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░ ██ ██ Artist: The Mute Gods ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2016-02-28 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Inside Out Music ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ The Mute Gods û brainchild of Nick Beggs, the █
█ current ægo toÆ bass man in prog rock circles, but █
█ with a CV which includes significant outings in █
█ the fields of pop, rock, funk and soul. Not to █
█ mention his part in the high profile #1 hitmakers █
█ of the eighties, Kajagoogoo. Inevitable really. █
█ Armed with an impressive set of core players and █
█ billed as ôengaging, expansive rock for the █
█ thinking person,ö it might sound elitist yet █
█ turns out to be quite some set. █
█ And so, joining Beggs as fellow Mute Gods are two █
█ respected musical masterminds heÆs worked with in █
█ a couple of his recent projects. Roger King, █
█ wingman to Steve Hackett (hard not to write █
█ æex-Genesis guitaristÆ even though he parted █
█ company over 35 years ago) brings his keyboard, █
█ programming and production skills to the table █
█ although heÆs credited with guitar too. No end to █
█ the manÆs talents. On drums is Marco Minneman, █
█ who, amongst others, has worked with Beggs as part █
█ of the Steven Wilson team û a badge of honour █
█ indeed. █
█ Guests include Ricky Wilde (keys, guitar and █
█ programming) and a couple of familiar names in █
█ Nick DÆVirgilio and Garry OÆToole, both known as █
█ drummers and surprising that with Minneman on █
█ board that their presence is required. █
█ WhatÆs immediately apparent though is the not just █
█ the musicality but the melody and dare we say █
█ commercial appeal of the material without being █
█ overtly mainstream, albeit lyrically and █
█ philosophically touching on some wieldy and █
█ provocative topics. The notion of people speaking █
█ out on behalf, or delivering the wrath of (a) God █
█ is explained by Beggs as ôthe voice of reason █
█ seeming strangely quiet in the face of so much █
█ disinformation. The people who should truly be █
█ listened to are the ones who are silenced.ö █
█ But on with the music, all delivered in suitably █
█ lower case lettering, which from the sequenced █
█ intro and lyrical punch of the title track █
█ carrying the message loud and clear, taps into █
█ BeggsÆ influences and blends them into a █
█ fascinating new mix. While æpraying to a mute █
█ godÆ has an experimentally progressive █
█ Crimson-like middle section, it contrasts with the █
█ musically lighter despite the message ænightschool █
█ for idiotsÆ, æfeed the trollÆ gets heavier █
█ treatment. ItÆs a pairing of tracks which perhaps █
█ captures best the combination of what they call █
█ the commercial sensibilities and the more █
█ interesting and challenging musical twists and █
█ turns. █
█ Despite his instrumental virtuosity and that of █
█ his peers, Beggs doesnÆt really let loose in an █
█ indulgent manner on the album in a way youÆd █
█ perhaps imagine an album from a musician whose █
█ instrument is the bass to be (check out ZepÆs John █
█ Paul JonesÆ solo work). Having said that, his █
█ presence is significantly felt on æyour dark █
█ ideasÆ which has some overtly prominent █
█ bass/stick work and works well for it too. Setting █
█ up a thundering foundation it allows a keyboard █
█ solo to scatter its decoration over the top; █
█ progressive in a contemporary setting. █
█ ThereÆs some impressive guitar on æin the █
█ crosshairsÆ (very Hackett-like it must be said, █
█ although the album credits all three core players █
█ with guitar) and some lush keys on æswimming █
█ horsesÆ supplemented by some trebly bass work █
█ A couple of bonus tracks litter the record, █
█ interestingly placed mid album, the first being █
█ the more distant, spacey and reflective ælast █
█ man on earthÆ immediately followed by æyour dark █
█ ideasÆ seemingly placed to contrast against █
█ whatÆs come before. And æmavro capeloÆ is a groove █
█ laden instrumental along the lines youÆd find █
█ Beggs and Minneman doing with Steven Wilson. All █
█ shifts in tempo and dynamics and experimental █
█ tomfoolery are placed significantly ahead of the █
█ final album track which features NickÆs daughter █
█ Lula adding an emotive duet with her dad on █
█ æfather daughterÆ which closes the album on a note █
█ that brings things back to basics û relationships █
█ and the family unit; its lyric trying to reconcile █
█ the father role in dealing with responsibilities █
█ and the needs of his children. Alongside some of █
█ the more bombastic moments on the record, the █
█ power lies in its simplicity and a tried and █
█ tested message. █
█ Credit again of course to InsideOut for █
█ encouraging and indulging their passion for █
█ quality progressive music and for the thought that █
█ itÆs about time we had a new power trio. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me 7:43 ░
░ 2. Praying to a Mute God 5:06 ░
░ 3. Nightschool for Idiots 6:00 ░
░ 4. Feed the Troll 4:55 ░
░ 5. Your Dark Ideas 4:41 ░
░ 6. Last Man on Earth 5:30 ░
░ 7. In the Crosshairs 3:18 ░
░ 8. Strange Relationship 6:10 ░
░ 9. Swimming Horses 7:05 ░
░ 10. Mavro Capelo 5:08 ░
░ 11. Father Daughter 4:09 ░
░ 59:45 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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