Album Review: "Stakes is Low" by Protovulcan

Stakes is Low

There is a lot you can tell about a band by their name.

Metallica is metal. Rifftera likes to riff. Deicide is decidedly anti-religious. KISS is...well I don't know about that one.

So, let's try a new tact here at Glacially Musical.

I'm going to interpret the name of the band and the cover photo and see how accurate I am with just guessing at things.

Protovulcan.

Proto, we all know this well known prefix. It's the first one. Sometimes used to refer the one that came before the one you use now. OK.

Vulcan...now...wait. Vulcan like Mr. Spock or Vulcan like Hephaestus?! Thinking a little more, it couldn't be like Mr. Spock, as he was not a prototypical vulcan, but half human, and proto could be something else too... OK I got nothin'.

Protovulcan

Well, it's quite clear that my first idea of changing the game really backfired on me.

So, let's go with this:

I will interpret the lyrics on this album.

It's an instrumental...shoot.

Hmm.

What we do have here is a instrumental album by a synth punk duo playing acid rock...well that's what they say anyway.

This album swirls around your head as you listen to it. The screaming, brittle tones of the keyboards cry out in pain while the snappy, jazzy, crispy drums move the songs along.

In simpler words, this is a free form  jazz album as played by two guys based on a Moog Synthesizer that oozes more emotion than a cadre of shamed politicians after being caught in their extramarital affairs even though they campaigned on traditional marriage...

It's spacey. It's melodic. It's fuzzy.

I can guarantee you've never heard anything like this before.

Release: 10/22/15
Genre: No idea.
Label: Paribus Records/Toy Moon
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