Retro-prog. Is there anything original left to be discovered in the world of rock ‘n’ roll? Well, if a band will write new songs with new meanings and new sounds, maybe. I want to write a positive sounding review of this really incredible album but there are some things that stick in my craw. Why not create a new sounding progressive-rock sound? Why rehash what has already been done so well over the years? These are new songs, but they sound so much like songs we've already heard. The new album by Bigelf, Hex, borderlines on being a concept album. If you really listen to the lyrics you can find the story of a climb to success in the rock ‘n’ roll industry, and then once the epiphany of a rock contract is achieved the band commits suicide and drops bombs. Is the Hex a curse that all successful rock bands suffer from?
Upon first listening to this album, a strange thing happened. I started grinning, and then had a full smile on my face, and then I actually started to laugh! "Who the hell are these guys and why haven't I heard of them before," I wondered aloud. I listened song-by-song thinking that I had heard them before but couldn't isolate a distinct memory of having heard any particular song before. Then something else occurred to me. Maybe what I am recognizing is that Bigelf's sound reminds me of someone else. Closer listening led me to think even more deeply; I was hearing A LOT of different influences in their songs…
For instance, the opening song "Madhatter" has a Black Sabbath sounding riff that almost feels stolen. "Bats in the Belfry II" has a chorus, keyboards and synthesizers that reminds me of ELO… but then even goes into some vocal distortion that reminds me of young Peter Gabriel singing on The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway. "Pain Killers," ah, the stereotypical abuse of drugs by rock stars. "Disappear" opens with almost the same bassline as “Pain Killers,” but the lyrics are a natural progression… Take the "Pain Killers" so that you can "Disappear." "Rock & Roll Contract," yes, the inner story becomes more apparent. Shades of Pink Floyd's Welcome To The Machine become obvious. "Sunshine Suicide," the same Black Sabbath riff from earlier returns. "Fallen Bombs" and "Burning Bridges"… synthesizers reminiscent of Styx and Rush—amazing how they take you into deeper and deeper inner spaces. Track 13, the hidden track, resonates the final conclusion; "Money, it's pure evil…"
This is a great album that I've listened to many, many times already and I will keep it on my mp3 player for future repeat listening. It will turn into one of those old favorites that will stick with me for a long time. I hope that in their next album they will exhibit a more subtle integration of all these sound influences they draw upon and find an original story of their own to tell. This album should be considered a success hit but it should not be the end of their journey. Go deeper Bigelf, and really blow our minds next time with an amazing concept album like they used to make in the old days.
For more on Bigelf: bigelf.com
