Psychotic Waltz New Reviews

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New PW Release!!!
"Dark Millenium"
1999

I'm Marco van Leeuwen, a big prog fan and PsychoWaltzer from The Netherlands. I recently found 'Dark Millennium' and wrote a review of it for Parallels, the Fates Warning mailing list...

I was browsing the heavy metal section of my local music store, hoping beyond all hope to find a copy of Psychotic Waltz's "Live And Archives" (elusive bugger that it is), and not really expecting to find anything interesting I didn't have already, when suddenly something of a dark purple colour lept up from behind a copy of "Bleeding" and yelped "Buy Me! Buy Me!".
     A Psychotic Waltz release I had never heard from before - how could that be? "Dark Millenium"? Aren't there supposed to be two n's in "millennium"? Perhaps it's a bootleg... At least the names (Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin) and the song titles (a live version of "...And The Devil Cried". Yay!) checked out, and the label was the same as the one the excellent "Marching Into Oblivion" by Darkstar (Dan's solo project: my rating: 90/100) was released on.
     The booklet whipped my doubts back into subservience to calm rationality. There's lots of beautiful artwork in there: paintings by Mike Clift and Siggi Blasey (the keyboard guy from Darkstar), heaps of interesting photos from Dan, Brian, Mike, Siggi, a few unidentified girlfriends and/or wives and "herbal refreshments":-), the quite stunning cover to "Darkstar 2 - Heart Of Darkness" by H.R.Giger (the artist who designed Sigourney Weaver's bane from the "Alien"-movies)
     On to the music: "Penetralia", the first new music of one man orchestra Brian McAlpin since Psychotic Waltz's "Bleeding" (1996), reminds me of Christofer Johnsson's soundtrack to "The Golden Embrace", and indeed the entire cd has an atmosphere similar to the one that can be found on Therion's "A'Arab Zaraq Lucid Dreaming" - it's a fan-oriented collection of odds 'n ends with some very soundtrack-like solo material from one of the band members.
     Another similarity is the fact you can hear that some of the instruments used in making that soundtrack music were virtual - once again the legacies of Von Neumann and the fruit vendors of Macintosh were used to replace the flesh and blood of a conventional orchestra. There is a difference, however, and it's a qualitative one that's in Brian's advantage: the music of "Penetralia" is remarkably diverse, and covers a number of interesting moods, whereas Johnsson's efforts, while good, where a bit less refined.
     Those of you who remember Brian mainly for his partiality to heavy riffage are in for a big surprise - it isn't until track 7 that he lets loose the guitars in a very well-balanced and mature instrumental song, with an adrenalin-inducing acceleration around the 5:00 mark. The other six tracks consist mostly of music produced by synthesizers, with hints of Danny Elfman (on track 3) and Vince DiCola. Brian shows the world he's a versatile composer, who could probably do a great job scoring an actual movie.
     Tracks 8 and 9 feature Brian McAlpin and Dan Rock, back together again... Both songs are very good, but my favourite is definitely track 9. Track 8 features some twin-soloing similar to what you can hear in "Into The Everflow" (the song), but from the 6:00 mark onwards track 9 features one of the tastiest riff 'n solo's I've heard in a long time. Yumyum... Darkstar 2 is supposed to feature several tracks with both these guys as well - I can't wait!
     The live tracks are a very nice surprise - sure, except for track 16 the sound quality is quite ghastly, with some nasty feedback on track 11, but it's really cool to hear the band perform live. Of course the execution itself is nigh-flawless (although there is a hint of out-of-tune during the solo near the end of track 12), and the added energy makes it interesting to listen to this perfomance: the songs are played a bit faster than the studio originals. And it doesn't hurt that the three songs played at Dynamo are three of the best they've ever written...
      Bottom Line: A great collection of music Psycho Waltzers are sure to salivate over, and recommended to anyone with an adventurous taste in  music.

Greek Metal Hammer
Dark Millenium, 1999

'Dark Millenium' has seven songs written by Brian McAlpin ,using his computer, two songs written by both Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin , an amazing cover: 'Disturbing The Priest' (Black Sabbbath) that originaly was a bonus track in a very rare now,limited edition of 'Into the Everflow'.
Also, three songs recorded live in Dynamo'91 and three covers recorded live: 'In The Flesh'(Pink Floyd), 'Disturbing the Priest', 'Diary Of A Madman'(Ozzy).

- By axiom: 10/10 "

Metal Invader 1999
Dark Millenium Review
Greece

"This is the 'postmortem' album of the most progressive of all metal bands, of the group that through five killer albums blemished indelibly the metal sound. It may be that P.W. are no longer with us , but their pivot (call him Dan Rock) cared to deliver us the last part of their inheritance.
      'Dark Millenium' contains the soundtrack Penetralia of the other pivot of Psychotic Waltz (the guitarist Brian Mcalpin), which is an incredible seven-track work of art ,wavering from ambient to progressive , starting from tranquil musical landscapes ,to end in a merciless crescendo in the patterns of Mosquito , which also proves that the paronoiac genious of P.W.'s music lies mostly in the 'twisted' minds of Dan Rock and Brian McAlpin and not so much in Buddy Lackey, as some might believe.
     'Penetralia' is a masterpiece of progressive sound , far away from cliches and faked musict hrough a modern perspective. As a continue to it come the two new songs by Rock/McAlpin , moving in about the same wavelength - that unique mixing of relaxing music and extreme, dark progressive. Furthermore there are three live recordings , from P.W.'s only appearance in Dynamo ,in '91, showing them keeping their hand in and which also proves the unpararellability of them on stage.
      Yet ,they aren't performing perfect only their own material; they do as well with the covers:'In the flesh'(PINK FLOYD),'Disturbing the priest'(BLACK SABBATH) and 'Diary of a madman'(OZZY) , as performed by Psychotic, sound trully majestic and fit perfectly to the dreamy, sultry, psychedelic, schizophrenic and narcotic atmoshpere of P.W. and their style.
      To end the package comes an interview from the group's designer (Mike Clift) explaining how P.W.'s music is combined and connected with the covers of their albums and their paintings. How can somebody grade genius itself? Perhaps only with the highest possible...

- 6/6

Live & Archives Review
Edge of Time Magazine
Lithuania

      Not polished, quite rough documentary of the early days of Psychotic Waltz, and, thus, interesting solely for those who have at least one Psychotic Waltz record in their collections. "Live & Archives" marks the end of band's history, because they split up in 1997, and, even if the hope dies last, there are no many chances of a reunion anytime soon.
      Disc One contains a bootleg recording of a live show at Hamburg, in 1991, when the band's performance was passionate, mysterious, and energetic indeed. Almost all "A Social Grace" (the debut album) songs are present, except "Another Prophet Song," in addition to "Out of Mind" and "Little People" that would appear in "Into the Everflow," and The Beatles' cover "I'm the Walrus." Not much can be added, except repeating that "A Social Grace" was one of the most remarkable albums in progressive metal history, delivering an unique mix of weirdness, delight, thrill, and heaviness.

Disc Two is a gift to real band fans, because it contains rare materials. First of all, the Aslan (pre-Psychotic Waltz) 3-song demo; from which "Spiral Tower" was used for the debut album, but "Chase to the Stars" and "No Glory" went no further. Then, heavy/speed metalish "Burn the Night," band's first song, which sounds even funnier than the commercially-oriented refrain of "Chase to the Stars."
In addition, you will find early recordings of "Successor" and "Halo of Thorns" (both appeared on "A Social Grace"), very early versions of "Ashes," "Freakshow" (later appeared on "Into The Everflow") and "Mosquito," a cover of Ozzy's "Diary of a Madman," and a number of various excerpts or unreleased instrumentals. It should be noted that most of the material Psychotic Waltz ever written was included in their albums, so you won't find many unreleased and unheard complete songs. Anyway, the fans should like all those special early versions of period 1985-1991.

- Giedrius Slivinskas

Early Reviews

Bleeding Reviews

New Reviews

Live Reviews

Interviews

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