Thank You Scientist -
Maps Of Non-Existent Places


(CD 2012, 58:18, Thank You Scientist)

The tracks:
  1- Prelude
  2- A Salesman's Guide To Nonexistence
  3- Feed The Horses
  4- Blood On The Radio
  5- Absentee
  6- Suspicious Waveforms
  7- Carnival
  8- Concrete Swan Dive
  9- In the Company Of Worms
10- My Famed Disappearing Act

Thank You Scientist Website        samples       


If you're looking for energetic music the seven-headed New Jersey based band Thank You Scientist, would come up to your expectations in this manner with their ten-track first full length album. In 2011, they had already released the EP The Perils Of Time Travel. The band consists of Salvatore Marrano (vocals), Tom Monda (guitar), Greg Colacino (bass), Odin Alvarez (drums), Russel Lynch (violin, viola), Ellis Jasenovic (saxophones) and Andrew Digrius (trumpet).

While listening to the opening track it's obvious that the musicianship of the band members is quite advanced; the usage of polyphony is very impressive. In general I can say that the band make music in the vein of Coheed & Cambria, Three and Alamaailman Vasarat, but they're certainly a more original and more jazz-fusion orientated version of these bands. The second track, A Salesman's Guide To Nonexistence is a high energy track. Listening to the lyrics you'll notice the richness created by Lynch, Digrius and Monda with multiple vocals. At the end the violin and the viola nicely summarize the chorus part. Feed The Horses starts with a complex melodic, but rhythmic part until it reaches the first verse which is fed by funky guitars, choir-like backing vocals and a very energetic chorus. I think this is the best track containing most of the fusion elements in the band's music. The longest track Blood On The Radio starts with well-played harmonic parts in a minor key along with odd time signatures. The trumpet and the guitar solos are the highlights of this track.

Absentee generally holds a melancholic mood, but served in an energetic arrangement. The saxophone in the middle-section has a leading role thus preserving the melancholic feel of this track. Suspicious Waveforms is indeed quite 'suspicious', since it takes you from funk to fusion/jazz. Carnival will lead you through new musical ideas both melodically and rhythmically; it's just an amazing journey. Concrete Swan Dive holds fine viola and violin passages and it also contains the best melodic chorus part even though it has a complete different vocal line. In The Company Of Worms starts with a sitar that works very well with the harmonic part. The transitions between the various parts of this track are nice and have been well-arranged. My Famed Disappearing Act is the most powerful track of the album. Although the entire album is very energetic, this one stands out; you can almost speak of an energetic climax.

I would like to recommend Maps Of Non​-​Existent Places and the previous release of Thank You Scientist, the EP The Perils Of Time Travel, to people who enjoy listening to the jazz and fusion subgenre of progressive rock music.

****+ Zafer Yüksel (edited by Peter Willemsen)

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