25 Yard Screamer - .. and from the Deep, there is Light

The British band 25 Yard Screamer is already on its ninth album and conceptually they have taken on quite a bit of work. The lyrics are again very well thought out and form a story in which the central question is what happens if mother earth threatens to reclaim her planet and possibly only a small group of people will have the chance to do things differently, read better. Will she go that far? The album contains eight tracks and the band takes the time to work them out well in compositions that clock in at between six and over twelve minutes.

Musically, I would describe the music as a fairly heavy mix of metal, psychedelic rock with a touch of prog and occasionally room to catch your breath. The melodies are sometimes beautiful but also often difficult to follow and sometimes seem subordinate to the impending chaos. A track like Reclamation is a clear example of this. No light fare.

The basis of this band is still formed by Matt Clark on bass and Nick James on guitars, keyboards, programming (including drums) and vocals. We also hear Carly Tucker on vocals and Maria Grigg on violin. Tucker's vocals in particular are a breath of fresh air because James can really colour outside the lines with his vocals.

Opener Mother Tongue is initially reminiscent of the Polish Riverside and in that respect could have been on their debut album with the understanding that the female vocals are a real difference. However, that doesn't last too long because as soon as the heavy guitar chords kick in and James takes over the vocals, the cacophony strikes and the melody is much more difficult to follow. The chaotic guitar and keyboard solos don't make it any easier either. Mind you, the men can certainly play but for me it sometimes goes very far and then fortunately a track like The Silence after Us comes  along with a melody that is easier on the ear, even when the tempo and intensity increase. Where James sings a bit calmer, he has a more pleasant sound, it sometimes sounds a bit forced when hits the high notes and the vocal lines are often very idiosyncratic.

My Children have Memories starts like a rocket after a short, quiet opening and the heavy guitar chords thunder on like a runaway train. Towards the end, and that lasts a good nine minutes, you could discern a hint of Rush, partly due to the sound of the guitar solo. The fact that it sometimes sounds so complex is also a result of the mix because it is sometimes so crammed that it is difficult to discover the, certainly present, nuances.

Every time I've listened to the album in its entirety I catch myself being quite tired because I miss resting points like the middle part of All will folow offers for example. Porcupine Tree is regularly mentioned as a reference in previous reviews of previous albums and I understand that, but there the balance is much more tangible and the melodies often stick better. Playing with dynamics is an art and there is still something to be gained for 25 Yard Screamer. In Deconstruction of Self it is noticeable that acoustic guitars provide a bit more rest but that the guitar solo on the electric guitar almost disappears against the noisy background.

When we arrive at the closing Time exams Us , the beautiful harmony vocals stand out and you wonder why it hasn't been used much more often. Again, it turns out that, even after repeated listening, I cannot remember and reproduce the melody. Do I have to? No, of course I don't have to, but it indicates that 25 Yard Screamer has no intention of making music that is easy to reproduce, so that the complexity of music and story form a whole that is quite a challenge for the listener to fathom. Isn't that one of the characteristics of prog? Yes, absolutely, at least that may be some of the characteristics. King Crimson also sounded very different from Genesis and yet both are considered to be among the greats of the genre. Atmosphere and melody can also go well with complexity, but that balance is not easy to find. Those are actually the words that come to mind when writing this review; Not easy, but challenging.

As a listener, you have to look for the latter in music to be able to enjoy .. and from the Deep, there was Light. Sit back and try to follow the story, with the lyrics, because there is a lot to discover. Musically you have to be able to take a beating because it is regularly quite heavy. The dark cover, with a very threatening mother earth, fits perfectly with the music and the concept.

Music 65

Cover 70