Albumin "Corvus Stone II" arvioi Jan Mikael Ekblad - progea, rokkia ja kauhua

Note: This review is written in Finnish

Arvio ilmestynyt alunperin Facebook-ryhmässä "Jamex ja Outo Maailma"

Jan Mikael Ekblad

19. maaliskuuta

Hyvää kansallista naistenpäivää 19.3.2015.
Hyvää Minna Canthin päivää!

Corcus Stone: II
Julkaisu: 11 / 2014 (Suomi)
Julkaisija: Melodic Revolution Records (Orlando, Florida, USA).
79:23
80 / 100 (4 / 5)

Kappaleet:
01. The Simple Life
02. Early Morning Call
03. Boots For Hire
04. Sneaky Entrance in to Lisa
05. Purple Stone
06. A Stoned Crow Meets the Rusty Wolff Rat
07. Lisa Has a Cigar
08. Mr Cha Cha
09. Dark Tower
10. Scandinavians in Mexico
11. Mystery Man
12. Camelus Bactrianus (Tuolla tuonnempana)
13. Uncle Schunkle
14. Eternal Universe
15. Moaning Lisa
16. Campfire (Tulen luona)

Muusikot, grafiikka ja vierailevat tähdet:

Pasi Koivu: Koskettimet
Colin Tench: Kitarat
Petri Lemmy Lindström: Basso
Robert Wolff: Rummut ja perkussiot

Sonia Mota: Grafiikka

Andress Guazzelli: Laulu (5.)
Blake Carpenter: Laulu (3., 5., 9. ja 11.)
German Vergara: Laulu (15.)
Phil Naro: Laulu (1. ja 14.)
Sean Filkins: Laulu, perkussiot ja huuliharppu (10. ja 15.)
Stef Flaming: Laulu (2.)
Stef Flaming: Kitarat ja koskettimet (3.)
Timo Rautiainen: Laulu (12. ja 16.)
Victor Tassone: Perkussiot ja rummut (1.)
Matti Kervinen: Laulujen tekstit (suomeksi) (12. ja 16.)

Paljon on vettä virrannut marraskuun jälkeen Lohjan Maksjoessa...

Kuuntelin albumia jonkin verran tuoreeltaan, mutta tämän vuoden aikana tämä on ensimmäinen kerta. Nyt on aika kirjoittaa vihdoin ja viimein työn alla jo pitkään ollut levyarvio Corvus Stone II albumista.

The Simple Life: Hippiaika. 1960-luvun ja 1970-luvun vaihde. Hair musikaali.

Carly Morning Call ja Boots For Hire: Santana tyylistä iloista jamittelua kumpikin kappaleista. Tosin Boots For Hire kappaleessa laulu on ehkä enemmän synkkää Black Sabbath tyyliä. Sydänäänet lopussa ovat kiva lisä kokonaisuuteen. Myös Scandinavians in Mexico on suora pastissi Santanan alkupään loistaville albumeille. Myös Journey yhtye (- yksi suuria suosikkejani!) on koottu alunperin Santanan ensimmäisllä levyillä vaikuttaneista muusikoista.

Sneaky Entrance in to Lisa on pieni ja sievä alkuintro Purple Stone kappaleeseen. Suoria vaikutteita on kappaleesta vaikea hakea, mutta jotain tuttua Deep Puplemaisuutta tässä silti on esillä. Valitettavasti vain täytyy samalla myös todeta, että kaikkien soolojen lisäksi samaan raitaan on ympätty päällekkäin aivan liian paljon elementtejä ja koko homma tuntuu hajoavan ihan perusteellisesti käsiin. Vai oliko tämä musiikillinen kaaosteoria koko idean ydin?

A Stoned Crow Meets Rusty Wolff Rat on instumentaali, joka tuo mieleen Yes / King Crimson / ELP teokset.

Lisa Has a Cigar on pieni ja värikäs alkuintro Mr Cha Cha intrumentaalille. Lisa Has a Cigar on tietysti kunnianosoitus Pink Floydin Have a Cigar kappaleen kautta koko Pink Floyd Wish You Were Here albumille (1975, CBS). Mr Cha Cha edestaa iloista kokeilevaa ja melodista progressiivista jammailua ja senhän Corvus Stonen muusikot osaavat.

Dark Tower kappale toi jotenkin mieleen Stephen Kingin Musta torni(?) kirjasarjan ja hänen kauhukirjansa sekä 1970- ja 1980-lukujen klassiset kauhuleffat joita tuli ahmittua teininä Lohjan videovuokraamoista. Ymmärsinkö kaiken oikein? Ymmärsinkö kappaleen idean ja vaikutteet oikein? En tiedä...

Mystery Man kappaleessa laitetaan blues rock vaihde täysillä päälle. Tässä on mukana vähän Rolling Stonesin alkupään raivoa ja asennetta ja jopa Francis Goyan melodisenpaa pienimuotoista akustista tunnelmointia. Kappaleen loppupuoli on oikeastaan Ozzy Osbourne / Black Sabbath värimaailman sateenkaari. Ei voi muuta sanoa kuin, että todella monipuolinen kappale on tässä kyseessä.

Tuolla kauempana ja Tulen luona ovat suomenkielisiä kappaleita / runolaulantaa. Timo Rautiaisen (Lyijykomppania, Aku Ankkuli, Timo Rautiainen ja Trio Niskalaukaus sekä Timo Rautiainen ja Neljäs sektori) ääni sopii erinomaisesti kaikenlaisiin suomirock / suomi-iskelmä / suomiproge kappaleisiin. Hienoja teoksia kumpikin.

Uncle Schunkle on melodisen progeileva jammailu ja pitkähenkinen alkuintro Eternal Universe kappaleelle, joka on mielestäni kunnianosoitus niin Yes yhtyeen Jon Andersonille kuin Jethro Tull yhtyeen Ian Andersonille. Myös jotain klassista Kansas yhtyeen vaikutteita on aistittavissa tässä raidassa. Huilut ja orkestraalisuus kohtaavat loistavan rock asenteen aurinkoisessa Itä-Helsingin keskipäivässä.

Moaning Lisa Reneissance / Blackmore's Night tyylinen vanhankaltainen 1970-luvun alun tyyliin tehty ja toteutettu pitkä akustisviritteinen ja melodinen sinfoninen progressiivinen rock teos, joka on ilmeisesti koko albumin tärkein ja hallitsevin elementti, koska muutamat Lisa nimetyt kappaleet johtavat kaikki kohti tätä albumin loppuhuipennusta, joka tapahtuu tosin jo albumin toisessa viimeisessä kappaleessa.

Corvus Stone II on ehdottoman monipuolinen ja taitavasti tehty / toteutettu "vaikeasti kuunneltava ja omaksuttava" uusi progressivinen rock albumi

En osaa sanoa suoralta kädeltä sanoa onko tämä toinen albumi parempi kuin ensimmäinen.

Corvus Stone II on albumina ihan liian pitkä. Tuplana ja max 2x 45 min. pituisena tämä olisi toiminut huomattavasti paremmin ja näin mukaan olisi saatu toiselle levylle vielä bonuksena muutama uusi kappale, uusia versioita ensimmäisen albumin kappaleista tai vaikka suoraan pari vanhan albumin kappaletta ihmisille muistutuksena myös ensimmäisen albumin loistavasta musiikillisesta annista.

Kappalejärjestys on Corvus Stone II albumilla mielestäni hiukan väärä, mutta tämä on vain minun oma henkilökohtainen mielipiteeni. Itse olisin laittanut Moaning Lisa kappaleen koko levyn viimeiseksi raidaksi sen massivisuuden ja pitkän sinfonisen kestonsa (14:09) takia ja Timo Rautiaisen laulamat kappaleet ennen sitä.

Kiitos kuitenkin jälleen kerran loistavasti musiikista Corvus Stone. Iltapäivä Itä-Helsingissä kului näin hyvinkin rattoisasti.

Ja Petri Lemmy Lindström - Nähdään illalla On the Rocksissa Progelandin keikalla!

Corvus Stone II album reviewed on Progarchy

This review originally appeared on progarchy.com 

Corvus Stone II – A Belated Review

JUN 30

Posted by Bryan Morey

Corvus Stone, Corvus Stone II (Melodic Revolution Records)

Tracks: 1. The Simple Life (2:00), 2. Early Morning Call (3:52), 3. Boots For Hire (8:59), 4. Sneaky Entrance in to Lisa (0:30), 5. Purple Stone (3:22), 6. A Stoned Crow Meets the Rusty Wolff Rat (7:38), 7. Lisa Has a Cigar (0:47), 8. Mr. Cha Cha (4:50), 9. Dark Tower (1:49), 10. Scandinavians in Mexico (5:06), 11. Mystery Man (6:37), 12. Camelus Bactrianus (Tuolla Tuonnempana) (8:42), 13. Uncle Schunkle (4:38), 14. Eternal Universe (3:53), 15. Moaning Lisa(14:08), 16. Campfire (Tulen Luona) (2:17)

On the dawn of the release of Corvus Stone’s upcoming third album, I bring you an overdue review of their last album, “Corvus Stone II.” The band has 4 permanent members, but they are beautifully complemented by a variety of guest artists. The four permanent members:

Colin Tench – guitars

Pasi Koivu – keyboards

Petri Lemmy Lindström – bass

Robert Wolff – drums

Rather than list all of the amazing guests on this album, check out this handy page on Corvus Stone’s website. They add a lot of fantastic talent to the album, and most have collaborated with Colin Tench and other members of Corvus Stone in the past, most notably in Andy John Bradford’s Oceans 5.  Oceans 5 was actually how I first heard of Colin Tench and Corvus Stone, and I must say, the people involved with the creation of all of this music have been incredibly friendly, as well as extremely talented. (Check out my review of Oceans 5’s “Return to Mingulay.“) For me, it always makes a difference when I know that the musicians aren’t… well, jerks. It probably shouldn’t make a difference, but I appreciate it when artists are approachable and appreciate their fans. Corvus Stone and their related musicians understand that well.

The scandalous, yet marvelous cover art by Sonia Mota. Nothing was Photoshopped. It was created using Windows Paint, and she is an excellent artist with real paint as well.

In an email to Colin from last fall, I told him that I loved Corvus Stone’s combination of prog, jazz, rock, and “whateverthehellallofthismixedtogetheris.” I firmly stand by that description. While mainly instrumental, the 80 minute “Corvus Stone II” covers all that and more. The music is incredibly layered, with exquisite guitar work (very similar to Colin’s guitars with Oceans 5), multi-layered keyboards, driving bass, and guiding drums. The added guest vocalists act as another instrument, with their particular vocals fitting in nicely with the theme of their respective songs. Initially, I didn’t like the gruff vocals on “Boots for Hire,” but after repeated listens, I think it fits quite well with the theme of the song, and the heavy bass matches perfectly with the voice.

Overall, the music has a very bright, uplifting tone, with Colin’s amazing guitars featured front and center. The guitars are clear, undistorted, and arranged beautifully. Fans of guitar driven rock will certainly find Corvus Stone of interest. (I’m not just saying that because I know Colin will be reading this. I honestly think his guitar work is outstanding!) Pasi Koivu’s layered synths compliment the guitars nicely. Sonically, the album flows very well, through all 80 minutes of it. One of my favorite songs from the album is the short “Purple Stone,” which would be perfect to play while cruising down the highway in a convertible (too bad I can’t test that theory, since it has rained here in Chicago basically every day for the past 2 weeks). The song even begins with a car starting and zooming off down the road. The singer reminds me of Damon Fox from Bigelf.

Throughout the album, Corvus Stone demonstrate their collective sense of humor, which can be seen in the cover artwork and is shining through in what I suspect is the sexual innuendo in the names of some of the songs. Interestingly, the lyrics never really seem to go in that direction. Despite what the album cover might imply, the music is safe for the kiddies. The band also gets a bit weird with the song “Camelus Bactrianus (Tuolla Tuonnempana),” which I think is being sung in Hawaiian, but I really have no idea. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this song is about Bactrian camels, but again, I have no clue. It is weird, but it is fun. In fact, that would be a good description for the band: weird, but fun.

Although there are several songs with vocals, it is important to remember that Corvus Stoneare primarily an instrumental band. Indeed, their strengths lie in their musicianship. At times it sounds like jazz, other times like classic progressive rock, and others a blend of Lord knows what. However, it is always interesting and never boring. I can’t really compare it to anything else, because I’ve never heard anything quite like Corvus Stone. They are an independent bunch, and it is clear that they play music that makes them happy. That happiness is evident in the music.

An interesting facet of Corvus Stone is the integration of Sonia Mota’s artwork. From her work with Oceans 5 to the art I have seen her create with Corvus Stone, she has a talent of developing beautiful pieces that add depth and humor to the music. Without her work, the band would be completely different. The band utilizes her art to the fullest extent, with it also decorating their website.

Corvus Stone’s music cannot really be pigeonholed to any one genre, and I think that is exactly what the band wants. Their musical influences are likely too numerous to number, and yet the listener can still find elements of some of their favorite music throughout “Corvus Stone II.” Plus, at 80 minutes long, Corvus Stone really give the listener a lot for their money. With the release of another album this year, within the next few days/weeks, the band surprised their fans with an unexpected treasure trove of more Corvus Stone sonic adventures.

http://www.corvusstone.com

Corvus Stone : "Unscrewed" - the new 2015 digital album

AN INSIGHT IN TO “CORVUS STONE UNSCREWED” OUR THIRD ALBUM

THIS ALBUM IS A “THANK YOU” FOR FANS & ON SALE TO EVERYBODY ELSE

It started life, as a combination of unplugged new music and remixed old music but it has become something much bigger. A full blown album in fact!
When we made the debut Corvus Stone album in 2012, we started out with no drummer. Rob came to us in time to do a selection of tracks but not many. Now we have gone back to some tracks from that album and refreshed, changed, extended or just added Rob on drums. The result is quite startling. Robert Wolff was a little buried on album 1 and now we have fixed that. Robert must never be buried again!

THE TRANSFORMED
Early Morning Call was an instrumental piece on Corvus Stone II, that Sean Filkins wanted to sing to when he heard it back in 2014. He even recorded his vocals before it was released but we decided it should remain an instrumental for that album. Instead, it would be released as a single in 2015. When Phil Naro heard it, he insisted on adding a second vocal line, multi-harmonies, doo wops & Di di di dum dums. The combination of Sean and Phil is perfect and has transformed this song totally. All guitars are new also for this. It is now Early Morning Calls .
Scary Movie has doubled in length and has that great band interaction feel in the new sections
Cinema(Parts 1 &2) are now tighter, way more dynamic and have had many small changes and additions, including Rob on drums.
Lost and Found is now twice the length, as Blake Carpenter always wanted it to be. It has gained a lot of new vocals, a second drummer and a lead break! Now it is has lived up to it’s real potential.
After Solstice has had changes in the drums and an extensive remix.

THE NEW
Brand New Day is a full bore new rock track featuring it’s own video and we are very proud of this one!https://youtu.be/Gju6rNQlm0k
Pack up your Truffles is a kind of unplugged piece but it is exactly right for this jazzy laid back number.
Landfill is almost unplugged, with lighthearted percussion and some well placed drums just when they would make the most impact.
Joukahainen (A character from an epic Finnish poem), is clearly Organ and guitar heavy but still unplugged for the most part. The drums that do appear (as in Landfill), are played by Paul Marshall. A Brit living in Australia whose claim to fame was getting a thumbs up from AC/DCs Bon Scott, when playing Whole Lotta Love & Sabre Dance in his very first band with a young Colin Tench, in a Sydney wine bar, in 1979.

THE OLD
Horizon and JussiPussi are now tighter and more dynamic. Only a limited amount of re-recording here
Moustaches in Massachusetts is here as a bonus track because it is essentially unchanged except for a remix. Play this one loud and you should hear why we did it!
ARTWORK
Sonia Mota has not only produced completely new artwork for this album but painted, frame by frame, an animated video for Mr Cha Cha.

Tracklist
01. Brand New Day (3.51)
02. Early Morning Calls (3.52)
03. Joukahainen Without Chips (2.53)
04. Horizon (Remix & some re-recording) (1.52)
05. Landfill (3.44)
06. After Solstice (Remix & some new drums) (4.05)
07. JussiPussi (Remix) (2.45)
08. Scary Movie Too (Imagine a live version of Scary movie. This could be it) (7.38)
09. Petrified in the Cinema Basement (Total reworking) (3.10)
10. Lost and Found Revisited (Extended version) (3.28)
11. Cinema Finale (New drums & total remix) (6.02)
12. Pack up Your Truffles (2.06)
13 BONUS TRACK: Moustaches in Massachusetts (Remix) (4.18)
ALBUM LENGTH: 49.46 including bonus track

This is a complete digital album release, on sale at all the usual outlets but we are are not fans of re-mastering, re-jigging or remixing an album and asking for money from fans, for a repeat of anything they already bought. We decided from the outset, to give this album to all previous buyers of any Corvus Stone album, free, in digital format. We will hunt them down, tho’ we are unlikely to find them all but will advertise this fact everywhere that will allow us to. In reality, this album has a lot of new material.
We will decide, from remarks, reviews and requests, if this album should be made in to a CD and/or vinyl in late 2015.

The average dynamic range of this album is 13 and that puts it alongside anything from before the loudness war hell destroyed the sound of popular music. Some will say it sounds retro. Maybe it does but in general, that means more musical and who could not want that!! What does that mean to you personally? Turn your volume control up a tiny bit more. The effect:You can play it as loud as you can stand and never get a headache!

NOTE: A few have asked why we remixed tracks from album one. “We love it as it is!” they say. The fact is that we also love the original album because it has a very friendly sound, a warm sound. There is no such thing as “wrong”, when dealing with sound. Now, these few tracks separated out, can have a very different feel and sound and match very well with the new tracks on here. Anyway, even the remixed tracks are way more than a remix!

We would call this a perfect introduction to Corvus Stone.
Please allow yourself to be the judge of that.
Corvus Stone wish you all a great 2015
Colin Tench

Special guests on Corvus Stone Unscrewed
Sean Filkins - Lyrics and vocals on Early Morning Calls
Phil Naro - Second lyrics and vocals on Early Morning Calls
Blake Carpenter - Lyrics & vocals on Lost and Found
Stef Flaming - Composer, vocals, additional guitars and keys on JussiPussi. Also, second drummer on Lost and Found Revisited
Paul Marshall - Drums on Joukahainen & Landfill
http://www.corvusstone.com/

CORVUS STONE Core Band:
Pasi Koivu - Keyboards
Colin Tench - Guitars, backing vocals and percussion
Petri Lindström - Bass Guitar
Robert Wolff - Drums
Sonia Mota - Artwork

A few places to buy: CORVUS STONE UNSCREWED
https://corvusstone.bandcamp.com/
http://www.cdbaby.com/Artist/CorvusStone
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/corvus-stone-unscrewed/id1012059709

Previous albums here:
https://mrrcorvusstone.bandcamp.com/
http://www.corvusstone.com/
They are available on all the usual outlets also.

Edited by bunchakeze on 1 Jul 2015, 10:05

Sources

http://www.corvusstone.com/