The Nine is the latest album by Census Of Hallucinations, an English band that has been around for about 15 years. The band is led by the couple Tim Jones and Terri-B, who also run the Stone Premonitions label. This album features lead guitar work by John Simms (Clear Blue Light). Other musicians are Kevin Hodge (acoustic guitar), Maxine Marten (backing vocals), Mark Dunn (bass) and Paddi (drums and percussion).
The album starts off in a pretty laid-back, soulful and deep style. There's a lot of acoustic guitar, and Tim Jones's intense, almost spoken and spitting vocals contain a lot of weird messages and meaning. His voice sounds like an autistic cross between Peter Gabriel and Lemmy (I am serious here). You either like or hate it; there's nothing in between.
Census Of Hallucinations sounds a bit like an early 70-s psychedelic band with mellow beat, acoustic guitar, soaring electric lead guitar; rather experimental, spacey and weird.
Their sound is very difficult to pigeonhole. Gong, Ozric Tentacles, early Porcupine Tree and Pink Floyd came up first, followed by Steve Hillage, Hawkwind and Frank Zappa.
The whole album is rather slow and relaxed, but the weirdness and interesting messages keep you awake and alert. Most of the songs have a strange and ghostly vibe.
The Nine contains music for lunatics!
(Reviewed by Gert Bruins - Background Magazine (http://www.backgroundmagazine.nl)