Patchwork Cacophony - great name for a band, by the way - is in fact the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Ben Bell (Gandalf's Fist), as all music, lyrics, instruments, and vocals are credited to him. On this third album called Hourglass Bell is assisted by James Chapman on drums (tracks 2,4,5 and 8) and Pat Sanders (Drifting Sun) who plays a Moog solo on My Home Is Tomorrow. Carpe Diem is the first real song, as Wake Up is in fact just a filler, and it is a 100% pure neo-prog song, featuring lots of musical twists and turns and a couple of nice guitar passages and keyboard melodies. Another, Perspective 1, filler follows, which leads into Blind Faith, a song with characteristics from classic, old school progressive rock music indeed. My Home Is Tomorrow is something of the same flavour, although it has a slightly harder edge. Another filler - Perspective 2 - follows before we are treated to the highlight of this album, called Castaway. Besides, being the longest track here, it is also the most bombastic and most classic neo prog rock song of the album. Castaway really is filled with passion and lots of energy, displaying Bell's musical abilities indeed! Hourglass is very well crafted, and Ben Bell's musical abilities are more than excellent, so this album is certainly worth a couple of spins; indeed, however I could have done without the four short fillers, which in my humble opinion add nothing to the rest of the song material. ***+ Martien Koolen (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
