Court – Frost of Watermelon
Self-Released – 2007
By Adam McAuley
Frost of Watermelon is a strange work that probably has more in common with progressive rock than it does metal in general. With a psychedelic vibe and a number of somber moments, it has a lot to compensate for the dips in energy. The use of acoustic instruments is prevalent in the mix and adds room to breathe for the band.
There’s also an addition of jazzy elements, like horns, to add a King Crimson vibe to the proceedings. See the track “Limbo” for an example of this. The entire album is very loosely performed and given appropriate room to breathe. The band appears to have an enjoyable time performing the music, but still manages to stay relatively tight as a unit. There’s the issue of lack of identity to be found within the music, however. When compared to albums like Selling England by the Pound by Genesis and In the Court of the Crimson King or the more metallic sounding Red by King Crimson, Frost of Watermelon doesn’t have the same unique vision. There isn’t a thread that binds the songs together as much as can be found on those works. The album is all over the place in terms of shifting musical styles. There are definitely strong songs to be found here, but as a complete whole the album falls a little short of the classics of the genre.
Still, expect emotional moments to pop up and vibrant energy to take center stage. Many moments have a progressive magic that gives Frost of Watermelon a lot of high points. The entire thing is finished off with a multiple faceted track “Mad and Child”, which contains four parts. Court definitely has a lot of talent and an ability to construct good songs. The band is worth checking out by all fans of progressive music.
Official Court Band Website
Official Court My Space
Self-Released – 2007
By Adam McAuley
Frost of Watermelon is a strange work that probably has more in common with progressive rock than it does metal in general. With a psychedelic vibe and a number of somber moments, it has a lot to compensate for the dips in energy. The use of acoustic instruments is prevalent in the mix and adds room to breathe for the band.
There’s also an addition of jazzy elements, like horns, to add a King Crimson vibe to the proceedings. See the track “Limbo” for an example of this. The entire album is very loosely performed and given appropriate room to breathe. The band appears to have an enjoyable time performing the music, but still manages to stay relatively tight as a unit. There’s the issue of lack of identity to be found within the music, however. When compared to albums like Selling England by the Pound by Genesis and In the Court of the Crimson King or the more metallic sounding Red by King Crimson, Frost of Watermelon doesn’t have the same unique vision. There isn’t a thread that binds the songs together as much as can be found on those works. The album is all over the place in terms of shifting musical styles. There are definitely strong songs to be found here, but as a complete whole the album falls a little short of the classics of the genre.
Still, expect emotional moments to pop up and vibrant energy to take center stage. Many moments have a progressive magic that gives Frost of Watermelon a lot of high points. The entire thing is finished off with a multiple faceted track “Mad and Child”, which contains four parts. Court definitely has a lot of talent and an ability to construct good songs. The band is worth checking out by all fans of progressive music.
Official Court Band Website
Official Court My Space
