The Sultans of Swing are at it again! Fresh from the success of their Two Against Nature record, Donald Fagen & Walter Becker decided to assult nature in their own way and assembled their troops for a 3 continent world tour. Mixing several of their long standing commarades in arms, such as Cornelius Bumpus (tenor Sax), Tom Barney (Bass) and Ricky Lawson (Drums) with newcomers to the Dan world such as Jon Herrington on guitar, they dazzled audiences world wide with both old chestnuts such as "My Old School" and "FM", together with new soon-to-be-standards such as "Cousin Dupree" and "Jack Of Speed". Prepare yorself to deal with the miracle of musical virtuosity! Prepare thyself for a massive dose of live Steely Dan.
They've done this in the past, back in the days of 'Masque' and 'Do They Hurt', when where they'll do one or two numbers with a 'steppin' out' rhythm (examples: AWB's 'Pick Up the Pieces' and Janet Jackson's 'What Have You Done For Me Lately'), but fully half of this album has that same quarter note-driven rhythm. It's an interesting mix–that sort of beat behind guitarist Goodsall's crisp tonalities. The track 'Virus' at nearly eight minutes is the longest one they've done in at least fifteen years. This album isn't as minimalist as its predecessor 'Xcommunication', which was based almost entirely on guitar, bass and drums–they use a session keyboarist occasionally, along with some new MIDI-powered synth and sampler tonalities done by Goodsall.
Music has become more important than ever in recent times. As a result, the triumphant return of AMARANTHE feels particularly timely. The Swedish six-piece have spent the last decade establishing themselves as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014’s Massive Addictive and its immaculate follow-up Maximalism (2016), AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle. Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Olof Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.