Brain 21 (USA) - 1999 - "Nickel Bag" // Detailed Reviews // ProgressoR

The band represents this mini-CD as a prelude to their second full-length album, and so, probably, all these (or some of these) songs will appear there. These musicians also notice that "Nickel Bag" shows their new stylistical direction, so we can only to guess what kind of music they played earlier, or what kind of music is represented on their debut CD, released in 1996.

"Nickel Bag" is a set of short songs, created however in the same stylistics, which, as we already know, is new for this exact band. Needless to say, Brain 21 well know that most novelties are just things that have to do with the forgotten old. Their current original style within the Progressive Rock genre is just a new scheme, according to which they have mixed a few old highly opposite genres - New Wave (can you still remember this?), Classic / Neo Art (Symphonic) Rock, and some elements of traditional Metal. Taking into consideration that structural cliches of New Wave play a prominent role here, I have to admit, overall result of blending, ie overall musical sound, ie overall effect of sound of this mini-CD is really good.

On the whole, compositions are not complex, but thanks to their originality, it is interesting to go back to listen to them again and again. Thus, four Georgians (one of our Caucasian republics is known world-wide under the same name for some reason) truly create something new and original within Neo Progressive Rock, and that something is a real Event regarding this exact genre, which usually is by far not reaching with a variety of 'goods'. So, if I dare to rate already this mini-prelude as a good CD, I will probably like its full-length continuation even more. It is very curious however, what is it these guys played before they found 'another key'...

VM. June 25, 2000