The Red Masque
The Red Masque
Masque" is now for sale via MP3.com. Visit
http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/269/the_red_masque.html. You can
listen to FREE song files on MP3.com as well.
More reviews on the new EP are in:
From Zoltan's Progressive Rock Webpage
(http://stevehegede.tripod.com/index.htm)
Reviewed by: Steve Hegede, August 2001
The Red Masque are an avant-prog 5-piece (g/b/k/d/v) group from
Philadelphia, and The Death of the Red Masque is their new 3-song EP.
After my first listen, I was quite impressed with this group's
direction. The music here tends to mix Krautrock-like experimentation,
American avant-garde (John Cage, Henry Cowell, and Cecil Taylor), and
King Crimson’s (or if you would like, Bubu) dramatic
instrumental interplay with Gong's spaced-out psychedelia. Each of the
lengthy tracks on the EP offers a different musical exploration. The
first track, for example, starts off with a John Cage-like build-up,
that includes Gongs and other percussive instruments, but soon the
band enters a lengthy avant-prog section featuring dissonant vocals,
and unpredictable instrumental turns (sounding like a mellower Il
Balleto Di Bronzo). The second track slowly builds intensity until it
explodes into a colorful, Gong-like, space-rock jam. The third track,
which comes closest to pure prog rock, reminded me of a mixture of
Faust and Bubu. All of the musicians in this band are impressive, but
there are two that really stand out. The first one is vocalist
Lynnette Shelley. Her voice brought Thinking Plague's Deborah Perry
and Rufus's Gudny Aspaas (from the album New Born Day) to mind.
Lynnette's vocals are dissonant, soulful, theatrical, and generally
unpredictable. Her lower register, and avoidance of 12-tone like
melodies, also gives the music an eerie sound that is different from
standard RIO and avant-garde classical. The other musician to stand
out is guitarist Steven Blumberg. His style leans more towards the
avant-garde side of the wall, as he has the tendency to use his guitar
to create noises, and sound explorations, that sound like something
out of Faust's The Faust Tapes or one of the early Amon Duul II
records. Many sections also feature heavier, riff-oriented, guitar
lines. Overall, this group really stands out. The Red Masque will
appeal to fans of RIO, 70s krautrock, and complex progressive
rock.”
For more reviews, please visit http://www.theredmasque.com/review.htm.
The Red Masque
www.TheRedMasque.com