Verbal Delirium is a name that paints many different pictures on the inside of my eyelids...everything from vocal bedlam and the screeching sounds of my tenth grade biology teacher, to the cacophonous crescendo at the end of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life." Billing themselves as an art rock, alternative progressive band from Athens, Verbal Delirium has entered the prog arena on a loud note...so let us go to the Acropolis together and check these guys out...
Moving to the buffet this week with a Mediterranean swagger, I immediately find a song called "Disintegration." Keeping with the Acropolis theme I am quite intrigued. The piece opens darkly; you can feel the tension building as the guitars lead you steadily toward the inevitable drum explosion that fills your head. The twisted, macabre, carnival-like keyboards that show up randomly are quite captivating; you can't help but look over your shoulder for the evil clown. The vocals are entwined with the keyboards
a la Iron Butterfly...the song flows over with neo prog and classic rock all at once. There are traces of vintage Genesis and Radiohead here...Verbal Delirium comes straight at your temple but doesn't knock you unconscious.
Strolling back to the buffet to refill my plate, I find a curious number called "Lullaby." The song opens with guitars and keyboards almost dripping from the speakers like a leaky faucet. Think Alan Parsons producing a Yes album and you are on the right wave length. This song projects a more mellow mood although you sense a monster under the bed waiting to grab your ankles...Verbal Delirium unites excellent vocals with delicate instrumentation all the while keeping you on the edge of your seat waiting for the detonation. The beauty of it is that while it never comes in a fatal hit, you walk away feeling sated rather than cheated--an extraordinary mental bait-and switch...
Liner Notes...Verbal Delirium is currently Jargon on vocals, keyboards, and composing, Nikitas Kissonas on guitars, Nik Michailidis on bass, Tolis Liapis on drums, and Elsa Papeli playing cello. Verbal Delirium started in 1999 and went through multiple line up/personnel changes as the identity and flavor of the band unfolded and developed like a full-bodied wine. Their first album, "So Close And Yet So Far Away" was recorded in 2009, with Verbal Delirium delivering a prog style with hints of King Crimson, Muse, Procol Harum, and a metal flavor leaning toward Spock's Beard. Almost chameleon-like, Verbal Delirium has roots shooting throughout the prog garden, with a sound that runs the gambit from Kamelot to Gentle Giant.
My third and final serving from the buffet this week is a song called "10,000 Roses." Another composition that makes it challenging to put Verbal Delirium in a specific prog category, this tune opens with a flute reminiscent of Jethro Tull,only to head straight toward Dream Theater territory. The keyboards will wrap you in a straight jacket and the guitars will thump the back of your head just enough to make the universe you are used to seem as though it has loosened its gravitational pull on reality...
The clip posted here is called "Sudden Winter." This is a good starting point for the novice listener; the keyboards come in subtle and delicate with vocals that are smooth as corduroy pants. The song creates a feeling of comfort and safety, as if Jargon has built an invisible shield around you with words and poignant piano playing that meshes so well with the guitars it is hard to separate one from the other. This is a piece of music to play whether the snow is six feet deep in December or the moonlight is dancing on a rippled lake in July...learn more about Verbal Delirium at http://www.reverbnation.com/verbaldelirium
One more week in the record books fellow progheads, and seven days farther from home as I continue this whirlwind tour in my search for all things prog. One of the more remarkable aspects of my journey across this great expanse we call a planet--with all of her imperfections, differing points of view, crazy weather, violence, and random absurdity--is the incredible music everywhere just waiting for discovery. I have touched down on every continent (although admittedly not every country carved out of them) and I am fascinated with the prog music echoing off the landscape. The progressive sound has many moods, temperaments, feelings, and attitudes...and they are all worth listening to and appreciating. Don't know where the closet is taking me next week but I am positive it will be worth the price of admission. Fill your lungs with the freshness that is Verbal Delirium and prepare yourself for the next leg of this excursion...until next week...
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