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Either that or for some strange reason the music here is something that I can get into. Maybe I have a bias towards APOSTROPHE over OVER-NITE SENSATION because I hear the former first. It doesn't matter anyway since it's a concept of personal taste really.

''Don't Eat the Yellow Snow'' is one of the better short Zappa songs I've heard and I credit the bassline for it; very groovy and simple yet in an off metre. That song along with the three that follow it are quite amusing as I tend to think of the four collectively as the ''epic that gets distracted within itself''. It goes from the setting to a duel with a fur trapper to big, fluffy pancakes...and this idiot gave OVER-NITE SENSATION a two...

The music here takes me to more places than OVER-NITE SENSATION, particularly when it gets to the jammy title track. Another spectacular bass riff with a just-as-impressive guitar solo thrown in there at a pace that I love. Only when Frank slows the tempo down a lot do I find myself bored out of my tree, so ''Stinkfoot'' is the song that least appeases me.

It really doesn't have enough to squeeze the fourth star out of me. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to back to being chased out of town now.

Last words: Yummy.....fluffy.......paaaaaaaancaaaaaaaaaaakkkkkesssssssssss........

by Sinusoid


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I feel almost embarrassed that I don't really understand what's going on here. None of the lyrics make me laugh hysterically; my mind essentially tunes out half of the time on many of the funnier songs like ''Dinah-Moe Humm''. And why is that? There must be something wrong with the wiring in my brain because nothing musically sticks out to me on that song, or for that matter the remainder of the album.

I admit, the chorus of ''I am the Slime'', the chorus of ''Fifty-Fifty'', large bits of ''Zomby Woof'' and the last bit of ''Montana'' perk my interest. Unfortunately, I am more bored than amused/enticed/impressed/entertained. The music sound bland, nondescript and unremarkable to my ears. I am one to believe that the main focus of OVER-NITE SENSATION was the humourous content of which I have absolutely no offense to IF I can get into the music. Here, it doesn't happen that much.

Don't take my review too seriously. There's probably a good reason for the amount of five star ratings here, and it's more likely than not that you won't share my opinion. I prefer the humour content found on FREAK OUT! because I can get into the music more on that album. Then again, what does the blithering idiot called Sinusoid know about anything?

Last words: I have none.

by Sinusoid


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This album has all the we love and expect from Meshuggah. Crushing riffs, and insane drumming. Though it is not to the level of later albums you can clearly hear the magnificent work of Thomas Haake. His playing runs the gambit on this album. We hear double bass pounding thrash beats, to slow jazzy drumming, (that is quite beautiful) to has signature off beat, poly-rhythmic patterns.

Although we heard bits of it before, this album really expands on the jazz fusion elements. The drumming and guitar work in these parts are simply beautiful. Best examples are in Future Breed Machine, Vanished, Inside What's Within Behind, and Sublevels.

You can hear it in many of the solos as well. To a less musically traveled ear the solo's may sound like crazy metal shreds, but we here know better. The solo's are very jazzy. It also creates a very interesting juxtaposition. Not often can you hear high pitched, jazzy solos over brutally crushing guitar rhythm's.

There are 10 songs on this album. All are good. Some are stronger than others. Some are absolute winners I could always listen to, some are good but not anything spectacular. I will talk about the best few on this album.

Future Breed Machine. One of their most well known, and I see why. After a 30 second long intro that sounds like a factory the song kicks in. Overall, a pretty thrashy song, with heavy riffs and some pounding vocals. The double bass part just after 2 minutes is very intense. However, just after is one of the best parts on the whole album. This jazzy section is just wonderful. Then it's back to brutality.

Acrid Placidity. This song is a total departure from the album. It is slow, mellodic with beautiful guitar work and almost no drumming. Yup, it's all about the guitar, and words can not describe. A must listen. Interesting to note: this song was written by rhythm guitarist Marten Hagstrom. We're so used to his crushing rhythm guitar work, it is amazing to see his melodic side. And after hearing this song it is no surprise Meshuggah started moving in that direction since his entry on this album.

Suffer in Truth. A slow, bassy, double bass drum pounding intro. This song features some of the best bass guitar on the album. Not to mention some superb drumming and guitar work. It is a very mechanical song with a great feel.

Sublevels is a great song, and has one of the best intros! Also, some of Haake's best work.

Overall, a great album. Obviously not for the regular progger or even the standard metal head. This album is INTENSE. It is not the easiest to listen to, (although better than some later works). You must like this kind of music. The vocals of Jens are a drawback. His vocals have always been tough. They are not deep growls, or high pitched shrieking...just loud. They can be very piercing. It is tolerable though.

Great album. Great sound, later to be expanded. If you are a fan of more extreme metal, technical metal, and the more extreme side of prog-metal this album is a must listen. 4 stars.

by JJLehto


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This album is the third in a trio of recent albums by Pallas (before these three albums there was a gap of some 12 years from their first batch of albums). Let me start by saying that all three of these albums are very good and very well worth having. But while many consider The Dreams Of Men to be the best out of the three, I am not quite as convinced about its merits as many of my fellow reviewers. For me Pallas peaked with the consistently excellent The Cross And The Crucible which is the better album in my opinion. Deciding between The Dreams Of Men and Beat The Drum is more difficult, however, as both albums contain some truly inspiring songs. Since I gave Beat The Drum three stars, that will be my rating here as well.

On the first couple of listens, I immediately liked the great opening track The Bringer Of Dreams and the wonderful Ghostdancers. But I found, at least initially, that the rest of the album did not live up to the high standards set by these two songs. However, even if I still find some minor flaws and slightly irritating moments on some of the other songs (and even if The Bringer Of Dreams and Ghostdancers still are my two favourite tracks here), The Dreams Of Men grew on me a lot over further listens. Like many Prog albums, it took some time and effort to get into it.

The Dreams Of Men is a concept album based on just that - men's dreams. However, it is a much looser concept compared to the previous The Cross And The Crucible and it is not at all the lyrical masterpiece that album was. However, there are some fine lyrics here as well.

One thing that strikes me while listening to this album is that the music seems to be almost tailor-made for the preferences of the people on this site; long songs, symphonic sound, instrumental workouts, keyboard solos, etc. All the characteristic ingredients of (Neo-) Progressive rock are here. You might suspect that the band worked hard to avoid potential criticisms of not being progressive enough (I have seen such criticisms being lodged against Beat The Drum and The Cross And The Crucible). My initial response to some of the passages on some of the songs was that maybe they are trying too hard; maybe they are moving outside of their comfort zone just to please the (Neo-) Prog community?; maybe they are applying a formula that is not truly their own? However, this negative feeling tended to fade with further listens. Pallas is still one of the most original Neo-Prog bands in my opinion, but I think that their own identity came to its right better on the previous two albums.

Another thing that strikes me is the broad array of influences. I can detect influences from World Music, New Age, Metal, Folk, etc. Some unusual sounds (compared to earlier Pallas albums) are heard here; we have fiddle on a couple of songs, a Gospel Choir, a traditional Native American singer, a female Opera singer and more! Some of these sounds work better than others. The inclusion of a fiddle on The Bringer Of Dreams and Ghostdancers appeared to be to be something of a masterstroke. It really works to great effect to enhance these songs, especially the latter. This superb, folky song is about the European emigration to America and its consequences on the Native American people. The song ends with a beautiful, short, traditional Native American a cappella vocal that really lends atmosphere to the song. This blending of traditional musical influences from both sides of the Atlantic (Britain and America) is quite brilliant and really fits with the theme of the song.

Bringer Of Dreams features all the Pallas trademarks and one of the best instrumental breaks the band has ever done which is introduced by Alan Reed whispering 'time to dream!' - possibly the most memorable line of the whole album. The album continues with Warriors which starts with a rather simplistic guitar riff that is hardly original. It sounds rather like the kind of simple riff that aspiring guitarists will learn first. However, the verses and chorus of the song are among the finest in the Pallas catalogue and make the song overall very strong.

Too Close To The Sun brings the band closer to typical (Neo-) Prog territory and is a very varied song that took some time to sink in. Messiah features the clichéd line 'I'm walking the walk, I'm talking the talk' as well as a short guitar passage that is strongly reminiscent of Jimi Hendrix! Is it perhaps a deliberative quote? This song also features a Gospel choir, all this in the same track. I have started to like this one too, but it is probably my least favourite on the album together with Mr. Wolfe.

Northern Star is a lovely, relaxing, New-Age-like guitar instrumental. Considered on its own merits it is perhaps not very interesting. It is just the kind of thing that Steve Howe, Mike Oldfield, Steve Morse and many others has been making in large quantities. However, this little instrumental becomes a perfect interlude between the surrounding, harder edged songs. With Mr. Wolfe Pallas almost enters Metal territory and they seem to be rather comfortable there and it sounds rather good, but there is nothing to make this track really stand out from the crowd. The riff on which the song is based reminds me slightly of the riff from Dream Theater's Never Enough from their Octavarium album.

Invincible continues partly in the Metal mode, this time with some slightly more aggressive bits. Here I find that Pallas, especially Alan Reed's vocals, are moving slightly outside of their comfort zone, but they mange to bring it all together in the end. While I strongly agree with the moral sentiments of the lyrics, I think that the line 'it's my life and you can't have it!' is being repeated at least one time too many.

The Last Angel finally slows things down and is a kind of symphonic, operatic semi-ballad. It has a lovely melody and an excellent vocal performance from Alan Reed. The first part reminds me of U2, but it builds towards a more symphonic sound and is then handed over to the female Opera singer to change the nature of the song. I find the song to be perhaps a little bit too long for its own good, but otherwise a fine closer and one of the album's better songs together with the first three or four tracks. But while this is the song on this album that comes closest to being a ballad, I really miss a genuine ballad on The Dreams Of Men like Who's To Blame from The Cross And The Crucible and Blood & Roses from Beat The Drum.

With a running time of well over an hour, I find this whole album slightly too long for its own good. It is a common mistake in the age of the compact disc to put too much material on an album. Some of the songs could probably have been shortened slightly. But despite its few flaws - mostly concentrated to the middle of the album - The Dreams Of Men is still a very good album. Like with Beat The Drum - which also contained some really excellent songs - I wanted to give this four stars, but these albums are not quite there.

This review is starting to get absurdly long now, so I better end it by saying that I am very happy to have discovered this great Scottish band and that their three latest albums are all very enjoyable!

by SouthSideoftheSky


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While Zappa's debut album sounded somewhat choppy and unrefined, his second one sounds much more cohesive and mature. As others have said, this is a concept album of sorts. However, the lyrical themes from the previous album are still here. Zappa continues to lampoon politics and pop culture of the 60s. But the music has a much more pleasing quality to my ears. Some of the jams on here get really intense and exciting, but without a loss of control or wandering off aimlessly. Invocation & Ritual Dance of the Young Pumpkin is especially really interesting. I love the way the sax dances among all the other instruments. And some of the weird vocal effects and lines really make me chuckle when I hear them. Absolutely Free is very much in the same vein of its predecessor, in that it's full of excellent 50s/60s pop and R&B, but it also serves as a bridge to some of Zappa's psychedelic experimentation he would move on later in the 60s, especially with the superb We're Only in It for the Money.

I'm really torn with this album, because I could justify giving it 3, 4, or even 5 stars. I'm not sure if this is prog or not, but it's excellent music regardless and a step up from Zappa's debut. Absolutely Free really deserves a 4 star rating from me. Even though this is a really good album, the best is yet to come.

by birdwithteeth11


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