By Kevin Page. Upon hearing that famed guitar duo, Sol Faur and Hupogrammos, formed Sunset in the 12th House, I was all in. How can the original masterminds behind Negura Bunget and (currently) Dordeduh, not get you excited? They are joined by fellow Dordeduh drummer Sergio Ponti and bassist Mihai Moldoveanu
By Kevin Page.
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Upon hearing that famed guitar duo, Sol Faur and Hupogrammos, formed Sunset in the 12th House, I was all in. How can the original masterminds behind Negura Bunget and (currently) Dordeduh, not get you excited? They are joined by fellow Dordeduh drummer Sergio Ponti and bassist Mihai Moldoveanu (Beat Bang!, JazzyBIT) here on their debut album, Mozaic, 57 minutes of unmeasurable beauty.
The band describes their sound in a very general sense as psychedelic post rock and traditional oriental music. While I agree you can consider that a starting point, it goes way beyond that. Yes, it has some chuggy driving guitars at times, but nothing too crazy. You'll also hear progressive rock and metal. But what really makes Mozaic shine is the ethereal underlay always omnipresent, whether lurking in background or commanding center stage. The depth it brings to the music cannot be understated. Combine all that with the gentle upbeat picking of the guitars and it really is something to behold.
I know prog rock/metal can be very self indulgent (at least to my ears) and many bands get caught up in guitar wankery. Thankfully, none of that exists here. Everything is done tastefully with no fat to trim anywhere. These songs exist in their own time and space.
At the end of the day, what really makes this album stand out and cement itself as a supreme piece of music are those moments you can point to in each song and say "there, right there, THAT gives me chills". The simple fact that I can pinpoint this in each song is a testament to what an achievement the band has accomplished.
(have a listen for yourself).
- The first 2 1/2 minutes of "Seven Insignia".
- The 2:50 mark of "Arctic Cascades", gentle upbeat picking of the guitar.
- The 6:05 mark of "Paraphernalia of Sublimation" and again at 8:05.
- The 1:30 mark of "Desert's Eschaton".
- The beginning of "Ethereal Consonance".
- The 1:58 mark of "Rejuvenation", the only song to features any vocals (and they happen to be of the harsh variety).
[Also check out Kevin's interview with drummer Sergio Ponti over at No Clean Singing].