Exit By Form

Greetings fellow progheads; the concert closet is open for business and there is plenty of room...please; come on in!  All week I have been itching to travel...winter is finally relinquishing its icy grip on the calendar and the sun hangs like a glowing orb in the sky a little longer each day...time to broaden my horizons!

So stretch my wings I did...and before I could say "There's no place like Prog," I found myself in Vienna, Austria...welcome to the sounds of Exit By Form.  Any group of musicians calling themselves a "freaking ambient/aggressive/progressive/extensive" four piece band will catch my interest every time.  I would be derelict in my duties as a prog blogger if I failed to follow this trail...so Vienna for April Fool's Day it is!  Let's find out how Exit By Form manages to blend ambient/aggressive/progressive/extensive into something worth taking the concert closet halfway around the world for...

Moving eagerly to the buffet, my first serving is a song called "Peruvian Purple."  Exit By Form comes out of the gate at Mach III speed...the drums punch you in the gut almost instantaneously and the vocals come at you so fast and furious you feel the need to look for cover--OK; I get the aggressive. Fortunately, the music takes root and builds a foundation...it is absolutely dark and loud, but there is some depth here that is pleasantly surprising.  Listening to this song play out several times I start to feel emotions pouring out of my headphones...not just anger; I can sense frustration, disappointment, annoyance, and even a bit of angst as well. Very interesting start indeed...

Moving down the buffet line for serving number two, I catch a listen to a tune called "Monuments."  A much mellower opening with a nod to the ambient.  If "Peruvian Purple" had  tastes of Opeth and Tool, then "Monuments" fills the air with scents of Caligula's Horse, Porcupine Tree, and Alan Parsons Project.  I am under the impression Exit By Form likes to travel the entire progressive circuit...hence the extensive explanation of who Exit By Form is found in the band's bio.  The guitars surround the song with a steady pulse that keeps everything together while the drums are just enough to keep you satisfied.  The vocals hit both sides of your head again but with a much different feel; rather than kick you square-on, they gently leap around as if to keep you guessing.  The bass line as the song ends cuts right to your spine a la vintage "Twilight Zone;" never saw it coming and now it all makes sense...

Liner Notes...Exit By Form is Stevie on vocals and guitar, Atschi on guitar, keyboards, and vocals, Dogda on bass, and Mario on drums.  Fairly straight and to the point appears to the Exit By Form mantra...the band formed in 2010 and their debut release is called "Proliferation."  The album is a combination of thoughtful compositions and hours-long jam sessions...which might explain the title.  Loosely translated,  proliferation means "wild growth."  Exit By Form certainly meets the definition standard...

My final song from the musical buffet this week is the album's title cut...I guess we all need some wild growth.  An excellent instrumental piece; Stevie, Atschi, Marion, and Dogda work in perfect harmony here. No one artist stands out and nobody gets left in the shadows as drum feeds guitar feeds bass feeds keyboards and back again. There is a "Genesis meets Pink Floyd" ambiance to this piece that is quite striking in both quality and astral feel.  Exit By Form is in the game for the long haul; they have talent, ambition, and a lot of cool ideas.  I anticipate heavy wild growth in the prog garden's future.  Learn more about Exit By Form at http://exitbyform.com/

The clip posted below is called "In The Shed."  More of a "welcome to our world" than an actual music video, the previously reviewed title cut plays in the background as the members of the band "play" in the studio/shed.  Exit By Form is a band that refuses to take itself too seriously while understanding that good music is a serious endeavor.  The ability to mix hard work, fun, and humility is (hopefully) a formula for success.

Well fellow progheads, that makes two trips to Austria this year...progressive music really is a world-wide phenomena!  No worries; I am willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary to bring you my faithful followers the best in all things prog.  Living out of the concert closet isn't always easy, but there are worse things.  With the seasons shifting I know there is more prog ripening on the vine...until next week...