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Beardfish: +4626-comfortzone
Beardfish +4626-comfortzone Debut CD Album Review

Beardfish: +4626-comfortzone

Progressive Rock/Metal
4.5/5.0

You can always expected the unexpected from Sweden's Beardfish, yet also something familiar and comfortable. Their approach to melodic progressive rock is eclectic and conventional, creative and sometimes whimsical as they draw from a deep well of musical ideas. Their latest +4626-comfortzone is no exception, just consider the title.

Beardfish Photo

Beardfish

The itself is oddball and curious, suggesting some of your own curiosity of what's inside. Their is a theme or concept here. It's probably best explained by the band, but has something to do with the "comfortzone is the invisible protective suit of negative thinking," something must be rejected and overcome. This is expressed in Beardfish's amalgamation melodic progressive rock the runs the gamut of influences, not the least of which is early classic prog. But while ingenuity and intricacy is rife within this album, Beardfish also knows how deliver melody, harmony and, sometimes, a groove-laden rock tune. Daughter is a good example of this. It's a nice blend of heavy rock with big riffs, deep bass, and melodic vocal arrangement, while offerinng an inherent groove amidst the shifting arrangement. Another is King groove and beat give foundation to some bristling riffs.

Mostly, +4626-comfortzone is a typical Beardfish prog monster. The epic track is long on a variety of keyboards inflections, mostly reflecting a style from early days of prog, from Hammond to Moog. It also has some sweet groove and nice riffs to move things along. Some of Beardfish's whimsy comes in their simplicity. The One Inside Part 2 – My Companion Throughout Life is basically vocals over light guitar, moved by even more quiet drums. You also discover how good a vocalist Rikard Sjöblom truly is. Sometimes within a song, the music caused my mind hear strange alliances. Hold On and Comfort Zone had parts that sounded like a merger of Supertramp, Pink Floyd and King Crimson. Perhaps it was the mixture of piano, guitar structure, and Beardfish's uncanny ability to make poly-rhythms technical, yet benignly playful. Ultimately, you'll discover, as with past albums, that there is much to contemplate and enjoy with +4626-comfortzone, which will only come with several listens. Recommended.

Beardfish - Hold On


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In Short

Beardfish's +4626-comfortzone finds the band up to their usual eclectic and conventional, creative and sometimes whimsical, melodic progressive rock. Recommended.

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