As Monty Python put it; this is something different – from the eccentric title to the blistering opening track. This Pink Floyd cover band does nothing to the effect of copying their heroes here. If anything, this is more like OSI, the slower songs of Dream Theater, Yes or the less-than-rudimentary pieces of Jadis.
Honestly, it’s more in the vein of Blind Ego than RPWL. To state the obvious, Kalle Wallner, much to the same effect as Jim Matheos, slaps a choke hold squarely on his axe. Manni Müller on drums, no doubt, moves up the heavyweight ladder. As for Yogi Lang, his conditioning is about as good as it’s ever been whilst the bassist, Chris Postl, is the steadiest of strikers in his comeback bout. Not to mention, I’ve never witnessed a keyboardist employ the ground and pound so effectively. With that said, Markus Jehle could certainly force a tap-out with his should-be-illegal small joint manipulation. When it comes to the progressive beat-down, these guys are no joke.
Hardly an exaggeration; every song is phenomenal. They feature great sound bytes plus a banshee’s scream.
My favorite is “Silenced”. In it they use this brilliant line: “Our life seems to be so bright safe in our cities of gold, standing still and doing what we’re told; because it’s none of our business at all.”
Additionally, ”Breath In, Breath Out”, ”Where Can I Go”, ”Masters Of War”, ”This Is Not A Prog Song”, ”Watch Myself”, ”Stranger”, ”River”, ”Choose What You Want To Look At”, and – take a deep breath, ahhh - ”Turn Back The Clock”, all deserve the spotlight. Come to think of it; that canvases the entire album
While I’d like to provide the comprehensive sketch upfront, let’s work over the unusual suspects before we consider this file closed:
The RPWL Experience is their best album to date. Actually, it’s shockingly good. If it doesn’t knock your socks off, you’re in the wrong genre altogether. Even if this release weren’t paramount, “Silenced” is surely their finest song ever.
If I were a fighter in the UFC, this would be my anthem as I make my way over to the octagon. It’s an amped-up version of Kino or Arena. Additionally, the lyrics are outstanding; socially conscious to be precise. If there were a Nobel Peace Prize for music, they should get it for this piece (get it, peace).
They make the scariest of observations: Not only we’ve learned how to sleep well in the night with all this warfare going on around us; we ignore it when we knew more. It’s obvious these guys grappled long and hard with sociological issues.
Aside from a message that can’t be dismissed, the music itself is potent. At the beginning, it might be Echolyn’s “Georgia Pines”. The charged particles in its final ventricles hearken back to the World Wrestling Federation. Then after all is said and done, Lang raises a sobering, empathetic point in a poignant but much subdued ending.
Even though it starts with the tenacity of Brock Lesner, it paces itself throughout the last round as it completes this ballet of violence (a term once coined by Joe Rogan) with a finishing move from the repertoire of Frank Mir. Ultimately, such extraordinary displays of athleticism demand entry into the Hall Fame.
They cover the full gamut and then run the gauntlet in “Silenced”. While I’ve had a lot to relay to the spectator that only covers a tenth of the mat. So don’t shoot the messenger in the foot of hit me in the face to spite my lack of haste until you’ve at least heard about the rest.
“Breath In, Breath Out” is Bush’s “Machinehead”, only gentler right down to the accidental head-butts. But seriously, the well-known verse is where it has the most presidential overlap.
What’s most interesting about “Where Can I Go?” is how much its narrative plays into its beat. Only this time the posturings of the reverend are right. Other than that, this is classic RPWL, but as far as that’s concerned; it may stand alone.
The remake of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of Warfare” – yeah you heard me right – is anything but awkward. You’d be hard-pressed to pick this one out of the line-up. If I didn’t know any better, I would have thought Dylan took it from them instead of the other way around. In the passionate way that Lang sings it; you would have thought Dylan stole it from him. Regardless of its origins, this ‘is’ an RPWL song. Not until royalties are brought into question, will anybody raise the question, “What about Bob?” If possession is nine-tenth of the law, they presently own it like GSP owned Hughes in the most conclusive rubber match.
“This Is Not a Prog Song” is seriously funny but bloody serious. Tripping up the profiler, this vandal is closer to “That Thing You Do” than any of the mug shots in their scrapbook. Oddly enough, it takes a quick slide from The Rubinoos to indie punk, and it’s obvious they are poking fun at the critics in addition to the hecklers.
Simply put, “Watch Myself” is Sinead O’ Conner if she were to perform Porcupine Tree. Changing stations, “Stranger” is better than anything on mainstream radio, though this Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster does star Aerosmith. Then again, its rusty girders remind me of Soundgarten.
On another front, “River”” is “Crazy Lane” before it flows into a blissfully atmospheric la la land ala Tangerine Dream. After they’ve laid the groundwork, “Choose What You Want To Look At” is this their push for the top forty. It’s not quite cheesy enough for the American playlist but it’s accessible as hell. Think Foo Figheres or U2 and you’ve precisely hit the mark.
Shortly thereafter, they end the album on a tender note with “Turn Back The Clock”. While it’s sad to see them go so soon, it’s a sweet sore nonetheless. For the moment, they’re swan song is much akin to Green Day’s Olympic anthem.
Anyhow, to wrap up the commentary, the politics they reference in this are so preposterous that they must have been influenced by Dr. Strangelove. If what they say is true; then when the spaghetti hits the fan, the western world will be in trouble.
While some have whined that festivals feature too many repeats, the RPWL of today is a completely new act when compared to their former selves. Therefore, they are welcome in my book to tour wherever the demand will take them. I guarantee that they’ll wow crowds with this material. So if you’re looking for a prohibitive good time, opt-in for The RPWL Experience before all seats are taken.
9.25/10 [This would be my highest score ever for a progressive song-oriented album. Sorry, no epics but with tracks like these – I can’t believe I’m saying this – who needs it? Also be sure to check out their web site: http://www.rpwl.net/. It’s absolutely amazing and provides another sign that they’ve made it to the big leagues.]
