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PreHistoric Animals — The Magical Mystery Machine (Chapter Two)
(Bandcamp Glassville, 2022, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2022-11-05

The Magical Mystery Machine (Chapter Two) Cover art

Back in 2020, the Swedish band PreHistoric Animals released The Magical Mystery Machine, Chapter One, the first part of a concept album with a science fictional story. I missed that one when it came out, so Chapter Two is my introduction to the story and the band. Curious readers can check out the story at the band’s website. I won’t go into details, but suffice it to say that the concept is more akin to a graphic novel with aspects of social commentary than a nuts-and-bolts story of spaceships and alien worlds. The music draws a lot on classic prog sounds of the more accessible variety, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as long as the music is well done. Fans of Muse will probably be right at home here. Instrumentally, the band is quite solid, with guitars and keyboards of equal importance. The guitar tones are decidedly modern, with a heavy edge borrowed from metal that drops into djent-like rhythms at times. The keyboards don’t lean on vintage sounds like organ or Mellotron (which makes me think maybe they’re not really Swedish!), but aren’t gimmicky in borrowing from electronic pop or dance music. There are rhythmic sequences and big chords that fill in the arrangements, and relatively few moments of quiet. My favorite parts involve odd-meter riffs and polyphonic lines, like on “Ghostfires,” where a vocal melody with harmony parts is backed by a precise, busy rhythm on bass, guitar, and drums that seems at odds. The lead vocals are strong tenor without grit, ranging from a little breathy in the soft parts to solid belting in the louder sections. Backing parts are often quite prominent, featuring lots of massed parts. In the world of modern progressive rock bands, PreHistoric Animals is a strong entry into the side of the genre that doesn’t draw from Pink Floyd, and I find them much more enjoyable than metal-leaning bands.

Filed under: New releases, 2022 releases

Related artist(s): PreHistoric Animals

More info
http://prehistoricanimals.bandcamp.com/album/the-magical-mystery-machine-chapter-2

 

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