Divided By One is the fourth studio album by the Canadian electronic progressive rock collective Enigmatic Sound Machines. It is the successor to the album Imperfect Silence (see review) released last year. At the time I wrote;" Overall you can say that the songs are rather mediocre. Most compositions kind of coast along without anything special happening that will have you on the edge of your seat. The songs aren't all equally difficult to digest, so the more seasoned proghead might find themselves a bit bored. Don't get me wrong, Imperfect Silence is by no means a bad album. But music lovers sometimes crave something more musical. Of course, the musicians of Enigmatic Sound Machines have enough talent to ensure their next album offers a bit more variety. Hopefully, that will happen on the next album." And that next album has now been released with Divided By One. Hopefully, they will show a better musical side this time. On the new album the core duo Jeremie Arrobas (lead vocals, synth guitars, keyboards, sound machines) and Thomas Szirmay (enigmatic voice and sound machines), has now been expanded with two additional musicians. Namely bassist Hansford Rowe and guitarist Alain Bellaïche. So the band now consists of four members, supplemented by some extra guests on several album tracks. Hopefully, this will result in a musical course that will appeal to the true prog enthusiast. Unfortunately, after listening to the album extensively, I must conclude that there is absolutely no progress in the musical quality of the compositions presented. Even now that the saxophonist, who was featured on almost every track of the previous album, is no longer involved. I know that many progressive rock enthusiasts aren't really fans of the use of this instrument in our musical genre. So that isn't really the issue. No, it hasn't become what I had hoped it would be. No adventurous prog with endless solos on guitar and synthesizers. No unexpected breaks or tempo changes. Everything the musicians present is too limited. And that is actually a real shame, and therefore a missed opportunity to redeem themselves for what was offered on their previous album. Of course, generally speaking, the songs aren't bad this time either. But sometimes, as mentioned earlier, you want to be on the edge of your seat when you hear an album for the first time. There needs to be a real WOW factor. But Enigmatic Sound Machines cannot provide that. Unfortunately, I have to state that once again. This is prog—yes, that is what we can ultimately call it—that doesn't sound too complex and sounds good to people who like most of all uncomplicated music. At first listen, you might think you are listening to an album with influences from electronic music and post-rock, where Peter Gabriel's later work, in particular, permeates the songs. But there is more going on in terms of musical influences. Therefore it is perhaps interesting to delve a bit deeper into the band's sound and the musical influences we hear on this album, besides the previously mentioned Peter Gabriel. Enigmatic Sound Machines possess a highly eclectic sonic palette that bridges retro-futuristic synth-pop, classic progressive rock, and atmospheric art rock. Their sound stems from the distinct musical backgrounds of its core members and deep ties to both the 1970s and 1980s music scenes. Because co-founder Jeremie Arrobas was a founding member of the iconic 1980s synth-pop band Men Without Hats, the group balances complex arrangements with an innate sense of melodic electronica. Therefore, it seems logical that influences from the following mentioned acts can be heard: Gary Numan & Tubeway Army and that's why they directly paid tribute to them on Divided By One via their industrial-tinged cover of Are Friends Electric?. But also Ultravox and Depeche Mode comes to mind. Influencing their darker, minor-key electronic melodies and driving synth lines. And not to forget Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark (OMD). Inspiring the melancholic pop-sensibility laced through their songwriting. On the other hand co-founder Thomas Szirmay is a renowned progressive rock musicologist and reviewer and therefore brings other musical influences to the table. Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk are good examples. Which are evident in their pulsating sequences, hypnotic synthesizers, and cinematic instrumentals. But also the influences of Mike Oldfield and Popol Vuh are evoked through their use of ethereal, ambient bell-infused atmospheres and world-music-leaning outros. In summary, you could say that this album might be interesting for people who enjoy the music of acts like Peter Gabriel, Gary Numan & Tubeway Army, Ultravox, Depeche Mode, OMD, Tangerine Dream, Kraftwerk, Mike Oldfield and Popol Vuh. So take advantage of this. If you want to know if Enigmatic Sound Machines' music is something for you, it is best to go to their Bandcamp page. Here you can listen to the full album and their previous albums. As for me personally, I think it sounds decent, but I would have preferred to hear a bit more punch in the songs they provided. It all sounds too quiet, and there are no real standouts to be found. It is all too predictable and too mediocre as far as I am concerned. But I probably already told you that. Therefore, one can only hope that they change musical direction in the future. Maybe on their next album... **+ Henri Strik (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
