Detailed Reviews [Derelict Brew - 2003 - "Amputated Feelings"]

Derelict Brew (USA) - 2003 - "Amputated Feelings"
(28 min: EP/mini-CD, 'Derelict Brew')

Preamble. "Amputated Feelings" is the second album by Derelict Brew. I am not surprised that MDG took this young band under his wing. On the other hand, there is something suggestive in the fact that another ProGduction of What's Real Unlimited represents just a mini CD. Though it would've been enough to add just another 5-minute track (tenth track!) to "Amputated Feelings" to make it a full-length album. If you wish to read the review of the MDG album, click > here.

The Album. There are some stylistic similarities between the music of MDG and Derelict Brew, both of which prefer a distinctive, truly modern sound. However, a (unique) blend of Modern Symphonic Art-Rock and Progressive Hard Rock presented on "Amputated Feelings" is free of any influences, unlike that on the eponymous MDG album. Furthermore, the music of Matthew's proteges is marked with signs of high originality and genuine intricacy. All five of the songs and two of the three instrumental pieces on the album are excellent, to say the list. The songs: Toxic Candies, Lonesome Heatwave, and Aquarium Sleepwalking (1, 7, & 8), as well as the instrumental piece: TFM (2), are about the album's predominant stylistics that I've mentioned above. The music on Memory Skin and Beelsebub Blues (tracks 3 & 5) represents a unique Modern Symphonic Art-Rock, though the bits of Metal are present in 'the periodic system of elements' of these songs as well. Finally, a pure Modern Symphonic Art-Rock is presented on another excellent instrumental piece: Twilight Crawlers (6). There are two more tracks on this album, though, and it's time to describe them. Well, the instrumental piece: Kill-Kill-Kill (4) is OK, even though for the most part, it consists of effects and whispers. While the presence of somewhat of a narrative outro: Vicious Ripples (9) is certainly unnecessary here. In my view, the guys should have "amputated" it before mastering the CD.

Summary. While listening to the album, I had the impression that the members of this band are very mature musicians, and not young (as they are in reality). The compositional and performance skills of them are outstanding, though the passages of piano, solos of bass, and the parts of drums are especially impressive. I am very much pleased with "Amputated Feelings" and I am almost sure that the next Derelict Brew album will be a masterpiece.

VM: March 14, 2003