Home Artist links Label link
Guapo - Five Suns
| Artist: | Guapo |
| Title: | Five Suns |
| Label: | Cuneiform Rune 184 |
| Length(s): | 62 minutes |
| Year(s) of release: | 2004 |
| Month of review: | [05/2004] |
Line up
Daniel O'Sulllivan - fender rhodes, organ, mellotron, harmonium, guitar, electronics
Dave Smith - drums, percussion
Matt Thompson - bass, guitar, electronics
Tracks
Five Suns
| 1) | 1 | 4.31
|
| 2) | 2 | 10.19
|
| 3) | 3 | 10.30 MP3
|
| 4) | 4 | 12.57
|
| 5) | 5 | 7.55
|
| 7) | Mictlan | 8.58
|
| 8) | Topan | 6.37
|
Samples of Five Suns occur by kind permission of Cuneiform Records.
Summary
The music
Five Suns-I is, oddly one big build up to an eclectic climax. The music is grave, heavy, with influences of Zeuhl, but mostly with that impressive decorum we normally find in Swedish music, especially Anekdoten and Anglagard (the lack of vocals makes the latter more appropriate). Then there's a bit of earlier day King Crimson to be heard.
Part 2 feels a little lighter, most of the time, helped by the clear Fender Rhodes sounds. The jingling guitar at the beginning of part three returns the memory of the Swedes, but especially the percussion reminds of Cuneiform acts with Dave Kerman on such. After the eventful start this section takes a step back, leaving the floor for the Fender Rhodes, only after some time speeded up by the percussion. These Fender sections are closer to the Magma feel, but the other instruments prevent the dogmatism that always threatens Magma material.
Without being as heavy, the graveness at the start of Part 4 brings Neurosis to mind. The abrasive effects that move in only strengthen this association. As it progresses we are set up with an organ percussion duel, the former later replaced by guitar.
The closing part works at bringing us down from the suns, taking the grinding guitars and Fender Rhodes, slowing down, later helped by organ and gong. This round up is a fitting closing for a piece of such length, an effect strengthened by the 59 second silence of track 6.
The Fender Rhodes gives Mictlan Magma nervousness from the start, at times washed out by the driving percussion or thick mellotron. This duel between unnerving and assuaging elements strikes a balance some others miss.
Topan seems to be about ending the album, more sparse than the other tracks, with lonely Fender Rhodes, leading into final guitar strumming. Worthwhile in its own being, though.
Conclusion
Despite the fact that this album shows a lot of influences of and similarities to other acts, the integrated overall result is pretty different from all of them exactly because of that. Guapo have come up with a grave album that haunts and can easily compete with many of their influences. Remarkably enough the album is more accessible than your basic zeuhl or Cuneiform disc, which opens it up for a larger audience. Chapeau!
© Roberto Lambooy