Reviews roundup – Triosphere vs. One After The Crow vs. Vespers Nine vs. Adam Cohen

Reviews roundup – Triosphere vs. One After The Crow  vs. Vespers Nine vs. Adam Cohen

TRIOSPHERE
The Heart Of The Matter
AFM

Triosphere are a Norwegian power / prog metal band who’ve been on the go for a decade now, with this their third album, following on from “Onwards” and “The Road Less Travelled”.

Unusually for a band in this genre, they have a female vocalist which certainly makes for a different dynamic and, luckily, they also know how to write a good tune.  Ida Haukland – lead vocals, bass, Marius Silver Bergesen – lead and rhythm guitar, Tor Ole Byberg – rhythm guitar and now departed drummer Ørjan Aare Jørgensen make a mighty fine noise, with some excellent riffing and percussion on offer.

There are a few crackerjacks here, with ‘My Fortress’, ‘Departure’ and ‘The Heart’s Dominion’ absolute highlights.  Musically, they are extremely proficient, the production is in your face, and they’re shaping up to have a crack at the big boys.  A job well done.

ONE AFTER THE CROW
One After The Crow
Kingdead

Some more traditional prog this time, with the two man band One After The Crow.  All the way from the Canadian colonies – Manitoba to be precise, this debut, self–titled EP sees them trying out their sound on the wider world.

And it’s certainly encouraging. They’re still a wee bit unsure about who they want to be, as they veer between prog metal (‘It’s the Affect’), folk prog (‘Reflection’) and just good old prog.  However, they’re happy to throw in some more modern guitar sounds, which isn’t my thing, but might encourage the kiddywinks to lend an ear.

Full marks to the duo for an adventurous approach to their music and, fingers crossed, it won’t be the last we hear from them.

VESPERS NINE
True Story
independent

When Vespers Nine call themselves “seasoned musicians”, then the implication is that they’re cracking on a bit.  Which would explain why their sound is firmly rooted in the classic rock of the late seventies and early eighties.  Which is fine by me.

It also explains why alongside nine original tunes, they’ve had a crack at covering that well known power ballad from the eighties, Mr. Misters ‘Broken Wings’.  They say it ties into the concept of hope and learning to fly again.  And who am I to argue with such a hippyish ideal.  Well, not today.

And they’re very good at what they do.  Of course, no-one will care as they’re thirty years too late, but they know their way around a stonking melody and a catchy chorus, even if they do take their name from a poem by S.T. Coleridge.  Hippies.  Told you.  But there is plenty to love in the music, with the likes of ‘Heart Wide Open’, ‘Never Enough’ and their own big ballad, ‘Alone With You’ a pleasure to listen to.

ADAM COHEN
We Go Home
Cooking Vinyl

Now I don’t want to be compared to my father, so I’m going to use my family surname, go into the family business and work from my home.  Well, my Dads home.  Oh, and I’ll put his picture on the back of the sleeve.  That way no-one will try to compare me to my Dad.

Well played, Adam “son of Leonard” Cohen.  Of course, if I went into the family business, I’d be up to my elbow in shit, clearing oot a lavvy in Breich, but for Adam, that means writing and singing slight songs about love, whilst basking at the holiday home on the Greek island of Hydra.

And some of the songs are alright.  ‘Song of Me And You’ is very sweet, which the offspring of poets, who had holiday homes in the Greek islands will find easy to relate to.  Of course, for every one of those, there’s a ‘Love Is’, which is truly horrendous, and wouldn’t be out of place on a Hallmark Movie Of The Week.  Probably starring Melissa Gilbert.  One for the Guardian readers out there.