Serpentine Kaleidoscope Cyclops Records Obviously, these guys spent their formative years absorbing all the old-school Rush, Joe Satriani, Yngwie Malmsteen, King Crimson and Yes records they could bleed into their ears, Even though the material on Serpentine Kaleidoscope doesn't cull from as many Middle-Eastern influences as the band's self titled debut (released by Italy's Mellow Records), the new disc still hits hard. With its sonic quality just as crisp as its song quality, Serpentine Kaleidoscope is so well-executed and technically appealing that it wouldn't be a stretch to call this 58-minute tour-de-force a serious prog-metal fan's wet dream. From the disjointed opener, 'Magic Room,' to the twisted bombast of 'Smoke of Her Burning,' to the weird spoken passages of 'I Was Home and I Wept' and 'These White Walls' Serpentine Kaleidoscope serves up nine unrelenting and challenging songs that are nothing short of demented brilliance. If you're feeling particularly bold, program track eight first and let 'Wings of Asphyxia,' a creepy musical whips-and chains onslaught, get you in the mood. - Michael Popke --from Sea of Tranquility, Summer 2001 |
| KOPECKY Serpentine kaleidoscope CYCLOPS 2000   |
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1.
the complex sound lattice that Kopecky generates is based more in the
interplay of all the musicians than in the presence of a lead instrument
that receives the backup of the rest, as happens with the Theater.
2.
the music of Kopecky is practically instrumental and, although there
are voices, these are almost anecdotal.
3.
their sound is rawer and more corrosive, and less clean and elegant than
that of the band of Portnoy. 4.
the bass of Kopecky sounds powerful and elastic, but I don't still
know if Myung really plays.
5.
the progression and musical experimentation of Kopecky are very
superior to those of Dream Theater.
6.
Kopecky has not still reached the maturity like a group, and its
sound can still be developed much more in the future that that of those
already stable Theater. The
sound of Kopecky has influences of many of the big progressive bands
of all times, although mainly of Rush, King Crimson, Yes and
Dream Theater, although to locate its music we would also have to
mention classic bands as Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple or Black
Sabbath. The album presents topics of experimental tendencies that could
approach to certain episodes of the RIO or zeuhl scene, although the musical
context is different. As a trio, the understanding of the musicians is
total, which allows them to play a very elastic sound, able to expand and
contract according to the evolution of the pieces. Kopecky, the
surname of the brothers Joe (guitar, voice), William (fretless
bass, keyboards, sitar) and Paul (drums, percussion), have been able
to elaborate a superior and more consistent album than the previous, and
also far darker and more corrosive. "Magic
room"
(9:54) opens the album with powerful and tortuous airs, remembering of the
most extreme moments in Bozzio Levin Stevens or the King Crimson of
Thrak, and it presents an excellent discourse that takes us to
abyss passages and to industrial rock. Without a doubt it is one of the best
tracks in the album. "Smoke of her burning" (4:14) is a
less tortuous piece that seems to move more into the construction of complex
textures a la Magma or the RIO of Thinking Plague, although
its end is certainly potent. "I was home and I wept" (3:57)
has some recited texts more than orthodox vocals and one of the signs of
distinction of the band: the presence of the sitar. The cut is developed in
a softer rhythm than the previous with a bigger emphasis in the instrumental
interplay of the three musicians. "Scorpion" (6:14) is a
more heavy piece in which we highlight the superb work of the bass,
fifty-fifty between the Squire of the best Yes and Geddy
Lee of the most progressive stage in Rush. The instrumental
background is certainly complex. "These white walls" (3:24)
is one of the most innovative cuts in the work, and it begins with some
voices that constantly repeat the title to which progressively some new
vocals are added. "Bartholomew's
kite"
(8:04) includes an initial section that remembers of some passages of the
wonderful Xaal, that is to say, rock-fusion-zeuhl progressive of high
level. The guitar is splendid, and the work of the three musicians' group is
very expansive. After a rhythm change the piece develops in atmospheres
close to the more complex Crimsonian rock -not powerful- of Thrak
or projeKct One. This is one of the best tracks of the album,
if not the best. "Lugosi: 1931" (6:19) brings us film
references in a song that follows the sound patterns of the previous one:
expansive sounds, repetitive sequences, claustrophobic atmospheres and a lot
of corrosive imagination. In some moments they remind me of bands like Dificil
Equilibrio or Jade, even the Crimson of the eighties. A
jewel that opens the way to “Wings of asphyxia" (5:47) that
brings us to calmer moments, but with an impressive instrumental work of the
three musicians that able to give form to a complex but very expansive sound
-as it usually happens with trios that are really good -. "Heaven's
black amnesia" (10:27) closes the album with a music in crescendo
that moves from the dogmas of progressive rock-fusion to continuously
increase the decibels and the ambient tortuosity. Another of the great
pieces of the album. The
first work of Kopecky was very good, but with the defect that when you
listened to it ten times it was difficult to discover something new in the
music (in this I agree fully with Jordi Costa). Serpentine
kaleidoscope is much more carefully arranged work, more developed
and you always appreciate new details in each audition. The musicians are
more cohesive and the pieces show a very superior complexity. I don't have
any problem in recommending this work earnestly, and I am expectant because
I have the impression that if Kopecky follows this work line, their
next studio album will be a marvel. Jaume
Pujol - February 2001 |
| Kopecky are a trio of brothers out of Wisconsin that play a very heavy and very dark brand of instrumental prog rock. Guitars grind and chug (Joe Kopecky), percussion pounds (Paul Kopecky), and there's bass (William Kopecky) that is often felt more than it's heard. Well, the album isn't entirely instrumental, as "I Was Home And I Wept" is a sitar led vocal track, a psychedelic trip into the imaginations of the mind.
For musical comparisons, Kopecky are a bit like Djam Karet at times, only much heavier, most notably in "Smoke Of Her Burning" which is sinewy and slinky, at for a brief moment sounds as if it is going to break out into AC/DC's "Back In Black." Joe's playing here is fluid...well, honestly, that can be said also of the percussion and bass as well, as the track struts a bit through its four minute length. It seems longer than that, but not like it's too long - there's so much going on that they've compacted it into for minutes seems to defy the law of physics. They also sound a bit like Liquid Tension Experiment in that William's fretless bass uses the same tone colors as that of Tony Levin (though perhaps its an unavoidable characteristic of the instrument). But it is also true that like the now defunct LTE, Kopecky play intricately arranged prog rock, that sometimes has the force and energy of Dream Theater, though it is only wise to compare the two in an abstract sense. I have to say, though, I find the sound of the fretless very cool, both in general and here, though especially here, and especially on "Scorpion." Actually, everything about this album is cool, as they paint some very interesting, dark textures. There are two tracks that standout. The first is one of the eeriest tracks on the album, "These White Walls," which is the other, uh, vocal track. Where "I Was Home..." was a (perhaps) drug induced hallucination, "These White Walls" suck you into the mind of someone who is losing (or has lost) their mind. It's almost all a cappella except I think there's a keyboard driven drone in the background. Voices whisper the repeated refrain in such a way that they become the walls. Other voices repeat it at a lower pitch - the mind. Of course, guests Chris Djuricic and Kelly Cook provide some of the other voices, including the voice of the demented individual (according to the credits, it's Cook). It's strange, but what came to mind to me was the Charlotte Perkins Gilman short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," where the protagonist thinks there is someone living inside her wallpaper. That's simplifying it too much of course as it was a complex work. The other track is "Wings Of Asphyxia" which is atmospheric as hell - literally, as this as dark as the pits of hell. The first thing we hear are what sound like distant owls or some, other winged creature, hooting in the night, telling us that something is a stir (or that they are astir). A crash (drums), some crystalline, glass-like shards of sound (keys that I can describe no other way, but you've heard the same effect in horror films). Something is coming and you're prepared, firing into the misty darkness of the wood (electrified percussion, that sounds both like lightning and laser fire). Tension is high (a feeling accented by the brief bursts of guitar)...you fire again and again and again, each time more frantically, your finger stuck on the trigger until the charge is spent. You're alone in this darkness, and then, suddenly, not so alone. You're frozen, paralyzed...caught in asphyxia, while the hellhounds (or some other beasts) have come to tear you to shreds. There is some bit of keyboard or percussion - I can't which, as they and the guitar all happen at the same time - but it sounds like a snarling, vicious beast (a Doberman perhaps) that has clamped on and will not let go. And does not let go...walking away, once you've died, with your bleeding flesh clamped tightly in its mouth. Like the horror movie we can't turn away from because, as much as we don't want to be frightened, we're thrilled by the feeling of being frightened, so, too, you can't turn away from this album. It is it's very darkness that attracts us, forces us to listen to it over and over again because we're certain that whatever we hear the first time, there's bound to be something else that lies beneath and curiosity won't keep us away. Of course, this couldn't be pulled off by any subpar band - the chops and skills have to be in place for it to work. Kopecky have got the goods a plenty. The holidays may have come and gone, but it's not to late to still buy yourself a present. Include Serpentine Kaleidoscope on your list. |
| Sorry to jump right to the ending first, but I just gotta say it right up front ... these guys are spectacular! Unless you're a "Progressive Purist" who feels that Metal-styled guitar playing automatically makes a band "not Prog", you should go to the Kopecky web site and order both CD's immediately.
So now that you already know the ending, here's the story to go with it. The Kopeckys are three brothers from Wisconsin who joined forces in 1996 after becoming disenchanted with the other musicians they had been working with. Music must run in their genes, because each of them is a virtuoso in his chosen instrument. Most bands with this much power and drive in a 3-piece guitar/bass/drums format I would normally pidgeonhole as "Metal" or "ProgMetal" and be done with it. But this would be inaccurate and misleading in Kopecky's case. Their music is very complex and changes a lot in texture, even within songs. This is what keeps them interesting as a (almost) purely instrumental band. Joe's guitar work is complex, intricate and has a sound that can only be described as bone-crushing, reminiscent of John Petrucci's (Dream Theater) metal-styled guitar. But he can also lay back and get mellow for some cuts, or just for a few measures. The metal styling, however, is one of the touchstones of Kopecky's sound that they keep coming back to. William's fretless bass work is, in a word, amazing. In the quieter passages, he reminds me of Eberhard Weber, bassist for Kate Bush. When the going gets meatier, a better comparison would be Jeff Berlin. But William can also make that bass do things I've never heard anywhere before, like the rubbery percolations in "Magic Room" on Serpentine Kaleidoscope. Oh, yeah ... just for variety, he also plays Sitar which figures prominently into several cuts, and also keyboards. I hate to keep mentioning Dream Theater, but Paul's drumming accuracy and texture I can only compare to Mike Portnoy's, especially on DT's Awake CD. The drumming is precise and crisp and it meshes and interplays very carefully with the notes coming from the other instruments. The whole band is about interplay between musicians ... no flashy solos here, Kopecky gives new meaning to the word ensemble. And one final word ... on many independent Prog releases, the recording quality ranges from amateurish to awful. Happily, this is not true of the Kopecky CDs. Both of them are impeccably recorded and mixed. They have great presence, and are so clean and crisp that you can pick out every note and drum hit with no muddiness or stepping on each other. These guys are real pros. |
| Kopecky "Serpentine Kaleidoscope" (Cyclops CYCL091, 2000, CD) This one snuck up. Seems like just yesterday these pages were reviewing the debut by this Wisconsin based trio. No sophmore slump here, in fact this second effort is surprisingly strong. The band has expanded its scope to a certain degree, although their main thrust remains the same: a powerful, mostly-instrumental hard-rock/metal with middle east and Indian influences and instrumentation working together with standard guitars, bass, drums and keys. While their previous effort seemed a bit more borne of jamming, this latest effort is more obviously composed and driven to excellence at every level all three members stretching their compositional ideas and musicianship to the limit. William Kopecky's string popping fretless bass style recalls Michael Manring at times, though more sinister and devious; keyboards are now employed on a regular basis on a most of the tracks, and Sitar is still used sparingly, but to good effect when it is. This time there are some vocals - well, more like spoken lyrics, on "I was Home and I Wept", and a repeating whispered loop and other strange voices on "These White Walls" - by guitarist Joe Kopecky, who also hasn't forgotten his crunchy metal chugga-chugga style and finger-blistering 50-note-per-second leads, but he also stretches out into some new stylistic territories as well. A strong percussive framework offered by third brother Paul drives the material hard and keeps it from drifting away from its hard rock base. Overall, a solid second helping. Recommended. Peter Thelen |
| Kopecky's second outing essentially continues the formula presented on their eponymous debut. It is significantly heavier and darker than its predecessor, and many will lament the diminished presence of the sitar, which only makes a single appearance. I was a little uneasy at first because the opener, "Magic Room," struck me as a bit disjointed. But any apprehensions I harbored were promptly obliterated by the fiery second cut, "Smoke of Her Burning". My favorite, it features snaking in-your-face fretless bass and Joe's characteristic staccato yet fluid guitar riffage. As usual the band stays with a heavy groove long enough for you to taste it, then whirls off capriciously. An unexpected piece, "These White Walls" is kind of a joke. In response to the inability of many Wisconsin clubgoers to deal with an all-instrumental band, Kopecky produced this a cappella orgy of psychotic and demonic voices chanting or screaming "these white walls" in various rhythms. Not what your average clubgoer had in mind! The result is a frightening picture of insanity – but one that you have to be in the right mood to listen to. Perhaps establishing a tradition beginning with their first album, this CD presents another great moody poem set to music. The spacy, sitar-drenched sounds supporting "I Was Home and I Wept" is like an unsettling version of the Beatles' "Within You Without You". The powerful "Wings of Asphyxia" breaks up the similarity of some of the remaining tracks, evoking a strong aural image of a god hammering on the dome of the sky, generating huge explosions of violent sound. Each explosion is followed by the glassy twinkling of shards of the sky falling to the earth. There's never any real "melody", and it closes in a cacophonous blaze as the end of the world nears. For the newcomer I recommend the remarkable debut first. But if you end up hooked by the unique Kopecky sound, you're guaranteed to love Serpentine as well. And see them live if possible; their tightness is so breathtaking you'd think these guys were brothers. |
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