One For The Vine - The Day The Blood Spilled On The Floor

Hear The Track Here

I get the distinct impression that I am mellowing out with age. It used to be that I hated the sounds of certain kinds of electronica - the kind that bleeps and clucks with wtf is that moments. Developed a bit of a taste for that over the past couple of years. The same has to be said - much to my eternal chagrin - for (gulp, I can't believe I am going to say this...) that hoary chestnut - prog rock. See thanks to the efforts of people like Sylvan & Bonamici, Thielus Grenon and One For The Vine, even old stick in the muds like me can reach some kind of compromise. Although, I must admit, I am definitely not going to start donning a greatcoat and growing big hair any time soon.

So long as that's understood, press on...

It takes a lot to budge me out of my set-in-concrete ways, and it's a compliment to these musicians that finally I am able to enjoy music I had hitherto only puked on before. The reason, of course, is because of the outstanding musicianship on display in all cases. Although I can certainly appreciate what it takes technically to produce something that sounds authentically 'prog', it's the kind of music that has often left me feeling a bit cold and remote from it. Nad and Bon sorted that one out, bless 'em. The Day... has a lot more to do with the later versions of the genre expounded by bands such as Kansas, Styx and Rush. Highly creative technically and oh-my-gosh-so-clever but so fekkin what, right? And there lies my eternal problem with this genre. It's to OFTV's eternal credit that he's managed to capture the exact tone and feel of the period but that's also where it also niggles little old me.

Having spent HUGE amounts of my youth hanging around draughty stadiums listening to four lifetimes worth of this kind of material tends to make you choosy. What One For The Vine has here is - technically - splendid and if you like the genre you are gonna LOVE this. Full of bombast and self importance, oodles of classical influences and a pacy drum track, The Day The Blood would suit anyone who hankers for the days when musicians were held as Gods above us. Reality bites though, in the Gilmore household, and for me as much as I can appreciate this for the work it entails, this track didn't hit in me in the same way as Far beyond The Plains (March 2006). Still, with me and this genre it was always going to be a chancy thing, so take what I say with a pinch of salt (or whatever other white powder you fancy). One thing I did like was the keyboard sounds towards the end of the track, it reminded me strongly of The Nice.

Which was nice. ;)