From Dutch Progressive Rock Page Kopecky - Blood
Tracklist: Garden of Immolation (7:10), Infernal Desire Machine (4:48), Moontown (7:20), Windows (11:21), Eden’s Flow (4:58), The Red Path (8:43), Opium (12:56) Virtuosi prog: How does that grab you? Blood is the fifth release by the Brothers Kopecky, following the 1999 debut, 2000’s Serpentine Kaleidoscope , 2001’s live Orion, and 2003’s Sunset Gun. Strangely enough, Kopecky seems to have fallen under my prog radar, since I had never heard of the band prior to receiving Blood for review. (And maybe that’s not so strange: there is a virtual shitload of progressive rock on the market these days and I can hardly give every release the once- , twice- , and thrice-over, as I might like. Ah, the lost joys of the teenager days, with nary a responsibility or care in the world except to don the headphones and explore all music, great and small!)The band, hailing from Wisconsin, features Joe Kopecky on guitar; William Kopecky on bass guitar; and Paul Kopecky on drums. Each is simply expert on his respective instrument: there’s just nothing to say about the individual performances except that they are inventive, adept, lively, intense, and (fittingly enough) progressive. The music itself leans severely into the realm of harder-edged progressive rock. The best analogues I can offer are Wetton-era King Crimson, Univers Zero, and Present. BUT…my exposure to this sub-genre of prog rock is slight, so Kopecky probably shares similarities with other, mostly contemporary (I’m guessing) ensembles. There is a definite nod of the head to all things metal on Blood, but it’s the after-midnight, witching hour, beware the undead kind, rather than 80s big-hair band or speed thrash. The album at the least echoes its title well, as throughout the tracks a large, mean streak of sinister attitude and devilish sneer resides. (Although, don’t miss the beautiful melodic strains on, e.g., Windows.) I won’t pick apart the tracks in this review because I don’t think verbal description can do justice to the performances, which are tight, focused, and precise. Mostly, I thought this was a more than worthwhile release but it’s one that requires a matching mood. I generally prefer symphonic prog, which Blood is not, and at times I wearied of the riff-laden jamming. But, for all things there is a season, and I found that when I was in the proper spirit for this sort of sound, Blood sat with me very, very well. Sometimes it’s enough to hear thoughtful composition and masterful playing, which the Brothers Kopecky offer both in abundance. THE BOTTOM LINE: Would I feel cheated had I bought this CD? Absolutely not. Blood isn’t a CD I’ll reach for all that often, but it’s still excellent. Would I recommend that you buy this CD? Yes, if the steelier moments of Red and Univers Zero’s output excite you. Would I recommend that you hear this CD via begging, borrowing, or stealing? Yes indeed, if you choose not to buy it. Blood does proffer some amazing, virtuosi musicianship and more than its fair share of “How’d he do that?” highlights. Conclusion: 8 out of 10 |
From Department of Virtuosity Kopecky - Blood (2006) Unicorn Digital The Kopecky brothers have been playing together since the year 1996, but their debut album was recorded in 1999. Blood is their fourth studio album, however they also released a live CD - Orion (2001). Kopecky trio is made up of Joe (guitars; Par Lindh Project), William (Parallel Mind, Par Lindh Project, Yeti Rain) and Paul (drums, percussion). Blood turns out to be a slow machinery producing an instrumental progressive music with classic hard rock sound. Its syncretic genre's cornerstone are inventiveness, vivid imagination, composing abilities and anti-radio attitude. The latter one is particularly fluky, but it shows their artistic courage. I am pretty sure that Americans' unorthodox music should gratify most demanding and practised listeners. They fuse progressive tones with avantgarde vibe in specific way, so you can find it really dizzying, haha. Beyond any question, the trio's instrumental proficiency is watertight. This album is meant for people who aren't confused with innovative and unique ideas in music - in contrast to those narrow-minded human beings who put so intellectial stuffs aside. The Kopecky's managed to record a blend of Capharnaüm, Gordian Know and King Crimson. If you are fans of nonconforming music, you will be overjoyed at Blood. |
Kopecky - Blood (Unicorn Digital UNCR-5029) 
From Aural Innovations #36 (May 2007) This is the 4th record by the Wisconsin brothers (bass, drums and guitar). This is dark, strange, emotional and challenging instrumental progressive rock music and probably the bands most melodic in some ways. The interaction between the members is tight and also quite amazing. Sometimes you think you know where the band is heading with a track and they take the turn the other way and wrap around under the bridge and over the field and nearly taking out the farmer’s cows in the process! 7 tracks performed in 57 minutes with two epics (11½ and 13 minutes). Garden of Immolation starts things off in a intense fashion… Infernal Desire Machine begins more slowly and a bit spacey and dark before and features the amazing bass playing as the guitar riff keeps things moving and then the riff and intensity of everything increases. The guitar player is really a master of riffs. There is not a lot of intense soloing but there is some. This is really complex stuff. I have no idea how they can remember it all. Windows, the 11½ minute track in the middle of the CD features some really beautiful guitar playing while the rest of the band lays back a bit before the intense playing reappears. Eden’s Flow features really amazing intertwined playing between the 3 brothers. Cool guitar! The Red Path features a quite metallic guitar but it is countered by some very not heavy metal playing by the others (more jazzy). Opium, the 13 min monster ends the CD and features some really cool spacey bass playing. An exhausting CD to listen to… fucking good… Reviewed by Scott Heller |
Kopecky - Blood 
Le trio du Wisconsin remet le couvert avec un CD instrumental de rock progressif psychédélique. Les frères Kopecky ont notamment sorti un bon album en janvier 2004 ("Sunset Gun"). Ils ont participé à des festivals de rock progressif et se sont améliorés du point de vue scénique en servant de support act pour des groupes comme Porcupine Tree, Planet X, Spock’s Beard, Flower Kings ou encore Uriah Heep. « Garden of Immolation » est un long morceau parsemé de soli assez remarquables à la guitare. Ceux-ci font oublier le caractère un peu monotone de ce long instrumental, tandis que « Infernal Desire of Machine » est plus varié sans être époustouflant. C’est un long exercice de style saupoudré d’envolées lyriques très bien maîtrisées à la guitare. Le long « Moontown » confirme cette impression de rock aux arrangements très soignés et à la production impeccable. L’interminable « Windows », qui se déroule en plusieurs parties distinctes, même si elles ne sont pas répertoriées comme telles, commence en douceur et la basse est particulièrement mise en valeur, alors que la batterie assure et fournit l’essentiel pour soutenir les improvisations à la guitare. Le break rend le morceau plus digeste par le changement de rythme qu’il implique et il reste agréable à écouter jusqu’au bout. Plus jazzy, « Eden’s Flow » sert un peu de transition, marque une évolution par rapport à l’album précédent et illustre le potentiel de ce groupe qui va son petit bonhomme de chemin sans se soucier des modes. « The Red Path » est aussi un long morceau dont l’intérêt est de faire apparaître la cohésion parfaite des instrumentistes et leur inventivité sans bornes, notamment dans le jeu de la basse. Enfin, « Opium » dure près de 13 minutes et est oppressant dès le début. Ici, on entend des voix sans qu’il y ait une partie chantée. Ce sont plutôt des samples utilisés pour varier le propos et faire un long voyage à travers les méandres nébuleux et tourmentés du cerveau. En résumé, c’est un bon album et il est conforme à l’attente des fans de ce genre de musique. Il n’est pas particulièrement innovant mais il ne déçoit pas. Pays: US Unicorn Digital UNCR-5029 Sortie: 2006/05 Ajouté: 03-Jul-2006 Critique: MM Score:   Lien en relation: Kopecky |
Kopecky Blood Unicorn Digital (UNCR-5029) Grade: A A With just seven songs spanning nearly 58 minutes, you wouldn’t think that Blood — the fourth studio CD from the trio of Wisconsin-bred Kopecky brothers — would emerge as the band’s most song-oriented disc. But much about this dark and twisted instrumental progressive-rock group is never what it seems. From its beginning in 1999, the members of Kopecky have prided themselves on producing provocative music and album titles (2000’s Serpentine Kaleidoscope, 2003’s Sunset Gun) that suggest staggering beauty and intense violence or danger, and they take those extremes to the next level on Blood — which continues Kopecky’s theme of duality with a suggestive title that conjures many images, including the brothers’ familial bond. Eschewing William Kopecky’s sitar and keyboards this time, the trio relies strictly on William’s thick basses, Joe’s chunky guitars, and Paul’s precision percussion to create soundscapes both ominous (“Garden Of Immolation”) and inviting (“The Red Path”). Through it all, Kopecky pays more attention to song structures than ever before, taking the time to allow each player to more fully exploit his instrument and experiment with intricate, appealing melodies. This shift in musical priorities — one in which each musician is given the opportunity to individually showcase his skills within the confines of a song — works particularly well on the 11-and-a-half-minute epic “Windows.” Elsewhere, Joe’s fancy fretwork shines on “Eden’s Flow,” Paul’s technical aggression defines “Infernal Desire Machine,” and William’s spooky bass dominates the second half of the 13-minute finale “Opium.” As a result, Blood doesn’t sound as cold, calculated or claustrophobic as its sinister predecessors. And now that Kopecky may have found a more permanent home on Canada’s Unicorn Digital (all five of the trio’s albums, including one live disc, have been issued by different labels), Blood should generate the kind of exposure this band has deserved for a long time. —Michael Popke |
Kopecky Blood (Unicorn Digital) During the summer of 2005, Kopecky—Racine’s trio of prog-metal-minded brothers—performed at a progressive-rock showcase held at Vnuk’s Lounge in Cudahy, debuting two songs that would eventually wind up on the band’s fourth studio album, Blood. Even back then, it seemed Kopecky was taking its instrumental music into uncharted territory. The seven tracks on Blood confirm that suspicion, emerging as the band’s most song-oriented record in a dark and twisted catalog dating back to 1999. Eschewing William Kopecky’s sitar and keyboards this time, the band relies on William’s thick basses, Joe’s chunky guitars and Paul’s precision percussion to create soundscapes both ominous (“Garden of Immolation”) and inviting (“The Red Path”). The musical shift allows each player to more fully exploit his instrument and experiment with intricate, appealing melodies. The result makes Blood sound less cold, calculated and claustrophobic than its sinister predecessors. In fact, parts of “Moontown” may be the happiest music Kopecky has ever recorded. The new direction helps Blood overtake 2003’s Sunset Gun as the brothers’ best album. Kopecky will open for Pat Travers at Vnuk’s Lounge on Sept. 21. —Michael Popke |
|
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Kopecky - Blood 2/3  O's Notes: Blood is Kopecky’s latest progressive rock adventure. This is the trio of brothers Paul (d), William (b, keyboards) and Joe (g). They are becoming a cult band of sorts with a large live following. The music is approaching metallic, grunge and mayhem of sorts. We liked the core songs of the set best, “Windows” and “Eden’s Flow”. It is a bold statement, one that will capture some fans and lose others.
-- D. Oscar Groomes O's Place Jazz Newsletter P.O. Box 2437 Naperville, IL 60567-2437 http://www.OsPlaceJazz.com |
 Even if Kopecky had released their debut album back in 1999 I didn't know about this band until their fourth release so far, the new one titled, "Blood". In this album the band included seven tracks and almost an hour of pure progressive music. If you look at the line up of this band you won't see a singer, it is because Kopecky is an instrumental progressive act. In one sense this made the review even harder because of the lack of vocals, but in another sense also easier because the music is so full that it didn't need any vocals. You will feel fulfilled with the things that the band added to their well developed compositions and will forget the fact that they don't have a singer. If you close your eyes while you listen to their music, you will have a very beautiful journey to the world of Kopecky. On the other hand, of course it isn't easy to listen again and again to an instrumental work, but I can assure you that the band did their best to keep you from getting bored with their music. Don't forget that they have shared the stage with acts like: Uriah Heep, Flower Kings, Porcupine Tree and many more. SCORE out of 8.6/10 Antonis Maglaras |
||
|
E-mail Band: promotion@unicornrecords.com |
||
|
Similarities to: |
||
|
||
|
||