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From the sound of Legacy, the fifth album from Belgian ensemble Hypnos 69, leader Steve Houtmeyers has two albums in his collection: King Crimson‘s In the Court of the Crimson King and Pink Floyd‘s Wish You Were Here. And only the Crimson record still gets regular spins. Hanging out in the deeper, muddier end of the progressive rock pool, Hypnos 69 carefully crafts lengthy instrumental passages using distorted guitars, round-toned saxophones and Mellotron, avoiding tedium by wielding a sure melodic hand. With lyrics that freely blend science, religion and mysticism (Isaac Newton, the Philosopher’s Stone and the Bible are all major influences), Houtmeyers could be accused of pretentiousness. But he seems less dogmatic than merely curious, revealing his theories for those who want to listen, unconcerned about those who aren’t. On paper it all sounds dangerously dull, but between Houtmeyer’s strong writing and the band’s enthusiasm for the material, “An Aerial Architect,” “The Sad Destiny We Lament” and “My Journey To the Stars” sound utterly fresh. Most remarkable is the band’s ability to sustain interest during songs nearly 20 minutes long – both the three-part “Requiem (for a dying Creed)” and the four-part “The Great Work” captivate from beginning to end. Had it come out in the 70s, Legacy would today be a cult classic. As it stands now, Hypnos 69 will have to settle for it being merely a masterpiece.
http://www.hypnos69.com
http://www.elektrohasch.de