When a band says their music is not prog, but totally is: here is one way of introducing Perfect Beasts to you! They are preparing to take the UK by storm and are already enjoying the attention of Planet Rock where the first two singles from their upcoming debut album have been airing in the past few weeks.
Joe Elliott of Def Leppard already endorsed this album by stating it’s definitely worth a listen, and he’s known for having a fairly good and quirky taste.
What the guys from Perfect Beasts have put together for us is a very strong debut project, where melodic hard rock meets prog, funk and jazz, with classically written and developed songs, clear vocals, some elaborate guitar solos, and strong bass presence.
It’s usually the lead guitar that stands out, but in this album, it is the work of the bass that underlines it very noticeably and is worth a special mention; and that’s not because this instrument is played by Planet Rock presenter Darren Redick! The strong bass line gives the Perfect Beasts’ music an distinctive prog sound, dipping into funk and fusion. In ‘Undertow’, the bass party develops pretty much a tune in its own right, parallel to the main one, which gives the track a delicious depth. The bass line is particularly prominent in tracks like ‘Bad Things Happen’ and ‘Non-Stop To The Moon’ (making this a perfect song to have been released as the second single, in conjunction with the catchy chorus), while in ‘On A Curve’ it absolutely takes over.
Having said that, it’s not to dismiss the guitar work, which is also on par. In some of the tracks, you can hear classic hard rock riffs (‘Bad Things Happen’ and ‘Three’s A Crowd’), while in others the guitar solos borderline with jazz (‘Undertow’ and ‘On A Curve’), making this album a beautiful mixture of styles to enjoy. Thrown in the mix are every so often a beautiful violin (‘Bad Things Happen’) and some symphonic orchestration for some extra depth (‘Three’s A Crowd’).
The vocals delivered by John Mitchell are clear, with a subtle Asia vibe. In some tracks, you may catch some further vocal resemblances, perhaps Yes in ‘Undertow’ and Alice in Chains in ‘Bad Things Happen’, but, generally, John has a distinctive voice that fits well into the overall scheme.
Lyrics wise, they find inspiration in everyday life, with a twist of typical British humour. Personal favourite has got to be ‘On A Curve’, with its perfect prog and funk beat, and the perfect prog intros in ‘Genie’s Out The Bottle’ and ‘Heavy Is The Head’.
- Perfect Beast
- Bad Things Happen
- Chasing Daylight
- Non-Stop To The Moon
- Genie’s Out The Bottom
- Undertow
- Every Saturday (One Night Only)
- Heavy Is The Head
- Three’s A Crowd
- On A Curve
