Gravitysays_i - Quantum Unknown
by Kevin Wierzbicki
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This Greek band has released one of the most interesting prog records to come along this year. Opening cut "More Than a Matter of Instinct" tunes in to a spacy groove that sounds like early Pink Floyd and where singer Manos Paterakis adds mystery to the cut with his Jim Morrison-recalling voice. Add in some trumpet and bouzouki-mimicking guitar and the tune is nothing short of a dreamy masterpiece. Paterakis sings everything on Quantum Unknown in English and he enunciates clearly but the listener probably is best off here not trying to figure out what his poetically cryptic words mean, although on a cut like the fast, drum-driven "Of Woe," the title gives a good indication. And that's part of the appeal here; when "Of Woe" segues into "Migratory Birds" and Paterakis sings "And then I broke into a thousand migratory birds," the listener can just fly off wherever they want, digging the fluid and somewhat jazzy guitar playing that highlights the song. The music on Quantum Unknown is not necessarily psychedelic, but "Dowser," with its quirky melody and vocals that have been treated with effects, comes close. "An Ivory Heart" has a Latin flavor thanks to liberal use of trumpet while "Every Man," with its string arrangement, piano part and female backing vocals, is the album's most sublime piece. The album's title cut closes the effort, and considering that the word "quantum" in modern slang means "deep and profound," you might interpret the album's title to be asking "how out-there are we going to get?" The answer, quite delightfully, is "as far as you want."
Gravitysays_i - Quantum Unknown
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