Subterranean Masquerade - Suspended Animation Dreams


Year of Release: 2005
Label: The End Records
Catalog Number: TE055
Format: CD
Total Time: 00:00:00

Evaluation:

What is it?

The macabre Travis Smith artwork, albeit drawn in a crude hand-rendered style, provides a surreal backdrop for the equally tenebrific lyrics ? standard fare for angst-ridden, moribund metal bands nowadays ? at first glance Suspended Animation Dreams appears to be more of the same from The End Records?

Analysis:

What it is:

This is genre-bending music of high caliber. There are progressive, art-rock elements reminiscent of 70s stalwarts like Elton John, The Moody Blues, Pink Floyd, Genesis and their ilk, perpetuated primarily through the band's choice of instrumentation (sax, trumpet, trombone, clarinet, flute, and acoustic piano feature prominently throughout the disc); a "light-jazz" feel permeates the arrangements. I found myself thinking of various musicals from the mid 70s and early 80s as I listened to some of the instrumental sections of the pieces.

Guitars are subservient to the arrangements, but when they are featured they are used for maximum impact, usually accompanied by death grunts and black metal rasps ? this is the only element of the disc that I think doesn't work, and seems disingenuous. The music shifts suddenly from the beatific to the beastly ? disconcerting and disruptive to the flow of the songs.

Acoustic instruments, cleverly arranged synth strings, acoustic instrumentation, choirs and a knock-out production by Neil Kernon make Suspended? a listener's haven amidst the current crop of deathly bands on The End Record's roster.

Rating: 9-/10 [4.5/5] (the minus is for ? you guessed it ? those infantile, asinine growled vocals)

Summary:

Intriguing, and sure to be enjoyed by anyone with even an ounce of intelligence or regard for musical verisimilitude, Subterranean Masquerade have created a work that transcends rock boundaries and defies classification without sacrificing listenability.

The only metal here is the fillings in Mr Kernon's teeth?


Tracklisting:
Suspended Animation Dreams / Wolf Among Sheep / No Place Like Home / Kind Of A Blur / The Rock N Roll Preacher / Six Strings To Cover Fear / Awake / X

Musicians:
Jake Depolitte - guitar, bass
Ben Warren - keyboards
Steve Lyman - drums and percussion
Brownwean Beecher - violin
Susan Naud - vocals
Willis Clow - guitar

Discography:
Temporary Psychotic State (ep) (2004)
Suspended Animation Dreams (2005)

Genre: Progressive Rock

Origin US

Added: July 25th 2005
Reviewer: Jan-Mikael Erakare
Score:
Artist website: www.submasq.com
Hits: 1681
Language: english

  

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