I was always under the impression that prog rock, that abhorrent genre loved by anorak wearing middle-England males, was dead. I was happy about this, really happy. Ne’er again would I be subject to the kind of musical masturbation ripped from some terrible ELP album, the six year long organ solos and pitifully obtuse time signatures.
Then I received Chrome Hoof’s new record in the mail, gave it a spin, and had my mind well and truly warped into another dimension. ‘Crush Depth’ is twelve tracks of genre transcendence and complete bonkers surrealism.
There is no point during this album that makes you feel at all safe, the schizoid virtuosity, other worldly vocal acrobatics and sheer ballsy flamboyance do not allow the listener one second of complacence, and it makes for a thrilling listen.
‘Bunker’s Paradise’ shows the nine-piece ‘experimental orchestra’ at their most accessible and radio friendly, which isn’t saying much at all, it chugs along like the M.I.A/Animal Collective collaboration dreams are made of. ‘Third Sun Descendent’ is psych-metallers Sleep fronted by Grace Jones, while closing track ‘Anorexic Cyclops’ errs on the more playful side of Aphex Twin.
So come one and all, don a foil cape, put your head between the stars get your proverbial groove on.
WHAT TO DO NOW?