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░ ██ ██ Artist: O.R.k. ██ ██
▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Ramagehead █■ ░░█
■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2019 █ ▀▓█ ░
█ ▓ Rel. Date: 2020-01-02 ▓ █
▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒
█▄ ░ Label: Kscope ░ ▄█
░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█
░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░
▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓
▓ █ █ ░ ▓
▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■
░█ █░ ▀
█ O.R.k., comprising some of contemporary musicÆs █
█ most revered artists, have combined their creative █
█ forces once again for a new studio album; their █
█ first for the ground-breaking UK label Kscope; █
█ O.R.kÆs Ramagehead will be released on 22nd █
█ February 2019. █
█ The band feature ItalyÆs celebrated vocalist, █
█ producer and award-winning film score composer █
█ Lorenzo Esposito Fornasari a.k.a LEF (lead █
█ vocals), King Crimsonæs Pat Mastelotto (drums), █
█ Porcupine Treeæs Colin Edwin (bass), Marta Sui █
█ Tubiæs Carmelo Pipitone (guitars); Ramageheadalso █
█ features a superstar collaboration in the form of █
█ Grammy Award-winner Serj Tankian of System of a █
█ Down, who is undoubtedly one of metalÆs greatest █
█ and most renowned vocalists. █
█ Penned following their headline European tour in █
█ support of their second album, 2017Æs Soul of an █
█ Octopus; Ramagehead was forged from the bandÆs █
█ collective vision, unique influences and a █
█ multi-layered reflection of their powerful and █
█ engaging live experience. The result contains all █
█ the ingredients of a fiery O.R.k. performance with █
█ dark and heavy riffing, mesmeric atmospheres and █
█ lyrics that reveal the bandÆs bewilderment brought █
█ about by our modern world: a world of information █
█ overload, of uncertainty and post-truth messages. █
█ Bass player Colin Edwin explains further █
█ ôRamagehead is a not a concept album as such, but █
█ there is certainly an identifiable theme, in that █
█ we attempt to express the everyday bewilderment █
█ bought about by the uncertain times we are living █
█ in, and the constant confusing information █
█ overload that we are all subjected to in todayÆs █
█ post-fact environment. We also wanted to harness █
█ the power, unpredictability and spontaneity of the █
█ O.R.k. live experience into a static recording █
█ whilst aiming for a high-resolution sonic space █
█ that can be revisited repeatedly by the avid █
█ listener to discover ever deeper layers.ö █
█ Recorded during 2018 @ LefMusicStudio (Italy), The █
█ Wormhole (USA) and Nightspace (UK). The mixing for █
█ Ramagehead was handled by Adrian Benavides and █
█ three-time Grammy-winning engineer Marc Urselli █
█ (U2, Foo Fighters, Nick Cave), the mastering by █
█ Michael Fossenkemper, engineering by Benavides and █
█ Bill Munyon (King Crimson), cover art by Adam █
█ Jones (TOOL, Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park) and █
█ design by Denis Rodier (Superman, Batman, Wonder █
█ Woman). The recordings, and involvement of SOADÆs █
█ Serj Tankian on the forthcoming single, ôBlack █
█ Bloomsô, solidifies the bandÆs serious intent to █
█ use their musical chemistry in exploring the █
█ hard-edged possibilities within rock. █
█ █
█ --- █
█ █
█ O.R.k. is an amply decent supergroup comprised of █
█ members from Porcupine Tree, King Crimson, Marta █
█ sui Tubi, and Obake. And itÆs testament to the █
█ talent of these musicians that they can formulate █
█ such a solid mission statement between their █
█ respective identities. Ramagehead is their latest █
█ outing. It demonstrates a vast source of musical █
█ wisdom, and throws a lot of clout at the listener. █
█ An extra shout-out goes to Toolæs Adam Jones for █
█ designing the albumÆs suitably trippy artwork. So, █
█ as one can tell, this project is a true meeting of █
█ intellectual/musical minds. And IÆm pleased to █
█ clarify that this highbrow gathering have in no █
█ way abused the privilege, instead engineering a █
█ humbly clever and engaging road-trip for the █
█ senses. █
█ So what do you get when you merge such a prolific █
█ lineup? Well, in this case, you get something █
█ slightly above the expected. Exceptional █
█ songwriting comes as standard, but the shining █
█ moments really come to light when the band become █
█ something more than the sum of their parts. Even █
█ at this stage in their careers, there still █
█ appears to be room for inventiveness. Songs like █
█ ôSignals Erasedö, with those irresistibly cool █
█ harmonic barrages, show a desire for ideas outside █
█ of convention, even though O.R.k. are a line-up █
█ who, technically speaking, have nothing to left █
█ prove. █
█ But in the more familiar moments, Ramagehead is █
█ epic, rocking in parts, proggy and faintly grungy, █
█ all in an old-boy 90s kind of sense. From the █
█ outset, opening track, ôKneel to Nothingö, has a █
█ faint faithfulness to the musiciansÆ musical █
█ roots. So ultimately, this past-plus-future █
█ experience has enough substance to appease a wide █
█ head count, and in a manner bearing a fair amount █
█ of class. █
█ Another highlight comes in the form of ôBlack █
█ Bloomsö, which features guest vocals from System █
█ of A Downæs Serj Tankian. TankianÆs talents on the █
█ microphone are fortunately not oversold, and act █
█ as a charismatic gloss over the songÆs solemn █
█ tempo. These more emotive moments on Ramagehead █
█ are actually my preferred among the record, and to █
█ me, ring out with marginally more substance than █
█ the rockier moments. It also comprises the albumÆs █
█ central bulk, rendering Ramagehead an often █
█ poignant experience rather then an overbearingly █
█ obtuse one. █
█ Ramagehead also contains some surprising █
█ experimental deviations, as found in tracks such █
█ as ôDown the Roadö, where that subtle delve into █
█ electronica really pays off. The band seem to █
█ humbly add these elements without overusing them, █
█ and so those little touches act as a nice dressing █
█ to O.R.k.Æs overall banquet. █
█ With the album climaxing in extremely top-notch █
█ and charismatic fashion, itÆs fair to say that the █
█ structure of the record is another commendable █
█ merit. Beginning with a gloss of alternative rock █
█ from the past and ending with an emotive and █
█ largely progressive guise is a good move for a █
█ band who, in their own previous acts, may have at █
█ one time been set in their musical ways. █
█ O.R.k. successfully manage to avoid all the █
█ egotistical showcasing which unfortunately comes █
█ with the territory of certain supergroups. █
█ Ramagehead is just a really nice album. Part loyal █
█ to the musical resume of its members, and part an █
█ enthusiastic delve into the future, O.R.k. prove █
█ that they are always open to new possibilities and █
█ that Ramagehead is a record strong enough to █
█ demand no background-checking from its listeners. █
▓ ▓
▒ ▒
░ 1. Kneel to Nothing 4:38 ░
░ 2. Signals Erased 4:29 ░
░ 3. Beyond Sight 4:48 ░
░ 4. Black Blooms (feat. Serj Tankian) 4:11 ░
░ 5. Time Corroded 4:30 ░
░ 6. Down the Road 4:40 ░
░ 7. Some Other Rainbow (Part 1) 1:33 ░
░ 8. Strangled Words 4:13 ░
░ 9. Some Other Rainbow (Part 2) 5:34 ░
░ 38:36 ░
░ ▒ ▒
▓ █ ░ ▓ ░
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