Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

Not just outside the box, but denying the existence of boxes.
Covering music from the fringes since 1993.

Reviews

Slow Motion Reign — Slow Motion Reign
(Serjical Strike 87179 2, 2006, CD)

by Peter Thelen, Published 2007-03-01

Slow Motion Reign Cover art

A fresh, youthful sound is their stock in trade, rich with melodies, hooks and energy, concise and inventive songwriting from beginning to end. Unlike many of the bands we review in Exposé who seem to wholeheartedly embrace revivalism, these guys aren’t trying to sound like any bands from the 70s, yet their spirit is in a similar space, if evaluated within the context of their times. But enough of my pontificating, it’s what comes out of the grooves that matters after all; you can be the judge. The band is a four-piece of guitar, bass, keys, and drums, with bassist / songwriter Narek Pogosyan and guitarist Rafik Oganyan sharing the vocal duties, both capable and commanding singers, yet distinctively different from one another, and are especially powerful when harmonizing, as on “No Way, No How” or “Sea of Separation.” Their playing is not overly virtuosic, but it certainly gets the job done if that job is supporting great song-length compositions (the album’s longest track is just over five minutes) and holding the listeners interest across the disc's twelve cuts. A couple random reference points one might hear could be late 90s Porcupine Tree (circa Stupid Dream) and British band The Outfield (Play Deep), and of course a later Beatles melodic sensibility permeates the compositions. All except the most dogmatic proggists should enjoy this one; these guys are definitely on the right track.

Filed under: New releases, Issue 34, 2006 releases

Related artist(s): Slow Motion Reign

 

What's new

These are the most recent changes made to artists, releases, and articles.