DURP
(
(See http://www.durp.com for original German review)
Hermetic Science�s debut album (released in 1997) brought some fresh air into the prog scene.� The mastermind of Hermetic Science is keyboard player Ed Macan.� On En Route, progrock fans get a wild mixture of progressive instrumental, ECM-style spatial jazz, classical style, and orchestral inferno.� �En Route,� the suite, is based around the novels of J. K. Huysmans.
The opener, �Mars, the Bringer of War,� is a dark and threatening track with lots of strange sounds and a bolero-type rhythm.� �Against the Grain� consists of four parts, lasting about 20 minutes overall.� The piano plays an important role here, as well as the Micromoog, digital pipe organ, ARP string ensemble, and electronic harpsichord.� I have never listened to a Hermetic Science album before . . . and I am quite surprised how strange, how interesting, and how symphonic their music is.� The best way to describe the four-track �Against the Grain� is to imagine a mixture of early Alan Parsons, early Eloy, Apogee, or Versus X and some slight psychedelic seventies new age progressive rock atmosphere, decorated with freakin� organ, jazz elements, and groovin� beats.� Another highlight is �Raga Hermeticum,� a nine-minute track featuring 10-string lyre, Eastern percussion, and oriental flute tunes.� And of course, there�s the weird piano/organ progrock smasher �En Route.�� A great, a unique and entertaining no-easy-listening instrumental progrock album for all the die-hard prog-weirdos out there! 8 points���� Marcus Weis
