Tuesday, February 9, 2016

Koneskin

Hello once again fellow progheads!  Seems like we put Christmas back in the attic just yesterday and already we find ourselves knocking at the door of Valentine's Day, holding a dozen roses in one hand and our favorite prog album in the other--or maybe romance just looks different to me.  In any case, the search for all things prog has brought the Concert Closet back to one of the hotbeds of the prog garden, Italy...hence I anticipate something deep, rich, and filling.  To that end the next seven days will be spent immersed in the alternative/post prog sounds of Koneskin.

Koneskin is a trio of musicians playing progressive/alternative/instrumental rock.  This is a descriptor I have heard time and again when bands try to "broaden" their appeal to the multiple
sub-genres within the prog garden.  Thankfully, the Concert Closet is not afraid to venture anywhere and everywhere in the search for all things prog--so clear some landing space, Turin...

My initial venture to the buffet this week serves up an intense morsel of "To Fall Apart-To." This is the first of what sounds like a dark, haunting trilogy to lead off the album.  The gloomy foreboding mood is undermined by vocals that bleed hope through despair--an almost intuitive sense of knowing it will be a tragic ending yet still holding out for the best.  I pick up strong top notes of Gentle Giant throughout as well as aromatics of early Genesis.  Koneskin pushes the emotion needle into the red as the entire three-song piece plays out. Guitars are bleeding into keyboards as the drums plunge deep into the far reaches of your skull. Vocals don't just pierce--they impale.

Venturing with a cautionary stride back to the buffet, I sample a dark slice of  "Maya (Fer Au D'Sol)."  The steady heart/drum beat that floats just under the surface of this piece is understated enough to hold my attention and subtle enough to works its way into my frontal lobe, where it takes root.  The vocals are much softer as well; like creamy peanut butter melting on a hot bagel.  The keyboards and acoustic guitar gently penetrate your auditory canals, keeping you locked in emotionally; you need to know the outcome before it's too late.  Koneskin paints with dark hues on this cut...the canvas is splattered with grey, brown, rust, and black.  Interesting how it all bleeds together to pull you in...never fatal but just menacing enough...

Liner Notes...Koneskin hails from the northern Piedmont region of Italy; Turin to be precise.  This prog threesome consists of Feryanto Demichelis on keyboards and vocals, Gabriele Zoccolan on guitar, and Sergio Ponti on drums.  Koneskin formed in 2013 and released their debut "Liberty Place" November 2015.

While Koneskin occupies acreage in the darker section of the prog garden, their music cannot be summed up simply as bleak, dark, or angry...the feelings and emotions go much deeper.  This is a band with baggage much like Radiohead, determination in the manner of Beardfish, and inner soul searching a la Talking Heads.  Koneskin builds on a foundation laid by others--but the design is strictly their own.

My final take this week is the third leg of the opening trilogy, "To Fall Apart-Apart."  You get a sense right away that there is a macabre dance playing out and it is just a matter of time until everything crashes down--and as the music moves toward its climax you are not disappointed.  Koneskin toys with your emotions much the way a tiger does with its prey and yet you can never look away.  The pull gets stronger as the end draws near...

The post I saved for publication this week is called "Velvet Starry Night."  An alarming worry strikes you between the eyes as a siren-like wail is hurled from the headphones.  Calm and a sense of rationale begin to enter the soundscape--but you realize it is short-lived.  The night may be filled with stars--but there something ominous waiting behind them.  Learn more about Koneskin at https://koneskin.bandcamp.com/.  While you are there you will be tempted to purchase their music; follow that impulse.  Koneskin can also be found on Twitter @koneskin and that New Age marketing tool, Facebook https://www.facebook.com/koneskin1.


Once again fellow progheads  the Concert Closet has uncovered a true gem buried in the rich soil that is the prog garden.  Koneskin plays to an unconventional crowd--nothing new in prog circles, but in doing so they manage to blend top notes of King Crimson, Porcupine Tree, and Gentle Giant with aromatics of Radiohead, Transatlantic, and Opeth.  They never strike as a pure metal band and do not emit any earthy, cerebral overtones either.  Koneskin is more a sound to enjoy when the need arises to cleanse the head but not the mind...

The search for all things prog continues on as  the Concert Closet seeks to discover what else lurks just beneath the surface...until next week...

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