Now heres an original sounding release that I cant adequately describe given my feebly inept armamentarium of words. That never kept me from giving it a shot though, so here goes
Imagine Stevie Winwood and Jim Capaldi jamming with Ian Anderson and most of Rush smoking whatever it was Kyuss smoked to make them so brilliant.
In fact, Madking Ludwig is so pleasantly unique sounding, creatively rich and musically compelling, that their disc has been in my car CD player for two and a half weeks straight, no breaks. That hasnt happened since Maidens Dance of Death came out.
The use of imaginative songwriting, highlighted by the male/female vocal harmonies of Stéphane Bellemare and Sophie Bourassa combined with the liberal use of flute and clarinet accompaniment and solos , makes this a must listen for fans of both progressive heavy music and desert rock. Firefly is eight minutes and 10 seconds of hypnotic heavy bliss, as is the Eastern-flavored epic Aqaba and the last track The Walls of Kerak. Add positively complex rhythmic flows and one heavy, oddly tuned guitar, and a stunning mix courtesy of by Pierre Remillard (Voivod, Cryptopsy, Krisiun) and you have yourself one oddly named band recording a hell of a record.
Madking Ludwigs debut really is that good. A compelling cross-genre effort brimming with countless influences that actually sounds original and makes for a cohesive and pleasant listen. Definitely worth ¾ of an hour of your ear time.
- Chris Barnes, Hellride
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