude #1
5) 1st Movement: (Water) Smoky Wood
6) 1st Movement: (Water) Come With Me
7) 1st Movement: (Water) Opus II
8) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Mountains Start To Fall
9) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Loops
10) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Symphony #1
11) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Light and Shade
12) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Intro Reprise
13) 2nd Movement: (Earth) Home
14) 2nd Movement: (Earth) The Creation

Disc Two:
1) 3rd Movement: (Air) Sun Is Going Down
2) 3rd Movement: (Air) Interlude #2
3) 3rd Movement: (Air) Harmonix
4) 3rd Movement: (Air) Take Me
5) 3rd Movement: (Air) Come With Me (Reprise)
6) 3rd Movement: (Air) Outro

Added: September 28th 2010
Reviewer: Michael Popke
Score:
Related Link: Official IOEarth Web Site
Hits: 4403
Language: english

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» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

IOEarth: IOEarth
Posted by Jon Neudorf, SoT Staff Writer on 2010-09-28 09:46:35
My Score:

The beginnings of IOEarth started in 1997 when friends Dave Cureton and Adam Gough decided to make a record. The two had met at the age of twelve and started writing and performing music together at the age of fifteen. The self-titled debut album is a two CD set that defies easy categorization and is an enthralling musical work. Joining Cureton (guitar, keyboards, bass, programming, vocals, percussion) and Gough (guitars, keyboards, bass, programming, vocals, percussion) are Richard Cureton (drums, percussion), Claire Malin (vocals), Marc Williams (bass), Luke Shingler (saxophone) and a few guest musicians.

Let me just say right from the start how much I enjoyed listening to this CD. The piece is divided into three movements: Water, Earth and Air. Each movement involves a concept but all are related to one another. I will not go into details but I will say it is best to listen to this CD in one sitting even though it is over ninety minutes long with the first disc twice as long as the second. The songs flow together beautifully from one to the next which serves to emphasize the conceptual nature of the album. The music is in the vein of classic symphonic progressive rock but has elements of classical, jazz, electronic, ambient and heavy prog. Trust me; this album is so well executed it will hold your attention from the first song to the last. The band does a great job intertwining heavier parts with quieter more introspective ambient-like moments combining tasty guitar, excellent male and female voices and lush symphonic arrangements.

The intro to the first movement begins with melancholy piano laid upon layers of orchestration. It is as though a symphony is bursting forth through the speakers. The recording quality is outstanding throughout.

The next two songs, "Storyteller" and "Eeee" has the band seeking far Eastern sounds with the former focusing on some heavenly guitar work and the latter starting with foreboding acoustic guitar and exotic sounding vocals. The laid back "Smoky Wood" is filled with jazzy piano and sultry saxophone. The female vocals recall parts of Ayreon's latest work and the flugel horn, courtesy of Steve Trigg, increases the jazz factor. In "Mountains Start To Fall" the orchestration slowly builds before an outro of stark piano leads directly into "Loops" with its funky bass and interesting percussion sounds creating an aura of dissonance. Metallic rhythms and time signature changes highlight "The Creation", the first CDs last track, proving complexity and accessibility are highly compatible.

The second disc has six tunes starting with the trance-like "Introduction" with a cool electronic groove and exotic vocals. The band's experimental approach can be heard on "Interlude #2" with long drawn out droning sounds and superb chanting vocals. "Harmonix" is one of my favourite pieces with biting Floydish guitar and crisp cymbal work.

IOEarth has released a stellar debut album that is thought provoking and adventurous, loaded with great melodies and spirited playing. Anyone who likes progressive rock needs to hear this disc.



» Reader Comments:

IOEarth: IOEarth
Posted by Wendy on 2010-01-11 04:46:04
My Score:

This album is amazing..., haunting, beautiful, stirring....
They got a review in Classic Rock Magazine, are up for an award and if they play LIVE...you'll be blown away! Pure music, perfectionism, style, that's all it is...

W. (The Netherlands)




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