Before January runs out on me, let’s check out another of the prog albums released this month. Less than three weeks ago in fact.
Title: Archetype Asylum
Artist: Exodus to Infinity
Nationality: American
Sub-genre: Progressive Metal
Release date: January 6 2021
Album number: 1
Familiarity: Zero
RYM Rating: n/a
ProgArchives Rating: n/a
Right, I can find nothing about these guys - well, this guy - anywhere, so I leave it up to his own promotional team to explain:
This self-produced one-man-band will take you on a heady journey filled with screaming guitar solos, eclectic arrangements, and a dizzying range of styles and emotions. Using elements of prog rock, metal, blues, jazz, rap, EDM, pop, and classical music, the debut album, Archetype Asylum, explores the depths of the psyche with the psychoanalytic tools of Jung, Freud, and Lacan. It is a story of loss and growth through encounters with archetypal projections of the unconscious, reconciling light and shadow, candor and jest, fear and love.
Indeed. I have to say, it sounds like it might not be the kind of thing I enjoy, but as we say here in Ireland, sure we’ll give it a go. Why did I choose this one, when there were others released that day, and plenty more so far this month? Simple: I liked the name of the band. So if it sucks I only have myself to blame.
I think the doctor, then, is ready to see us now.
“King Other” gets us underway, with a trippy guitar run and the sort of rhythm you might expect to hear on something by Diablo Swing Orchestra, a vocal which mixes the best of Eldritch, Nick Cave and Dave Vanian from The Damned. It’s pretty frenetic, and puts me in mind too of the more eclectic work of The Dear Hunter. He’s got a good range, this guy with the unassuming name of Danny Mulligan, dropping from deep-throated growl to softer gentler vocal and manic shriek. It’s hard to believe this is all the work of one man, but I guess we have to believe him because, as I say, nobody else has any information on him at all, and anyway, why would he lie? But it’s damned impressive. Seems like he even does his own backing vocals, as nobody else is credited at all.
There are, it would appear, two epic tracks on this album and the first clocks in at just under nine minutes, with “Shadow Self” including a pretty damn fine rap, with a real metal vibe in the guitar; this lad really does want to appeal to all bases, doesn’t he? Think he may just succeed too. Some funky guitar thrown in there, kind of channeling Prince in ways. There are recorded samples used too, presumably from some sort of lecture or tape on psychology. Maybe. Great fiery guitar solo here, then it runs into quite a beautiful almost waltzy chorus with some cello I think, lovely orchestral work (I would assume it’s synthesised, but you never know) and I think we’ve moved into the third track, which features the only other collaborator on Mulligan’s album, some guy called Dr. Gabor Mate speaking, but this whole track only lasts for less than two minutes.
Shuffle boogie then for “The Body, the Drive and the Dreamer” with a great chorus - come on, there are female vocals in there, surely? He can’t be doing them too? Going wild on the guitar and keys now for “Trickster”, sort of AOR feel to this in ways, then it’s like going down to see Dean Martin on something for “Plaza Thursday”, again a short track and into “Right Now”, which reminds me of Wham!, or maybe Daft Punk. Totally disco, man. The closer is the other epic, and with a capital E. It runs for over fourteen minutes, opening on some truly lovely cello with a rising guitar line that gives you the feeling this is going to be something special. Well, everything has been special about this so far, but I feel this might be the standout.
Soft piano now joins slide guitar and violin and then it jumps to life in the third minute, vocal coming in now, jazzy little piano run, the song taking a kind of AOR turn. Some really nice Fender Rhodes as we head into an extended instrumental section as the track reaches the midpoint, a lovely laconic guitar solo and some breezy jazzy piano slowing things down for a moment before it picks up again on a sort of Steely Dan style guitar riff which turns into a real slice of funk and disco as we head towards the end, everything then dropping back to solo cello, slow and mournful to take us out.
Track Listing
1. King Other (9)
2. Shadow Self (9)
3. Just Like Us (7)
4. The Body, The Drive, And The Dreamer (8)
5. Trickster (8)
6. Plaza Thursday (8)
7. Right Now (8)
8. Second Innocence (10)
As a progressive rock album, this is stunning. As a debut it’s even more so. When you factor in that it’s apparently just one guy doing all this, it’s hard to heap enough praise on him. So much for not being something I'm into! There’s absolutely no way I could award this any less than the top rating.
Which I will.
