Exposé Online banner

Exposé Online

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

Reviews

Volvox — Volvox
((Not on label) no#, 2015, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2015-09-15

Volvox Cover art

One of the things I like about how Volvox arranges their music is the way they don’t clutter up the frequencies with multiple parts. Many bands, especially ones who lean towards harder rock, will often have the guitar playing low notes – chugging away or whatever – which puts it in the same register as the bass, and when you have more than one instrument taking up that space, clarity is lost. For much of the time, Volvox’s bass is in the lower range of the instrument, and the guitar is generally in the mid- to upper-mid-range, with the keyboards taking the upper range. All the parts stand out really well, and you get to hear what each of the players is doing. Luckily for Volvox, the musicians are all up to the scrutiny, and it comes off really well. In addition to the technical skills, the compositions are varied and engaging, with some beautiful piano passages to provide respite from the louder sections. I was struck by a part in the middle of “Eclipse” where the melody is on the piano, played in octaves in the middle register, while string synth and acoustic guitar provide backing. This tune also features a latin flavor, though without losing sight of the progressive rock core. At times the melodies have a slightly Crimson-like angularity, but more often they feel more like good, solid symphonic instrumental prog. All the pieces fit together admirably, from the rhythm section to the keys and guitar. Volvox is one of the best bands I know of in Argentina’s current crop, well worth checking out.

Filed under: New releases, 2015 releases

Related artist(s): Volvox

 

What's new

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