The Hairless Heart HeraldMarch 2005 by Dan Mayo Massachusetts-based
Eccentric Orbit have been getting rave reviews on many sites, and when I
received a copy, I could see why. Influenced by Sci-Fi films and
classic 70's bands such as King Crimson and ELP, E O have a strong
in-your-face keyboard sound, lots of Hammond, Fender Rhodes, Moogs and
soaking wet through with Mellotron.
The members are Mark Cella
(drums and percussion) Bill Noland (bass) Madeleine Noland (wind
controlled synths and keys) and Derek Roebuck (keys) and between them
they make this forty six minute album work well.
There are no
vocals on the album at all, just music and it is a very pleasant listen
indeed. Star Power gets things underway, and you jump on the King
Crimson train which stops at the Anekdoten station along the way. The
theme continues in the next track Sputnik, but the Mellotron is upfront
in the title track Attack Of The Martians. I can see some parts of this
on a film soundtrack at some point, but on the whole, the album is very
70's sounding. It would be interesting to jump back in time just to see
where it would have slotted into during that decade.
The film
Forbidden Planet inspired the fourth track which has the same name and
is the longest at a shade over fourteen minutes. Again well played, and
the sounds of the instruments is a credit to the quartet. The Anekdoten
style bass on the final track the Enemy Of My Enemy shines through,
played with force and lots of reverb, and along with the Hammond and
Mellotron sound, add a snip of Gentle Giant, that's what you get.
This
is a very enjoyable album, and one I will be playing for many more
times. There are some sound files on their website which are well worth a
listen.
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