This album manages to sound different from all Közi’s previous releases while still retaining his distinctive stamp. It is coherent without being ‘samey’, and rocks harder than Catharsis; it is also darker, with less quirkiness. However, there are still some odd little playful twists. (And, I have to add, Közi is the only artist I can think of who can make music that is sinister and bouncy at the same time!)

The guitar work is more obvious in this album (in fact, it’s heavier altogether), with lavish (perhaps over) use of distortion and the wah-wah pedal. When you get behind the distortion, the guitar playing is fluent and detailed, but it is layered both on itself and with SFX, so it textures the songs rather than cutting through. It is vibrant and energetic, and sounds as if he’s having fun!

The bass is far more prominent in this album than in previous work, and this works really well. It’s a joy to listen to, adding a lush depth and a touch of smoothness that anchors the twiddly playfulness of the guitars and synths, and offsets the harshness of the vocals and the more treble edges. The melodies in the bass are also interesting.

I have to say that the vocals are the weakest point of the album. I’ve mentioned harshness; that’s the most noticeable feature of the vocals, and at some points it sounds as if he’s singing a fraction too high. I think it would have been an improvement to have dispensed with filters, or used different ones, on a couple of the songs, as the choice of filter gives the vocals the same tone and texture on all songs. The combination of this filter and the drums gives the pieces a somewhat ‘hissy’ edge; if that was avoided, it would be easier to hear the various layers.

It’s not all bad in the vocal department, though! Közi uses his voice differently on this album. Although the vocals are still highly textured and embedded in the instrumental parts, he ‘sings out’ more. By contrast to the discreet and casual intonation of his previous vocals, you can hear that he’s really putting some energy into his singing. On the one hand, you lose that engaging ‘singing to himself’ ambience, but on the positive side, there is more directness and immediacy to the vocals; they are less relaxed in tone but more enthusiastic. This largely contributes to the overall feeling of the album as ‘externalised’ compared with the more introspective air of his previous work.

Tracks 1, 2 and 3 are the most ‘conventional’ tracks on the album; they are more ‘mainstream-friendly’ than most of Közi’s previous work, and tracks 2 and 3 in particular use fairly standard hard rock progressions.

Although this album has its shortcomings, I’m certainly not disappointed with it, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Personally I am pleased to hear Közi continuing to progress, rather than sticking with one style for the sake of it and relying too heavily on a trademark eccentricity which could become a gimmick over time. This album is perhaps rather less original than Catharsis, but it is fresh and energetic, and makes me interested for the future!

1. Cabinet
I like this track, even if it does sound a bit like a guitar exercise! It veers between sinister and playful, and is very ‘Közish’. It might not be particularly original, but it’s a nice little piece and makes an appropriate opener.

2. Loki n’ Roll
The bassline was the first thing that caught my attention about this song. It’s heavy, with a very dense sound, and it’s guitar-based with interesting licks and riffs. I noticed that the vocals were higher than I expected, but more released, and he had kept the filter, which in this song I thought was a wise move, as there were some inaccuracies that the filter helped to mask slightly. It had a tasty guitar solo. The song has quite traditional bluesy progressions; good old heavy rock with some interesting things going on.

3. Babylo
Cool drumming at the start, and the drums are effective all the way through. I like the riff a lot. This song is bouncy and catchy, but I think it suffers a bit from being placed after Loki n’ Roll, as it has a similar tone/atmosphere. It’s energetic, but the intricacy can be a bit swallowed up at points. The vocals are harsh again, but very good in the chorus – the double-tracking works well.

4. Que Sera Sera
Ah, a song with a more laid-back pace. The filters on the voice stayed, and the quality was still harsh but the vocals show a good range and reasonable quality. The melody is interesting – and more singable than the first two – and I like the arpeggios in the break. They have a fairgroundish sound, and the bass is also good. The rest of the song boasts some plinkety music-box FX, and the guitar is less obvious but you can still hear it crunching away in the background. I like the guitar at the end!

5. Curious Nuance
The opening is cool, and I fell in love with the riff, which packs some punch. It’s perhaps the most ‘gothic’ song on the album, and I love the guitar work in the background. It’s perhaps the prime example of ‘bouncy and sinister’! Nice subtle ending.

6. Who’s Mind
Delicate but still guitary, with a tasty walking bass. This is a song of cool weirdness and wibbly disorientation, as it gradually slides ‘off’ as more synth kicks in. There’s a Honey Vanity-esque rhythm in the chords, and the whistling is a nice touch. This slower song is less to my taste, but it’s a good choice for this point in the album as it provides a break between the heavier and faster tracks that surround it.

7. Night Creature
I like the detail and catchiness of this song. The change of pace keeps interest, and the vocals are slightly clearer, which works well (although even more clear singing would be nice!) and the singing is good. The descending bass, following the guitar down, is nice; in fact, the bassline is very strong in this song altogether, and rewards careful listening.

8. The Eyes
This is the most ‘serious’-sounding song on the album. The fluttery drumming helps to build up the intensity and contrasts well with the heavy bass. A dark and compelling song. My criticism, however, is that the vocals are too smothered for my taste.

9. I’m Not
The guitar intro is fun. The melody in the vocal is good, although in this piece it would be nice to hear a more clear vocal. The bass is lovely, especially the solo – and the guitar solo too, which has a good choice of vocal FX over it. The section of ‘disintegration’ works well to keep up the interest.

My personal favourites: Loki n’ Roll, Curious Nuance, The Eyes (but the others are all growing on me, dammit!).
My personal least favourite: Who’s Mind.