Record Reviews

ORTALION ~ TRI-TONES AUDIO CAVE 2020/006 (Barcode: 5908298549032) ~ POLAND ~ Avant-Garde Rock Recorded: 2019 Released: 2020 This is the third album by Polish ensemble OrtalionFind albums by this artist, which comprises of keyboardist Cezary MorawskiFind albums by this artist, drummer Piotr MajkaFind albums by this artist, bassist Jacek BrzeziewiczFind albums by this artist, percussionist Jacek StromskiFind albums by this artist (in charge of samplers), saxophonist Marcin OtlowskiFind albums by this artist and trumpeter Robert JakubiecFind albums by this artist. Graphics / visuals artist Rafal ChomikFind albums by this artist is also listed as an ensemble member. Vocalist Mamadou Goo BaFind albums by this artist guests occasionally. The album presents seven original compositions (one in three parts), six of which are by Morawski and one by Brzeziewicz. The music is an original amalgam of many contemporary Rock / Electronic / Ambient music trends, creating highly atmospheric vistas. In most cases the music is based on heavy hypnotic, repetitive riffs, with electronic keyboards spreading a cascade of eerie sounds on top. The brass instruments are sadly rarely audible, which is a pity since they could have added much more diversity and variety within the music. The few improvised solos by Otlowski and Jakubiec are definitely the highlights of the entire album. The last track on the album offers an interpretation of a piece by the French modern composer Francis PoulencFind albums by this artist, which is completely different from the rest of the material, and which offers a glimpse of creative approach, being highly effective and perhaps most successful herein. Overall this is a very enjoyable Alternative Rock album, which shows a lot of potential but lacks the spark to make it truly outstanding. I enjoyed the music while it lasted, but it left hardly any long lasting impression. But of course this is just my feeling and many listeners surely can find this much more exciting. People interested in Polish Alternative Rock should definitely check this out!

Updated: 24/05/2020Posted: 24/05/2020

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