This is the debut album from Garden Of, who originate from Trondheim in Norway. The band list among their musical preferences Progressive music and hard rock from the 1970s. From that you will get a good idea what this sounds like.
Two things struck me about the first track “The Return”. First, the riffs sound as if they are straight off Opeth’s “Deliverance”. Then there’s the singer’s voice. It’s Proggy and full of feeling to be sure but it’s also out of tune and frankly irritating. It’s not a bad track though. On the next one “Equals”, the talented guitarists manfully try to keep up with the vocalist’s wailings as he tries to tell us something meaningful. The track develops into a nice mellow guitar section, a plus point of this album as a whole, and then stops before carrying on in Prog fashion. In the second half the fusion of the guitar and vocalist is much better. The guitar work borders on the beardy and intellectual but it’s too good to be ignored. I was still not keen on those whiny, jazz-like vocals but the reflective mood which the band creates is effective. “Up and Out” is more rock-based. I didn’t like this track. The only way I can describe those vocals are that they sound like a poor attempt at a male Kate Bush. The instrumental section rumbles on independently, goes avant garde and ends in no man’s land. “The Searcher” features dual vocals which are ok but the highlight of this impressive track is the highly accomplished quietly played acoustic section. It has the air of Porcupine Tree in session. The final three tracks blend into each other. “Rebel” is back to Opeth in style. “Violence is part of you and what you became” wails the singer progfully. “Reflections and Judgement” is brilliantly atmospheric. The instrumentals are tightly controlled and funky. There are even Latin moments, and then it goes very dark. Sadly the singing gets worse on “No Hope”, but we’re treated to a Prog guitar fest. The pitter-patter of the drums and the guitar get more intense, then it all fizzles out in a nightmarish and somewhat unsatisfactory end.
“Rocks” is a bizarre album. My reaction to it is mixed, to say the least. I thought it wasn’t going to be original after listening to the first track but it developed into some nice pieces of atmospheric Rock-Prog. I just couldn’t deal with the vocals or the pretentious lyrics for the most part which was a pity because instrumentally this album really had something to say.
http://www.myspace.com/gardenofband
