Hypnos 69 - "Legacy" (Elektrohasch EH145)
From Aural Innovations #41 (October 2010)
The great Belgium band, Hypnos 69 are back with their fifth record and for sure their best. This is really an amazing King Crimson inspired progressive rock record that stands up to classics of the 70s. The CD begins with a 18 minute track called Requiem for a Dying Creed and it starts with a killer guitar solo straight off. This a really great song and is like Motorpsycho meets King Crimson with a Hammond organ! An Aerial Architect (based on an Issac Newton quote) follows and sounds just like a King Crimson song, perhaps 21st Century Schizoid Man, before taking it's own interesting path with a lot of guitar and saxophone interplay. Cool riff on this track. My Journey to the Stars starts with what sounds a bit like a mellotron (none is listed though) and is a pretty laid back, beautiful and mellow track over all with some nice flute playing. The killer guitar picks up with around 3½ minutes left in the track and what a great solo. The Sad Destiny We Lament starts with some acoustic guitar and synthesizers and has a bit of Pink Floyd vibe to it. The Empty Hourglass starts with some intense drumming and a heavy darker vibe in this 11 minute track. While some songs focus on vocals, the band is mostly focused on the intense interplay of the musicians, be it guitar and saxophone like in this track or flute or Hammond. It is a great listening record. Jerusalem is next and features a killer sax solo and a more gritty guitar. The CD ends with the monster 18 minute track, The Great Work, which they break up into 4 distinct parts. Fantastic CD. Fans of old King Crimson will dig it.
For more information you can visit the Hypnos 69 web site at: http://www.myspace.com/hypnos69
Visit the Elektrohasch Records web site at: http://www.elektrohasch.de
Reviewed by Scott Heller