Black-Hole (UK) - One Twist In The Tapestry

Hear The Track Here

Just when I thought it was safe to venture back into the mainstream of music, along comes my old nemesis prog rock to haunt me forever. Joking (barely) aside, it isn't a genre I have great affection for but it seems to be gaining in popularity online and has even produced - to my ears anyway - a couple of real masters at the game in Sylvan and Bonamici. More to the point, I seem to have a least one or two progressive rock tracks up for review every month, each by an artist new to me. Methinks something stirs in the undergrowth. When I start seeing guys going around with mullet heads I'll be sure to notice that we are in a full blown prog rock revival.

All well and good, provided they do away with the greatcoats this time...

Good progressive rock is extremely difficult to pull off and it's to this artist's credit that he, more or less, aquits himself well. That uncertainty you may have detected in my voice is probably a result of my own bias. One Twist carries all of the genre's hallmarks; myriad chord changes, grandiose themes and epic length. When I first caught sight of this tracks lumbering bulk (it weighs in at a extremely obese ten minutes) I almost had a screaming fit, knowing full well that I had let myself in for this and that such is the price of a first come, first served open review list. Nonetheless, whatever I think of the genre itself (other than trying to explain myself of course) I try and keep an open mind on two things: technique and production. To my mind these are also prime components of the genre.

On that score (no pun intended) Black Hole UK succeed because if you like the genre you will find DAYS of listening pleasure with this sprawling, convoluted peice. There is no doubting that this artist DOES know how to get the the meat of the matter, the music itself is always interesting, it's changeability almost seamless once you really start paying attention. How much that has to do with the collab with the Atropos Project on this track, I have no idea but as far as the actual sound goes, I personally would have spent a lot more time getting it to sound as good as it plays. To my mind there is a certain rigidity in the mix that keeps the music from really hitting home. Nonetheless, as I say, fans of the genre will just love this no matter what I say. Good for them, I say.

Pretty good prog rock (and I NEVER thought I'd write that).