Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Surfrockmusic.com's "Creation Myths" review

"Review by: Justin Hayes

Remember that old Donny and Marie song from the 1970s - A Little Bit Country, A Little Bit Rock 'n' Roll? Well, I have to give just deserts to the Osmond siblings for providing me with a good way to describe a great band. MOONBASE is a little bit surf and a little bit progressive rock. Better yet, this description is from their Facebook page:

"MOONBASE is an instrumental rock band heavily influenced by the surf bands of the 60's, with progressive leanings."

Speaking of the 1960s and 1970s, MOONBASE would have set the world on fire back in those days, so it's no surprise they're well on their way to doing it now. Their debut album, Creation Myths, pays tribute to the early days of instro rock, then ups the ante by challenging the boundaries of our musical universe and our imaginations. Creation Myths delves into the realm of space. I'm talking deep space. Interstellar, intergalactic, cosmical, mind-blowing space. The kind that warps the space-time continuum of general relativity. Talk about myths of creation! This fearsome foursome are fundamentally fierce instrumentalists. Hey, maybe they're not myths of creation after all ... rather, MASTERS of creation. They're creating a unique and, at the same time, uniquely satisfying merging of sounds.

I love music that tweaks my imagination and gives birth to fantasies. I crave tunes that use my brain like it's a billiard ball, kicking it into the side pocket after two or three banks off the cushion. Creation Myths not only tweaked my imagination, the eleven instro tracks blew it in and out of the side pocket, off the table and launched it skyward.

You might be wondering if MOONBASE's latest offering had a pronounced impact on my psyche? Well, as a matter of fact, after listening to Creation Myths, my new goal in life is to travel to Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra. I can't think of more suitable locations to view the cosmos than Pluto's five moons. From there I will contemplate the mysteries of life and the myths and masters of creation.

As those commercials are prone to say, "Ah, but wait, there's more!" Twists, turns, stellar musicianship and interstellar tunes highlight Creation Myths. If you listen carefully enough, you'll hear an unusual sound. That sound will be the expansion of your mind.

Creation Myths features eleven tracks of instro excellence. I've picked a few tracks on which to elaborate. These tracks were scientifically chosen ... I rolled the dice. As is our custom, we don't review albums with B-Side type tracks. Every cut on Creation Myths is top quality, as in numero uno! 

Segue - Tremolo aficionados are going to go nuts over Segue. Beautiful, ethereal and teeming with tremulous ecstasy, Segue is absolutely otherworldly. Imagine Segue's tremolo emanating from a loudspeaker on Pluto's surface, pulsating like smoke rings from the luscious lips of a lady smoker. Think of the wonders that would await us if we could hop aboard those rings and ride them all of the way to the sun. On average, Pluto is approximately 3.67 billion miles from the sun, so that would give us plenty of time and space to meet Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon and Marvin the Martian. What an incredible journey that would be! I'm sure Buck, Flash and Marvin would want to join us on our journey if we cranked up Segue. Who can resist that tremolo?

Above Us Only Sky - I love these guys. Once again they treat us to some tremulous ecstasy. They know what the tremolo knob is and they know how to use it. Add a touch of distortion here and a dab of double picking there and you have one helluva terrific tune. Unique and refreshing, Above Us Only Sky is an expression of existence - you and me, our planet, the cosmos, what we know and all that we have to learn. Look, up in the sky .... it's surf ... it's space ... it's MOONBASE creating music from beyond the great void. Universe Music. Their own unique genre. I really want to say the following because they deserve the accolade: George, Eric, Sonny and Chad aren't cut from a mold. They think outside of the box. Kudos, guys!

(Walking) - MOONBASE may have encased this song title in parentheses, but (Walking) freed me from the surly, earthbound shackles that encased my mind and imagination. (Walking) enchants and beckons in a way that makes me wish I could survive the icy depths of space without a spacesuit or any other means of life support. I want to step through the cosmos and marvel at the vastness, aloneness and loneliness of infinity. Intergalactic imaginings abound as countless solar conflagrations remind me that man, woman, birth, death and infinity are the true constants of the universe.  

What a treat this was!  43 minutes of mind-altering escapism.  I'm a staunch subscriber to the belief that music should be experienced.  And, brother, this is one heck of an experience!  Creation Myths tweaked my mind and launched me into the cosmos."





  

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