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Closer to Doom (1996/97, 25.14/38.19) ****/TTTT |
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| Change Crazy Frustration Salvation In the Void Closer to Doom [Full-length version adds: Theme One |
I, the Jury Fight Baron Saturday (live)] |
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Money Machine (2000, 38.43) ***½/TTTT½Money MachineSellout Neuropsychopathic Eye Side Effects (Another) Nervous Breakdown Mindbender Ironheel Death Walks Behind You The Bitter End |
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Goatbridge Palace EP (2001, 30.40) ***½/TTTSide Effects(Another) Nervous Breakdown Sellout (live) Neuropsychopathic Eye (live) Money Machine (live) Sweet Leaf (live) |
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Hex (2003, 60.49) ****/TTTT |
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| Madhatter Bats in the Belfry II Pain Killers Disappear Rock & Roll Contract Sunshine Suicide Falling Bombs Black Moth |
Carry the Load Burning Bridges Bats in the Belfry I $ |
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The Madhatter EP (2003, 15.35) ***½/TTTMadhatterBrown-Eyed Girl Why? Bats in the Belfry III |
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Cheat the Gallows (2008, 56.55) ****/TT½ |
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| Gravest Show on Earth Blackball Money, It's Pure Evil Evils of Rock & Roll No Parachute Game Superstar |
Race With Time Hydra Counting Sheep |
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Progfest '97 (1997) ***½/T[Bigelf contribute]Mindbender Sellout Neuropsychopathic Eye |
Current availability:
Mellotrons/Chamberlins used:
Bigelf are a West Coast quartet with a seriously 'retro' approach to their music-making; the front cover of Closer to Doom has pictured on the cover the most outrageous collection of vintage instruments; if you'll indulge me for a moment...
And probably a few other bits I've missed... All in all, a setup to rival Pink Floyd's on the rear sleeve of Ummagumma, if not to knock it into the proverbial cocked hat. So what do they do with all this stuff? Go straight back to the early '70s, of course; apart from the production, this could've been recorded in 1973. What's more, they're pretty good at it, too; heavy Hammond-driven stuff, nothing over six minutes, Mellotron on pretty much every track (mostly strings). Definitely one for retro hounds everywhere, but genuinely good songs, within the fairly restrictive guidelines they've set themselves. To really confuse the issue, Closer to Doom was released in two versions. The original 1996 six-track CD EP has been succeeded by the following year's ten-track full-length album (still only 38 minutes). Try to find the later version, as the bonus tracks are worth a listen, although as a mixture of covers and live stuff they give the overall disc a slightly disjointed feel. No matter, as at least they bring it up to (vaguely) full-LP length.
Three years on, their second album, Money Machine, is similar enough to their debut that if you liked one, you'll like the other, as their style hasn't noticeably changed in the interim. Hard to pick out particular highlights, as it's all pretty good (Neuropsychopathic Eye stands out, mind), but there's an absolute shedload of 'Tron all over the album; mostly strings and choir, but the odd bit of flute and brass (particularly on closer The Bitter End), too, and was that 'Tron vibes I heard at one point? An absolute must for 'Tron fanatics, anyway. The band followed-up with the Goatbridge Palace EP, featuring Side Effects and (Another) Nervous Breakdown from the album, plus four live tracks from Stockholm. Sellout's covered in 'Tron flutes, with strings on Neuropsychopathic Eye and Money Machine, although, sadly, they opt for a two-guitar approach on their coruscating cover of Sabbath's Sweet Leaf. Well, wouldn't you like to hear it smothered in Hammond and Mellotron?
Another three years, and Hex concentrates even more on their 'Black Sabbath with more Mellotron' sound, although without the complex song structures (Bats In The Belfry I excepted), although their actual songwriting has improved noticeably. Yet again, Damon Fox goes completely bonkers on the 'Tron, mostly strings, although distinctly 'Strawberry Fields'-style flute parts infiltrate Rock & Roll Contract and Bats In The Belfry I, and the odd bit of choir pops up, pretty much as on Money Machine, to be honest. For some reason, Bigelf have broken through in Scandinavia (Hex was even recorded in Sweden), and seem to divide their time between there and the US, so there doesn't seem much chance of seeing them in the good old UK, at least at the moment. Shame. Incidentally, Madhatter, described sardonically by Fox as 'a YouTube hit', was released as an EP, with three more 'Tron tracks added, strings all over Brown-Eyed Girl, Why? and Bats In The Belfry III, plus flutes and choirs on the last-named.
The gestation of Bigelf's fourth album, 2008's Cheat the Gallows, was even longer than for its predecessors. Amazingly, they've got themselves signed to, if not a major, at least a label run by someone with a 'name', Linda Perry (4 Non Blondes, mucho production work), which might even mean that the outside world may notice them. Stranger things have happened... It's another good Bigelf album, basically, although less full-on and more varied than before, maybe, with several longer, proggier tracks amongst the likes of the single, Money, It's Pure Evil (an expanded version of $ from Hex). Now, before hearing this, I was told 'they're using loads of real strings this time'. To an extent, they have, but there's still plenty of 'Tron for the enthusiast; look, these guys use one on tour... Anyway, Fox plays background strings on Blackball, good old 'Strawberry Fields'-style flutes on Money, It's Pure Evil with more upfront strings, flutes and choirs on Evils Of Rock & Roll. Obvious choirs and strings on No Parachute, occasional strings on Superstar and more of the same on Race With Time and Hydra, although the rest of the album's strings seem to be real.
So; loads of 'Tron, and good, groove-driven early-'70s sounding stuff. Worth a flutter. In the meantime, here's their outrageous Mad Hatter promo.
See: Progfest | Mellodrama
