Short Reviews [Prophexy - 2008 - "Alconauta"]

The Italian act PROPHEXY has been actively releasing material since 2003, when their debut album was issued. "Alconauta" is their second full length production, originally self-released in 2008 but now scheduled for an official release by UK Division Records in July 2009. The musical output presented on this creation is one pretty innovative in scope and sound, blending 70's tinged hard rock of the organ dominated variety with space-tinged ventures, progressive folk oriented elements and experimental art rock King Crimson-style as well as a few touches from jazz, metal and punk. Adventurous elements like dissonant sounds, arrhythmic explorations and disharmonic excursions dominate the proceedings alongside a peculiar punk-like attitude – the sound and style is pretty much aggressive overall. But innovative as the music is, it's also too frantic for my taste: one theme or segment hardly gets time to settle in before the next one is well under way, and there's hardly any time to appreciate or even get acquainted with the musical textures made at any given time, even when these reappear later in a composition. Prophexy is a talented outfit and there are many enjoyable moments on its creation "Alconauta". But as I regard them, they are still a few marks short of artistic greatness. To be checked out by fans of the aggressive side of eclectic experimental art rock, and an album that will probably appeal to many fans of progressive metal too due to the generally aggressive musical approach.

OMB: June 10, 2009