Izvajalec: Seven That Spells
Založba: Beta-lactam Ring Records
Izid: year
Ocena: 4.2/5
Seven That Spells je ime še ene skupine Nika Potočnjaka. Ta skupina je v resnici primarni projekt tega vsestranskega glasbenika in z njo se ukvarja že kar nekaj časa, medtem ko je Tigrova Mast razmeroma svež projekt. Ampak ena stvar je važna. V katerikoli zasedbi igra, vedno imamo neko garancijo za dobro glasbo in tudi tokrat nas s tovariši ni izneveril.
Black OM Rising je že peti studijski izdelek skupine, ki je prvenec izdala leta 2003. Možje so pridni, ni kaj. Za razliko od Tigrove Masti, tu ne gre za nek brutalen punk/avantgardni rock, temveč je več tistih space rock elementov, kot so hipnotični kitarski motivi in zasanjane ter vesoljske klaviature. Razlike med Seven That Spells in Nikovo drugo zasedbo Tigrova Mast so precej velike. Pri Tigrovi Masti gre vse precej bolj na prvo žogo, glasba je bolj dinamična in te takoj udari. Seven That Spells pa imajo nek element mističnosti v glasbi. Še vedno je dosti punka in hard rocka v glasbi, skratka uporniškega elementa, a je več tudi zasanjanih trenutkov, kar se morda sliši smešno glede na to, da so Seven That Spells veliko bolj kitarsko narvnani kot Tigrova Mast (pri Tigrovi Masti kitar sploh ni), a takšen je občutek. Če bi ti komadi bili na plošči Tigrove Masti, bi po vsej verjetnosti bili dosti krajši in manj razvlečeni. A prav ta razvlečena zasanjanost je pri Seven That Spells neka posebnost, ki jih loči od punkovske avantgarde, ki jo slišimo pri Tigrovi Masti. Ritem linija je tu še vedno izjemno močna, kitare so nažigaške, vendar pa saksofon, sintetizator in pa nekoliko daljši aranžmaji dodajo tisti psihadelični space rock element. Včasih se zna zgoditi, da so space rock skupine dolgočasne, ker pretiravajo s pretirano dolgimi aranžmaji in ne znajo ukrotiti svojih egov, a pri Seven That Spells se vse poklopi. Glasba ima ravno pravo mešanico udarnosti in mističnosti.
Čeprav gre za samo eno zgoščenko, je le ta dvostranska, kar pomeni, da se na eni strani nahaja studijski album, medtem ko je na drugi DVD posnetek koncerta, ki so ga Seven That Spells odigrali v Zagrebu. V živo se, podobno kot Tigrova Mast, pokažejo v zelo dobri luči. Niko morda celo bolj sodi za kitaro kot pa na mali stolček za miniaturnimi klaviaturami. Možje imajo dober občutek za nastop, znajo vključiti in navdušiti občinstvo, še posebej kitarist in basist, ki sta na odru najbolj aktivna.
Kaj še reči. Projekti Nika Potočnjaka so očitno vedno zadetek v polno. Black OM Rising je ponoven dokaz za to. Gre za res kvaliteten in melodičen space rock, ki te zna popeljati. Škoda le, da se vožnja tako hitro konča. A nič ne de. Možje so tako pridni, da so letos izdali že nov album z naslovom Cosmoerotic Dialogue With Lucifer, kjer so sodelovali s Kawabatom Makotom.
Seven That Spells is the name of another of Niko Potocnjak’s (also of Tigrova Mast) bands. This is in fact his primary project and he has had this band for a long time, while Tigrova Mast has only got started more recently. But only one thing matters. In whichever group he plays, we can rest assured that he and his band mates will produce some fine music and he didn’t let us down this time either.
Black OM Rising is already the fifth album by this band, which put out its debut in 2003. The guys work hard, there’s no doubt about that. Unlike Tigrova Mast, which is more about brutal punk/avant-garde rock, this project is more about space rock elements, in particular the hypnotic guitar themes and the dreamy keyboards. The differences between Seven That Spells and Niko’s other project Tigrova Mast are very obvious. Tigrova Mast is more about first impact, the music is much more in your face, while Seven That Spells have a mystical element about them. There’s still a great deal of punk and hard rock in the music (the rebellious element), but there are many more dreamy segments, which may sound ridiculous as Seven That Spells are much more guitar oriented than Tigrova Mast (Tigrova Mast in fact don’t use any guitars at all), but it’s true. If the pieces that are on here would grace a Tigrova Mast album, they would most likely be much shorter and not as prolonged. But it is exactly this prolonged dreaminess that makes Seven That Spells special. It separates them from the punk avant-garde that we hear with Tigrova Mast. The rhythm section is still immensely strong, the guitars are heavy, but the saxophone, synthesizer and the longer arrangements create that psychedelic space rock feel. I sometimes find space rock bands boring because their songs go on for too long and the egos can get out of hand, but with Seven That Spells everything seems to be in place. The music is just the right combination of mystical space elements and the impact of hard rock.
Even though this is just one CD, you can play it on both sides, meaning that one side contains the studio CD, while the other features a DVD of a concert Seven That Spells played in Zagreb. Just like Tigrova Mast, they come off really well live. Niko actually seems more at home with the guitar than behind those miniature keyboards, while sitting on a tiny chair. The guys have a good feeling for showmanship, they know how to get the audience fired up and involved. This applies especially to the guitar and bass players who are the most active members on stage.
There’s really not much more to say. The projects of Niko Potocnjak are obviously always a total success. Black OM Rising is even more proof to that end. This is high-quality and melodic space rock that really takes you for a ride. The only pity is that the ride ends so soon. But, no matter. The guys are so hard-working that there’s already a new album out entitled Cosmoerotic Dialogue With Lucifer, on which they collaborated with Kawabato Makoto.
Zasedba
Niko Potočnjak – kitara, sintetizator
Lovro Zlopaša – saksofon
Bruno Motik – bobni
Narantxa – bas
Produkcija
Seven That Spells
Seznam skladb
1. Fluxion (5:43)
2. RA (4:37)
3. LO I (2:35)
4. LO II (4:04)
5. LO III (4:20)
6. Black OM Rising (4:50)
7. Daktari (5:20)
8. Tearjerker (8:30)
Trajanje albuma: 39:59
