I have to hand it to these guys; they have done an excellent job transforming their music from the 90's progressive rock that initiated their beginnings to the more sophisticated and catchy technical pop/rock that offer up a more enticing blend of art-tinged melodies. And in these days where the term "progressive" has become a catch phrase on just about any type of technical minded music, just like the word "alternative" meant "anything different" in the 90's, it's easy to see how
Ritual's sound, like their origins, has put them into the "prog-rock" type casting.
However, this Swedish quartet's evolution has poised a sound that focuses on the melodies, where all improvisations, jamming and whatnot are built around the songs. Songs that feature hooks and catchiness without dreary atmospheric soundscapes that often put the listener, or at least me, into sleep mode, or in my case again, switching to the next track. Hence their musical creation is similar to what the Beatles did in the 60's or
Led Zeppelin in the 70's adding odd instruments that normally wouldn't fit the "rock" sound. And arrangements, well let's just say they are complex, but yet accessible (to the ears).
Now finally after years of releasing records such as
Think Like a Mountain and
Superb Birth,
Ritual offer up a double live album that spans a career of careening musical endurance. Performing a tight set with many different styles of material where
Live proves these guys as a live act, even if the "word of mouth" was not enough to persuade.
With all of the material on the record, where does one start. Well, lets have some of the most moving tracks such as the opening number "
What are You Waiting For;" this is not a track where you just sit in your seat and enjoy the band's performance, trust me. Nevertheless the melodies of sparked enthusiastic emotion are conveyed with the grinding blues tinged "
Did I Go Wrong," the groove laden "
Really Something," the straight ahead rock of "
Explosive Paste" (which hints on the Rainbow/Purple side of the band's sound), and the charging pop structure of "
Do You Wanna See the Sun;" offering
Live's most energetic moments.
Getting down to their more technical tracks, "
Typhoons Decide" with its gypsy violin, the heavy and dense jam session of "
Dinosaur Spaceship," the dark moodiness of "
Humble Decision," as well the conceptual "
Solitary Man," show that there is homage to classic progressive rock. Obviously they build upon that influence without going into instrumental binges and so on. Even cuts such as "
Mother You've Been." and "
Infinite Justice" express regards for the "song within a song," proving that catchy melodies can still penetrate their way into such sophisticated compositions.
One thing that is apparent with this record is that they picked up where
Led Zeppelin left off after they disbanded. Really putting a lot of mysticism and psychedelic ethnic sounds into their music; the same way Zeppelin did when they recorded albums such as
Physical Graffiti. Not many bands have been able to do that in the same manner. That really shines through on this live set, in many ways, it sounds more apparent (at most times) to the Zeppelin factor than it does to
Yes or Crimson, although those waters are tread at times as well.
Live is an excellent set for those of you who have not enjoyed the desserts of seeing these guys live, and in some ways, the tracks tend to be more spontaneous than their studio releases. Only time will tell if this is the definitive release by these guys, but for now, it is.
Written by
Hashman Thursday, January 26, 2006
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