Concentric: Immeasurable

If you are tired of paint-by-numbers prog bands who seemingly bring nothing fresh to the table, relying on the rehashing of your favourite 70s prog albums look no further than Concentric, an acoustic trio, and their debut album Immeasurable. The Milwaukee band formed in 2004 and have previously released a demo and EP. Concentric are Brad O' Malley (drums, timpani), James Becker (guitar, cello, bass) and Jerry Hauppa (guitar, hammer dulcimer, accordion). As you can see from the instrument list the band plays some unconventional instruments that are not used all that much in progressive music and to top it off these guys are tremendous musicians delving into a variety of styles like jazz, metal, experimental rock and classical all tightly wrapped under the moniker of progressive music. That being said Concentric is a difficult band to categorize as their music takes the path less travelled and that in and of itself is as important as anything else.

There is an underlying complexity at work here that assures boredom will not be a problem. Having only three players the band is still able to achieve richly complex music built upon layers of sound, sometimes delicate, other times intense and always interesting. If you are a fan of acoustic driven music you really need to hear this disc.

Describing these songs is difficult as there is so much happening. The songs "Sleep Therapy" and "Familiarity" demonstrate the band's penchant for more subdued acoustic melodies while the intensely ominous "The Colossus" goes for a heavier sound. Think acoustically driven doom metal and you will get an idea of what this song is all about. The aptly titled "Ghosts" is absolutely haunting with languid acoustic strumming and lovely cello that adds an ethereal quality to the band's sound. The one two punch of "Balance" and "Counterbalance" combine flourishes of acoustic guitar giving these songs a complexity while still providing some nice melodies with some truly beautiful moments including stellar cello work.

The only time the band goes electric is in the epic title track where their metal influence shines through in the form of chugging riffs and frantic drum fills. The mixing of electric and acoustic parts sounds great. The album ends with the experimental "Opaque" complete with off the wall drumming and acoustic segments seemingly going in all directions but still making perfect sense.

If you listen to Immeasurable be prepared for an intense wild ride that you will not soon forget. If you like complex music that veers towards the experimental and/or avant-garde while still retaining some nice melodies you would do well to check out Concentric. Highly recommended for all open-minded listeners.

Track Listing:
1. Sedatephobia
2. Balance
3. Counterbalance
4. Ghosts
5. Familiarity
6. Sleep Therapy
7. The Colossus
8. Verdiend
9. Immeasurable
10. Inspiration
11. Rock Island, 1931
12. Monument
13. Opaque

Added: May 2nd 2010
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 2366
Language: english

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