Green Milk From The Planet Orange - "City Calls Revolution"
(Beta-lactam Ring Records 2005, mt108a)
Green Milk From The Planet Orange - "City Calls Revolution"
(Beta-lactam Ring Records 2005, mt108a)
From Aural Innovations #31 (June 2005)
Green Milk From The Planet Orange (GMFTPO) are a trio from Japan that, according to the promo sheet, grew out of the Japanese grindcore scene, which is interesting because though that's not what GMFTPO are about, there are definitely traces of these roots to be heard. The band consists of Dead K on guitar, T on Fender jazz bass and A on drums. I enjoyed their first album (see review this issue) but it didn't excite me nearly as much as the much heavier music on City Calls Revolution did.
The album opens with the 20 minute "Concrete City Breakdown", which opens with spacey keys and a steady bassline. The band builds a dreamy atmospheric vibe for a few minutes until…. POW!!! And all of sudden without warning I'm clocked over the head with a power trio rocking sledgehammer. And for the next 15+ minutes the band blaze through a relentless heavy driving psych-rock jam that makes me think of a more freeform and speed fueled version of Kingston Wall. We're talking seriously high energy, acid drenched, power prog-psych ROCK! I mean it… these guys go insane. And given that they are hot as shit musicians who are clearly on telepathic levels of communication with one another the results are pretty amazing.
Next up is "OMGS", a grinding, metallic, oddly funky and jazzy hard rock freakout. When the band are in full swing it's similar to "Concrete City Breakdown", with the addition of guitar chords that feel like getting slapped upside the head with a sewer grate. "Demagog" is similar still, following in the hard psych-rock mold the band have established, but also getting deeper into intense Metal territory. These guys are all over the place but it's totally cohesive.
So by this time my head is spinning and I think I see some bruises on my arms and legs. But there's still more… the 38 minute epic, "A Day In The Planet Orange. It begins with a floating atmospheric intro that builds in aggression and intensity while retaining a semblance of dreaminess. The band are merciful, taking their time and grooving along with an easy paced theme. The bass has a thunderous, head throbbing quality which kept me continually at attention. And around the 10 minute mark guitarist Dead K kicks into a killer heavy Bluesy jam, which is really the first time on the album that the rhythm section has laid back a bit while the guitar takes center stage. This track really recalls 70's hard rock jamming at it's best. 35 years ago these guys would have been the kings of live performance at the Fillmore playing this kind of stuff. But then, with about 10 minutes left, GMFTPO seem to decide that it's time to bring the listener in for a landing by going into punked out prog-psych orbit again, until bringing things to a close with the same relatively soothing theme that opened the piece.
In summary, damn… listening to this entire album in one sitting wore me out. But it's a mind boggling, if sometimes punishing, roller coaster ride, and I can imagine that any open minded fan of psychedelic hard rock would be blown away. HIGHEST recommendation!
For more information you can visit the Green Milk From The Planet Orange web site at: http://www.green-milk.com.
Visit the Beta-lactam Ring Records web site at: http://www.blrrecords.com.
Email at: blrr@blrrecords.com.
Reviewed by Jerry Kranitz