BRAINSQUEEZED “Scarred”

Self-released, 2019

Music: Progressive Rock

Website: https://m.facebook.com/pages/category/Musician-Band/Brainsqueezed-543595662351392

Duration: 44:12 minutes (11 tracks)

Country: Australia

Progressive Rock is generally labelled as “something that a musician would enjoy”. But in reality, there are bands that appeal a larger audience, not just those who have a PhD in Music theory. The complexity in music structure and songwriting is, of course, different in Progressive Rock but that doesn’t mean they are to be found hard to digest for an average person with an avid inclination towards new music. To change this misconception, if you’re a person with an interest in new genres and have a little to no musical knowledge, I give you “Brainsqueezed”. This Octet, having a diverse take on Progressive music would definitely change your mind as to how one must perceive the “complex” Progressive music!

Brainsqueezed is a Brainchild of Sébastien Laloue, a French Guitarist who also has a good affinity towards keyboards! After releasing his first EP in 2015, he shifted his focus to a more cleaner and organic production by teaming up with some studio musicians to produce this 11-track masterpiece, “Scarred”. The album starts off with a 3-minute track “Sailors”  which is dominated by the vocals, perfectly delivered to match the guitars. The thing about this band is that they really have an idea as to how their approach would be. They’re pretty definitive regarding the same hence there’s not a single point throughout the album wherein I felt as if things are falling apart or one instrument is being overplayed. Though the album is pretty much guitar-centric like any other Prog rock bands, there are certain moments on the album wherein the rest of the instruments get a chance to shine.

The instrumentation altogether comprises of efforts made from the Guitarist, Drummer, Bassist, Saxophonist, and Harmonica. It’s not just your regular 4 piece band with guitars, drums and bass. That is what makes this band a bit different from others. Straight from track one all through the tracklist, you won’t get bored. Sonically, the band sound a bit darker with cinematic and electronic ambience to back up their well-crafted instrumentation. Moreover, there are certain parts on the album wherein you could clearly listen to the solos, which are pristine and left undisturbed by other instruments.

That being said, If you’re looking to transit to Progressive music, I don’t think there’s any album other than this that could take you through what this particular genre has to offer. The unfortunate part of this album is that the band is underrated and they’re pretty much still hidden from the mainstream stardom. I hope the band could gear up for a much bigger release next year capable of getting more attention from a wider audience. It’s just the start and the attention that the band wants, likeability is not at all an uncertainty as I’m sure people would love some versatility in their playlist!

Tracklist:
1. Sailors
2. Pentothal
3. In the night
4. Razor blade
5. Judgment day
6. Grave
7. Her Cat
8. Bleed for rock’n’roll
9. Black Rain
10. Awakenings
11. Every night

Line-up:
Alex Paclin: Harmonica
Brandon Autry: Guitars
Brian Petry: Drums
Charles Berthoud: Bass
Hugo Lee: Saxophone
Marcello Vieira: Vocals
Sébastien Laloue: Guitars / Keyboard
Audrey Karrasch: Vocals

Rate: 9.5/10