Major Parkinson - Twilight Cinema (2014)

De vez en cuando, escuchamos algo completamente nuevo, como con este disco, donde parece que los espíritus salieron de juerga en mitad de la noche. Son noruegos y tienen un sonido único y personal. Tocan un estilo de rock progresivo muy enérgico y fantasmal, que va desde el rock o pop clásico, o del típico estilo canción hasta hard rock progresivo, pasando por el cabaret rock, con locas melodías estampadas desde un tono lúdico, juguetón, con canciones perturbadas, góticas, espectrales, insanas pero con una inquebrantable visión casi alegre de la oscuridad y la nostalgia, dispuestos con humor travieso en un disco que les alegrará el corazón de una manera extraña e inquietante pero también mágica y resplandeciente, como un funeral cabaretero pergeñado en medio de un carnaval. Recomendadísimo y sorprendente!

Artista: Major Parkinson

Álbum: Twilight Cinema
Año: 2014
Género: Eclectic Prog
Duración: 40:05
Nacionalidad: Noruega

Lista de Temas:
1. Skeleton Sangria
2. Impermanence
3. Black River
4. The Wheelbarrow
5. A Cabin in the Sky
6. Heart Machine
7. Beaks of Benevola
8. Twilight Cinema

Alineación:
- Jon Ivar Kollbotn / vocals
- André Lund / guitar
- Eivind Gammersvik / bass
- Lars Christian Bjørknes / synth
- Jens Erik Aasmundseth / drums
- Steinar Hjelmbrekke / guitar, backing vocals

De vez en cuando, escuchas algo completamente nuevo. Creo que el nuevo álbum de Major Parkinson "Twilight Cinema" es justo eso. Esta es mi primera experiencia con esta banda, aunque a menudo escuché su nombre en los foros de discusión musical por donde ando de vez en cuando. Este álbum, ya sea un buen o mal ejemplo de su estilo, suena tan diferente y tan extraño que no puedo dejar de sentir la brisa fresca creada en torno a él. Ahora que caigo en cuenta, tambièn es del 2014, año en que el polaco Jerzy Antczak sacó el genial "Ego, Georgius" que presenté días pasados, y que da pruebas que continuamente van saliendo joyitas artísticas dignas de disfrutar y que se pierden si es que no estamos atentos y la vamos a buscar.
Quizàs el mejor ejemplo del estilo de la banda sea este tema que dejo a continuación titulado "Euthanasia Roller Coaster", una bizarra música de circo en tono rock, oscura y divertida al mismo tiempo... es una canción que no está en este disco pero no importa, siempre es bueno ilustrar con estos lindos tracks y videos.

Esta es una banda muy compacta, tocando en multi-capas de un rock que cambia sus propios engranajes en un flujo coninuo y perfecto, son como una especie de prestidigitadores del sonido, de los estilos y de la música, no es que sea una música espeluznante como la de otros grupos que se asemejan, más o menos, a su estilo, pero sí el disco es extraño, surrealista, juguetón, oscuro, y de alguna manera extrañamente feliz, también. Todo ello junto, quizás como la extraña alegría de un demente fuera de sí, es lo que me representa el disco cuando lo escucho: una enferma alegría bastante demencial.

El álbum es marcadamente diverso de pista a pista, este disco lleva el rock a una electrónica fúnebre o a neo-progresivo o a música de cabaret barato. De hecho, este álbum tiene un tono de alegre y sutil cinismo en toda su extensión, que se suma a la atmósfera extraña y la locura que se encuentran en él. Liderando la locura está Jon Ivar Kollbotn en la voz, cabeza creativa y auqnue personalmente no me agrada mucho su voz cavernosa, grave no justamente por ser cavernosa y grave (aspectos que, por el contrario, me podrían gustar mucho) sino porque su caudal vocal es decididamente débil. Él, unido por unas coristas invitadas en algunas pistas que salvan bastante las papas del fuego, hacen el complemento perfecto de esta música, mientras canta con su tono bajo, casi tortuoso.

Atendiendo a la música y a su estructura, podríamos decir que cada tema está equilibrado en un perfecto contraste: por un lado la mayor parte de los instrumentos en su juego propio: un bajo activo pero sin mayor preponderancia, guitarras son creativas y variadas, batería con buenos arreglos, todo sincronizado con esa voz que cubretodo de oscuridad, sumadas al coro femenino casi fantasmal. Todo ello contrasta con las líneas del teclado que es a menudo optimista, y, por lo tanto, contrasta con los paisajes sonoros oscuros del resto del grupo, generando sensaciones extrañas y variadas, y por demàs interesantes.

Creo que van a disfrutar mucho de este álbum porque está lleno de memorables y verdaderamente interesantes canciones. Su estilo da una vuelta de tuerca al estilo oscuro que impera en muchos grupos, porque su estilo màs que oscuro se convierte en bizarro, pero nunca dejando de lado las buenas melodías de fuerza surrealista y una musicalidad realmente extraña e ingeniosamente astuta.
En definitiva, un álbum fantástico, con muchísimo encanto y una profundidad que los atraerá a escucharlo continuamente, tal como me pasa a mí.

No he encontrado comentarios en castellano para dejarles, así que si quieren contrastar mis palabras con la opinión de otra gente, les dejo algunos coomentarios en inglés. Pero tangan seguro que esto seguramente les gustará mucho.

Madness Incarnate
I've known Major Parkinson for a long while, but I honestly can't say that I've enjoyed their music that much in the past. I've had their debut self-titled record in my iTunes library for about 2 years now, never really giving it more than a few listens, and every time saying 'god, this is just too weird for me', but at the same time never really wanting to delete it, because it honestly isn't bad. That album was a violent and spastic affair, taking influence from cabaret and circus music, to even bands like Mr. Bungle and Dog Fashion Disco, but in a progressive/experimental rock sort of way more than a metal one. I always said, 'I'm sure someone will absolutely love this, but that is not me' to that album, but with this new record, their third full-length now, I can safely say that I do enjoy this. And quite a bit, too.
For those older fans worrying that they've softened up their sound and their weirdness to appeal to a wider audience, do not fret. This may be a more accessible album, but it's most certainly not because they've dropped their unique sound to accommodate new fans. I simply feel that Twilight Cinema, as a whole, is better produced, better performed, more melodic and more memorable than anything on the debut. Vocalist Jon Ivar Kollbotn is still doing his regular deep and demented circus vocals throughout, there are still cameos from accordions and organs and whatnot, and the music still gets damned strange at times, but I feel that this album as a melodic and musical entity is so much more formed and cohesive than anything I've heard from these guys before.
It's a songwriting thing, mostly. Because when you hear bands who thrive off being 'weird' and 'unique', they regularly suffer behind these novelty factors, because behind it, the music isn't all that great. Here, it feels that Major Parkinson are composing melodies and riffs before they think about putting accordions and piano breakdowns into it, because many of these songs could still be great if you stood them alone with just bare instrumentation. Take a track like 'Heart Machine', one of the best ones here. Yes, of course, the piano and the explosive ending with strings and electric guitar is probably the best part of the song, but the opening riff could be brilliant nearly anywhere, simply because it's such a great melody, and doesn't need the weirdness to be enjoyable. The weirdness is an after-effect, if you will, to make it even better.
My other favourite here, aside from 'Heart Machine' would be the lead single, 'Impermanence'. After the circus-style intro in 'Skeleton Sangria', 'Impermanence' takes a bit of a quieter and more brooding vibe, with paced drumming and Kollbotn's voice low in both mix and register. The song has a brilliantly intense feel, with some fiddly piano moments cropping up along with the paced drumming to create a great build. This piano becomes a recurring factor throughout Twilight Cinema, and is one of my favourite parts here. Not only is there the the likes of the explosive breakdown in 'Heart Machine', there are some wonderful arpegiatted chords and moments when you can only just hear the piano if you listen carefully, like during 'Black River', where the subtle playfulness of the keys is what makes the track great in my ears.
I've mentioned the dark cabaret and circus influence that Major Parkinson have before, and although I feel on their other records, it was a weird obstacle to enjoying their music, here it fits wonderfully, creating some strange juxtaposition of sounds. Like during the opening two tracks, particularly 'Impermanence', although the music is subdued and brooding, the vocals occasionally slip into a slightly maniacal tone, give a sense of an underlying madness to all of this music, even in the quieter moments. There are other great influences here; the harpsichord during the chorus of 'Black River' reminds me of something you'd find in a Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack, continuing the same sense of insanity that is brought about by the cabaret sounds and the strange vocal tones. I compared this earlier to the 'circus metal' bands like Mr Bungle or Diablo Swing Orchestra, but this has so much more cohesion than either of those bands have (although DSO's latest album is a great improvement), Major Parkinson use these strange influences as a tool, rather than suddenly jumping from a rock song to an accordion breakdown. 'A Cabin in the Sky' even has some odd electronic play that separates it a bit from the pack, but it never sounds completely out of place, and I feel the programmed kit during that segment perfectly goes with the moods of madness and insanity that this album is trying to portray.
Twilight Cinema may not be a flawless masterpiece, but it's most certainly Major Parkinson's best album yet and a perfect bridge between accessibility and experimentation that should get them the fanbase they deserve. Strong melodies and musical ideas topped off with forward- thinking and unique songwriting methods have created one of the best records of 2014 thus far. 7.4

Gallifrey

This is so bizarre and so unique. The vocals took me a bit to get used to, but they fit so well with the music, that I am glad I made the effort.
And the music! Like a carnival freak show. Very diverse with subtle acoustic sounds coupled with weird atmospheric keys, and everything in between. None of the playing is flashy or technical, but it is always just what the song calls for. The female vocals interspersed throughout are a great addition and just the right relief to the almost whispered vocals of lead singer Jon Ivar Kollbotn.
I really like all three of this band's full length albums, but this one is their most mature and consistent in my opinion. If you are looking for something of substance that is a bit off the beaten path, I highly recommend this gem!

Bruce O.

A splinter in the spine!
How refreshing... dark cabaret meets prog! This will tickle the ears of a wider demographic for sure. This is excitingly fresh and expertly crafted! A diabolic release that is darkly captivating and never dull, Twilight Cinema is dementedly gleeful, making you want to dance the jig with your closest post-apocalyptic zombie friends. The song, Beaks of Benevola, is a gem of a tune. It's one of the more fascinatingly unique and brow-raising delectable songs. The stark contrast between the male and female vocalists work spendiferously well together. The title track is blend of twists and turns and features an excellent inclusion of synths and some prog-like tendencies, but never deviating too far from the story of the song as a whole. Actually, all the tracks are perfectly consistent. This is a band whose sound will be immediately identifiable!
The sound recording is magnificent. It is top shelf production. The album was produced (for all you engineers and producers out there) by Sylvia Massy, whose credits include System Of A Down, Tool, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, Sevendust, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. A Norwegian rock band, this group has been finely honed like a sharpened, pick-axe-to-the-back- of-your-undead-head and is poised for world recognition. The vocalists are unabashedly confident in delivery, and the achilles heel of prog -- uninteresting lyrics delivered by mediocre, dime-a-dozen sounding singers -- is devoid here. Though the singer does have a limited range, his voice is absolutely unique (though he will draw comparison to Tom Waits, which is absolutely fine by me) and is powerful, even at a whisper. The lyrics are two-lines-down-the-middle solid, and they will suck you in like a maleficent cyclone. Bye-bye, Alice, off to wonderland you go! This proves that musical talent, molded in the right hands of professional producers and sound engineers, can provide us with a product which begs for a premium status among audiophiles of all genres, one that transcends the everyday thousands of passable releases that just seem to miss that certain "magic" quality to them. One of the best and wholly original releases this year!

Steve

Purchased this album on a whim based on some positive reviews here, as I had never heard of this band previously. What a pleasant, quirky surprise - dark, intense, and even light-hearted at the same time, with great musical performances, especially on keys. Evokes in me a feeling like a trip through a magical, haunted, Norwegian forest, (I keep thinking of that Norway ride at EPCOT). My top track, which other reviewers haven't mentioned, is "The Wheelbarrow" - reminds me of a modern, darker, even-more-madcap "Battle of Epping Forrest" with the peculiar, spoken-word/story telling style of the song. The title track is the other highlight on this album, with a bunch of interesting genress thrown together (even some surf-rock styling). If you are looking for something really good but a little different in the prog world, check this out, highly recommended!

Eric Vogel

Major Parkinson is a Norwegian progressive rock band which has made three album since 2008. I have just heard their last from 2014 "Twilight cinema" because I am exploring this year's new releases and I am very impressed. I can absolutely understand how people consider this a five star record and I want to praise it honestly. This is modern and very sophisticated prog rock.
The record's cover is dark and melancholic. We see a cold forest with a raven in the centre, who is sitting on a stone. Even if the sound mostly is quite dark is it so full of intriguing ingredients and funny sound effects so you'll be happy to hear it anyway. The melodies are also quite sweet. The dark and deep vocals come from Jon Ivar Kollbotn and the guitarist of the band is André Lund. Eivind Gammersvik plays bass, Lars Christian Björknes plays synth and Steinar Hjelmbrekke plays guitar. Jens Erik Aasmundseth is the drummer of the band. On this record the presence of a girl: Annette Kathinka Servan is also important. She sings on at least two songs.
This colourful music could be used as soundtrack to an experimental movie. The band has made a record with very well produced and rich sounding music. It is a great flow in it too, the songs follow each other very smoothly. Often we hear sounds from a circus and the record is both exciting and harmonic. I think i like "The Wheelbarrow" most, a really powerfull song(9/10) but "Twilight Cinema", the ending chorus of the album(8/10) and "Impermanence" are energic tracks(8/10). The sweet "Beaks of Benevola"(8/10) and the darker "Black River" are also worth hearing. Actuelly this record surprises me. It doesn't sound like other prog rock, it touches other modern genres but mostly it is just unique.
An honest and intriguing record filled with enigmatic tunes will I give four stars!

Adrian Drömmaren

This music would probably be very entertaining to see live--kind of like a Sweeny Todd barrel house Broadway musical--but I'm not sure how progressive this is. I guess it's not unlike the work of Humble Grumble or Nemo or even UneXpect, but, I'm unconvinced. More like DeVotchka (which is a great band but not a prog band), or THE CURE in their early years, with a kind of LEONARD COHEN/LON CHANEY as its lead singer (And DIDO for its female counterpart). While there are certainly rock and even prog elements and influences to make this creation what it is, the result, to my ears, is still little more than the recording of a Broadway play. Or the next Rocky Horror Picture Show (which, again, is not considered a prog album.) Interesting how this kind of Euro-creep soundtrack music is creeping more and more into modern progressive rock. Atomic Ape, Utopianisti, Pingvorinkestern, Knifeworld, and Major Parkinson are five that I've discovered so far. All very talented, very tight, very entertaining. No epics or smooth, slow developing songs. All staccato, stop and start, avant-garde and theatric. Humble Grumble, UneXpect, even Univers Zero. It's as if today's bands are trying to pack nine minutes of music, story, and emotion into four minute songs. Is this the new prog?
Favorite songs: "Beaks of Benevola" (4:27) (10/10), "Impermanence" (4:25) (9/10), and the title song (5:44) (8/10).
Cool stuff, lively and entertaining, but not anything I'll come back to--nor deserving, IMO, of a place here on PA.

Drew Fisher

Every once in a while, you hear something completely new. I believe that Major Parkinson's new album "Twilight Cinema" is just that. This is my first experience with this band, though I'd often hear their name. This album, whether it be a good or bad example of their style, sounds so different and so bizarre that I can't help but feel the fresh breeze it creates.
I call this album "bizarre" with the utmost respect and the best intentions. "Twilight Cinema" is creepy, eerie, surreal, playful, dark, and somehow oddly happy, too. The album is markedly diverse from track to track, with everything from carnival music to electronic to neo- prog. In fact, this album has a subtle carnival tone throughout, if I'm being honest. It certainly adds to the strange ambiance and the madness found therein. Leading the craziness is Jon Ivar Kollbotn on vocals. He, joined by a couple female guests on a few tracks, is the perfect complement to this music, as he sings with a low, almost devious tone. It's almost as if he's hiding something from us---with a smile, of course.
The music itself is delightful. The bass guitar is active and dark, guitars are creative and varied, and the drums are clever and well-played. Most of all, though, I enjoyed the keys. The synth is often upbeat, and, thus, contrasted against the dark soundscapes. There are a plethora of sounds created by the keys, though; and this makes the album extremely varied. This album almost feels like it belongs in a Tim Burton movie, or, more praiseworthy, a Lewis Carroll story.
From the weirdly uplifting "Skeleton Sangria" to the dark "Black River" to the creepy "A Cabin in the Sky", this album is full of memorable and truly interesting songs. "Beaks of Benevola" and the title track are also stand-outs, and range from forcefully surreal to truly strange. The title track in particular is brilliantly composed, and also completely macabre. I can't express how much I love this delightfully disturbing album, stitched together with peculiar melodies and a ghastly story.
Frightening and artfully crafty, "Twilight Cinema" is a fantastic album that I expect to fall more in love with as the year progresses. It has a charm and a depth that will bring me back continually, and that will easily become nostalgic for me. It's gothic, but humorous: spectral, yet organically folksy. It's truly original music that deserves to be heard.

Jason Spencer

I would like to preface this review by stating that I can easily be deemed a Major Parkinson 'fanboy'. I have spun their first two albums countless times, memorising every lyrics, every melody, every nuance.
I have been fanatically devoted to enough bands enough now that when a band I love as much Major Parkinson release a new album, I anticipate it both with excitement and trepidation. I know, from experience, that there are no perfect bands - that every artist eventually stumbles, or loses sight of their vision, or simply changes in a way that doesn't gel with me. So each time a favorite releases a new disc, I hope it will be the next stunner but fear that it will be the first stinker.
I was especially nervous about this new Major Parkinson album, as Alfe Borge, one of two guitarists, had left the band before it was recorded. The guitar sound had always been one of the defining elements that made Major Parkinson so amazing to me, with these crazy staccato- plucked melodies in this playful tone that (especially in the first album) provided a lot of the textural and melodic base for the album. Major Parkinson had two guitarists on their first two albums, so I am not certain which guitarist was responsible. Still, it was a nice feeling when I listened to the first single, "Impermanence", and I heard those distinctive guitars again. I am not certain if that means Alfe was not responsible for them, or if Andre Lund was imitating the style for the sake of stylistic consistency. Either way, it works.
Twilight Cinema is only eight tracks, considerably shorter than the bands first two albums, but each of the eight tracks has by now slayed me. Major Parkinson has not lost their touch, and there is not a dud in the album. Like in their previous albums, the songs range in terms of accessibility, such that on first listen tracks like Heart Machine, Beaks of Benevola, and Twilight Cinema quickly won me over, while the melodies of more subtle tracks (relatively speaking) like Black River and The Wheelbarrow grew on me over repeated listens. Major Parkinson has always been an incredibly tight band, playing multi-layered hyper rock that changes gears with perfect flow, but in this album they have expanded their palette even further away from the primarily guitar-driven sound of their first album, and it is quite impressive how they continue to add new 'tricks' to their sound without losing any of their focus. They continue to borrow from other genres as well, for example the odd polka-like rhythms in Black River.
This band, as the album cover demonstrates, is quite a bit darker than their prior albums. It also features perhaps the most brutal track they have composed to date: Heart Machine (sound wise; the bonus track 'Sleeping In A Box' from their debut lyrically takes this cake). In Heart Machine, they give their guitars a clipped, distorted, brutal tone near the end that caused me to jump a bit the first time I heard it. It is a neat production trick as well, as the guitars come across unclear, as if they are yelling right into your ear; yet the other musical details underneath are as clear as a bell. It really works to bring the song to an exciting conclusion.
Jon Ivar Kollbotn could probably sing about watching paint dry and I would listen to it; everything he says sounds fantastic and interesting, and his voice has an effortless power that has been compared to Tom Waits, although I think the comparison only applies as far as the deepness of their voice goes (he does not have Waits' gravelly raspiness). An album of Jon Ivar singing about paint drying and grass growing, played over a simple strung acoustic guitar, would probably be worth hearing. But Major Parkinson, with it's insane songs and unfaltering vision of darkness and nostalgia, gives him a chance to really work his vocal chords, from the gentle and emotional (Skeleton Sangria) to the angry (Twilight Cinema) to the playful (...)
I had a sense, after giving this album a few listens, that although there was not a dud track, it was not connecting with me as much as the bands prior two albums. And it was that last point that finally drove home what a loss Alf Borge's loss really was to the band. Jon Ivar's deep, powerful vocals had always been countered by the high-pitched, more playful backing vocals Alf provided. Tracks like I Am Erica, Domestic Violets, and Dance With the Cookieman had this strange, playful approach between the two vocal approaches that changed the music from dark to deranged. It was as if Jon Ivar was the devil in a suit, showing you your next temptation; and Alf was the imp on your shoulder egging you on to do it. It was dark, in an almost Tim Burton way. Now it is just dark.
You can almost hear the gaps in the album, where if it had hit the 13 tracks the prior 2 did, the other five might have been the doses of impish humour and playfulness that balanced the darkness of the album and made it so poignant. There are no Dance With the Cookie Man's here. This is the absence Alf Borge's leaving the band has left. And while I love the band no less, I cannot help but miss this vital ingredient of the bands sound.
Which should not be taken as a sign that this is a bad album; as I think I have made clear, it is a rather excellent one, and I certainly can't imagine it not making near the top of my year end list this year. It should only be taken as a sign that, if you find yourself loving this one, you might find there is even more to love looking back.
One final note: I feel that the band is starting to more openly acknowledge their prog following. The track Twilight Cinema in particular strikes me as an homage to the days of old; the way that Jon Ivar utters the word 'crazy' reminds me quite heavily of the usage of the word in 'The Trial' off of Pink Floyd's the wall, and the keyboards that close the track have a certain 'Tony Banks' quality to them. I could be reading to much into it, but they seem like subtle nods to me.

Stephen

Let me just say I haven't been this taken away in years. Chills I tell you. I had heard their previous album, Songs From a Solitary Home, before I heard Twilight Cinema, so I had some expectations, but this surpassed them. That album has Showtune-like melodies that come across as odd but highly entertaining Novelty-Prog-Pop, with lots of abrupt changes, jumping from a ridiculously catchy cabaret number to a Ventures pastiche to a metal workout to a folky number and back again.
Twilight Cinema takes some of that whimsy and layers it on top of a solid slab of expertly crafted Prog Rock, blended with some dark Nordic Folk flavors. This is exactly the direction I was hoping for when I saw the album cover and read the description. There is some darkness in the music and words, but the whimsy they developed on "Songs From'" still shows through. This dichotomy is apparent right from the intro track, "Skeleton Sangria", which alternates sad, happy, sad, happy, sad. Very theatrical.
There's still some abrupt style changes on Twilight Cinema but they are much more controlled and deliberate. The album plays like a solid whole rather than fragments that split off in all directions. That can be fun, but this is captivating. They do a lot with 3/4 and 6/8 meters, giving most of the album a real swingy feel even when it erupts into some of the more aggressive sections, like "Heart Machine". Singer Jon Ivar Kollbotn has a gravelly Tom Waits-like voice which I think is better suited to this new direction. There is a lovely female voice (haven't found a credit yet) that comes in occasionally, providing a great contrast. I think this is the first time I've heard a keyboardist (Lars Christian Bj'rknes) that reminds me of John Evan at times, and drummer Jens Erik Aasmundseth does a mean Barriemore Barlow. There are actually passages that invoke memories of Passion Play and Songs from the Wood. Is that a guy in a rabbit suit I see in that stage shot'?
The playing throughout, by all members, is just right by me. Nothing too over-indulgent or show-offy. This is an ensemble cast, nobody's trying to show anybody else up. The guitars (Andr' Lund & Steinar Hjelmbrekke) cover a lot of sonic territory from folky acoustic through metallic attacks to fanciful plucky scribbles. Bassist Eivind Gammersvik anchors the whole show with a solid framework that rarely calls attention to itself, but when it does, it rocks. The recording is excellent and the production is huge. If there is one negative thing I can say it's that I wish the drummer would lighten up on the crashes a bit. Personal preference maybe, but I prefer cymbals as accent, and too much accent = no accent. Not a big deal, his performance is spot-on otherwise.
Picking a favorite track is difficult but it's hard to ignore the magnificence of the title track "Twilight Cinema", as it seems to contain the best of all the ingredients, but tomorrow it will probably be "Beaks of Benevola".
I'm very tempted to give this album 5 stars, but I'm going with 4 for now - I'd like to see how I feel after many listens.
-Edit- I now feel justified in giving this 5/5 stars. It takes a lot to thrill me these days, and this does.

Greg Mathieson

http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=43944