Victoria and the Haruspex
Gibraltar
Encylopedia of Progressive Rock
Sept. 2003
In 2002, The Red Masque's first full-length album Victoria and the Haruspex was released. It's both similar to and different from Death of the Red Masque. The first cut, "Haruspex" is more than 20 minutes long. It's part "sound collage" (music boxes, toy pianos and other odd sound sources) mixed with vaguely musical guitar, bass, drum and concert harp musings. The only vocals in this piece are Lynette Shelly's Gilli Smyth-like moaning and breathy wordless vocalizing. This is the least "traditional" piece on the CD, and will undoubtedly be the most difficult going for those interested in vocals, harmony and melody. However, I loved it ... of course, I'm the guy who thought "Earth Dreams" on the second Persephone's Dream album, Moonspell was the best piece on the album, though most other reviewers panned it as "pointless noise".
Actually, Persephone's Dream isn't too bad of a reference point for the rest of Victoria and the Haruspex, with the female vocals and gloomy "goth" vibe. But Victoria is darker and less accessable (what can you expect from a band who prints "The Red Masque would like to thank and hail Cthulhu" on the back of their CD?). The rest of the pieces remind me a band I had only one EP of ... Moev (sort of a dark ambient new-wave band), who also had a female vocalist (Madeline Morris) and sang songs about rotting geraniums and other nasty stuff. Victoria and the Haruspex is an excellent second outing for this up-and-coming avant-garde band. But if you play it just before bedtime, you may suffer from dark dreams. Noit Noit. Kiss Kiss.
-- Fred Trafton
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Startrips
June 2003
Note:
translated from Portuguese into English so some of the
interpretations may be a little off.
It's been a while I've been hearing people talking about
this band and it's much recommended in the progressive
communities and discussion groups of this style. Now
after listening to their latest work, I was surprised
by a totally different sound than what I expected. The
Red Masque is a band with a bold personality who is
not afraid of experimentation.
The CD has only four tracks, but what will one say after hearing the opening track, Haruspex (a ritual for future forecast through viscera of animals), with more than 24 minutes long and with a sound that mixes ambient music, dark waves, toy pianos, ethereal voices, diverse noises, etc. It’s very shocking! The first impression you get might not be the best, but after each listening you discover new things in the recording and now I adore this music, but I admit that this is not everybody’s cup of tea.
Birdbrain which follows has nothing in common with the first track. The beautiful vocals of Lynnette Shelley feature a fantastic voice and the sound is very traditionally Gothic. Afterloss has a flamenco taste, and interestingly switches between the guitar and the harp (present throughout the whole album). The album ends with the beautiful Cenotaph, an instrumental harp piece dedicated to harpist’s brother, who was killed in 9/11 attacks.
I recommend this album to anyone who likes unconventional music, and those whose taste is not limited to clichés of contemporary rock music. Finally fans of Creed are highly forbidden to listen to this CD.
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Sea
Of Tranquility
June 2003
Every now and then a band comes along that practically defies description, that avoids categorization, yet is falls firmly within the realms of what progressive rock listeners want to hear. The Red Masque, a unique ensemble from Pennsylvania, creates dark, mesmerizing music, that at times is as dissonant as it is harmonious. Victoria and the Haruspex is the bands first full-length CD, although they have been around the scene a while. They manage to sneak in little snippets of their influences here and there, but for the most part this is highly original music that is hard to digest at first, and certainly not an easy listen, but extremely rewarding after repeated playbacks.
The band goes for dark, dramatic moods throughout most of the CD's 4 lengthy tracks, at times popping in improvisations that bring to mind early 70's King Crimson. The opening epic "Haruspex" is a jarring and at times unsettling piece of work, as the band throws all sorts of styles at the listener. Starting out quiet and somber, eventually raging with odd noises and outbursts, I was reminded more than once of Univers Zero with all the different goings on. The vocals of Lynnette Shelley are very intriguing, as here she bursts forth with wordless utterings as creepy keyboard, guitar, bass, and percussion effects blast behind her. To say that this tune would be the perfect soundtrack to a nightmare would be an understatement. The heavy bass rumblings of Brandon Ross are superb, acting as a lead instrument to go alongside the shards of Fripp-like guitar solos. Add in some creepy organ noises and you have a real winner of a track to open this CD (Goblin fans take note-this could easily be a welcome addition to a Dario Argento horror film soundtrack!)
"Birdbrain" is a total prog-rock gem, highlighted by the Annie Haslam-meets-Grace Slick vocals of Shelley and huge walls of symphonic keyboards that sound like they could have come off of a classic 70's Italian prog album. It's interesting how the band does a total "about face" from song to song here, never sticking to the same theme for more than a track before crossing into a totally different style. Lot's of lethal guitar lines from Steven Blumberg compliment the whispy vocals of Shelley on this one-I just wish the song was longer. "Afterloss" is a tender acoustic guitar piece that also includes some soaring vocals, and the closing number "Cenotaph" is a solo concert harp piece from Nathan-Andrew Dewin. Both tunes kind of give you a "winding-down" feeling after the dark and bombastic themes on the first two tracks, but are enjoyable nontheless.
The band was kind enough to send a CD-R of their latest single, to be included on the soon-to-be-released album Feathers for Flesh. Comprising the studio/album version of "Beggars & Thieves", which is a gorgeous yet dark acoustic piece featuring the haunting vocals of Shelley, who sings the medieval lyrics with mystical brilliance,as well as a mammoth live version of another tune from the new album, titled "Yellow Are His Opening Eyes." Fans of Wetton/Bruford era Crimson will get a big kick out of this extended and metallic improv, featuring thundering bass grooves and jagged guitar solos. Based on these two tracks, I think we are soon to be in for a real treat...
-Pete Pardo
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Expose
February 2003, issue no. 26
Philadelphia's
The Red Masque is moving in some unusual directions.
The 25-minute opening track of Victoria and the Haruspex,
for instance, is a strange and amelodic sonic pastiche
that brings together free jazz, mid-70s Crimson improvisation,
and the trippier side of German space rock. The band
showed a bit of interest in this kind of free sound
creation o its debut EP, but there was nothing there
to compare to this extended conglomeration of noise-scapes,
intense bass/guitar jams, wordless vocalizations, and
strange and unidentifiable noises. The place neer seems
wholly stable - as soon as a tangible melodyor rhythm
seems to be taking hold, it seems to dissolve itself
into its bare componenents which are then mixed up with
new, random noises that are constantly being introduced.
It all seems to hold together, flowing from one moment
to the next almost effortlessly. Of the remaining three
tracks, "Birdbrain" is the most conventionally
proggish, with the same VdGG-meets-Tale Cue feel fo
the their demo EP. The last two tracks,however, change
things radically; the nine-minute "Afterloss"
features Lynnette Shelley's powerful (yet slightly off-key)
vocals backed by acoustic strings (guitar, harp, mandolin
etc.) while "Cenotaph" is a solo harp piece.
These two change the mood of the disc, bringing it a
soft, melodic and acoustic denouement that seems worlds
away from the opening track. A very intriguing, if somewhat
schizophrenic, release. -
-- Jim Chokey [exzel music, www.exzel.com)
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Psychedelic
Folk
December 2002
Not more than once a year / few years I am confronted with a release from which I immediately say :wow, what a monster, this definitely is a classic on its own, a must have heard. This is such a release.
There is not much avant garde like opening structures
music with a basically acoustic character. Recently
the Hirsche Nicht Aus Sofa releases (from the eighties)
have been reissued, with "Küttel Im Frost"
and also "Melchior" as highlights. This CD
starts very experimental, covering all kinds of genres
listed in the famous Steven Stapelton list of collectors
items that crosses musical borders (with hints to Saint
Just, Opus Avantra,..), without being just avant garde.
In stead this is a highly listenable / enjoyable release.
This first track, "Haruspex" is structured
in its improvisational manner and should interest Steven
Stapelton for sure. This might not be the easiest /
most accessible way to start a CD but still is tremendous
(with its contributing el.guitars, organ, female voice,..)
and beautiful all 25 minutes.
After this track the music changes into more easily
recognisable structured music. "Birdbrain"
with organ, very up driving rhythms, electric guitar
outbursts, heavy female progressive rock voice (hints
to Julian's Treatment and the likes), is a track that
gets me shivers all over my back. This is mindexpanding
and Kundalini stimulating music with beautifully varied
and also quite passages, recalling all my favourite
70's prog groups (Saint Just indeed, but with a more
powerful voice). "Afterloss" starts wonderfully
and harmoniously with acoustic guitars / harp fingerpickings
to with additions of the heavenly powervoice of Lynnette
Shelley accompanied by flamenco like acoustic rhythm
guitars / more fingerpicking and harp. Also the melodies
/ workouts are speaking very much to the heart too,
in a way like flamenco can. "Cenopath" is
a very beautiful harp track (dedicated to a member (Nathan-Andrew
Dewin)'s brother Alan).
A must have heard release. Unmissable in any open minded
progressive music collection.
Webpage
: http://www.theredmasque.com/ & www.mp3.com/the_red_masque
Contact group : theredmasque@yahoo.com label : service@bigballoonmusic.com
Other review : http://orion.venco.com.pl/~caladan/erecenzje_sc.php?id=15
(Available through European label/distributor Musea
Records (www.musearecords.com) and through American
distributor ZNR CDS (www.znrcds.com). In addition, the
band has tentative plans to go into the studio this
spring to record a new album. Big Balloon Music (www.bigballoonmusic.com)
is currently talking with the band about possible label
support for this new album. )
--Gerald Van Waes
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ZNR
CDs
November 2002
A real nice debut full-length album that really delivers on the promise of their previous EP. Moody, dark prog in the vein of VDGG, The Gathering, Third & the Mortal, etc. with hints at avant garde and some spaciness as well. A real nice singer that sounds like a cross between Grace Slick and Sonja Kristina with just a hint at Annie Haslam when she reaches upward. Musically it is really hard to pin down, but that's good! And I can say we are happy to find an American band who doesn't fit into one of the traditional American prog molds so much..... The release is a CDR but done very professionally.
--Steve
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The
Weekender
October 2002
Rating: B
Regular readers of this page know that we strive to find the best music on today's scene and provide enough objective feedback to decide whether it's for you or not. But we also try to search out new sounds and bands that don't necessarily follow the beaten path. That thought brings us to Philadelphia's Red Masque. From the first glance at the cover of Victoria And The Haruspex, it's obvious we're not in Kansas anymore.
The Philadelphia quintet has just released their first full-length CD as a follow-up to the critically acclaimed "Death Of The Red Masque EP." Once again, the band moves further into the realms of experimental music, shedding all the standard rock cliches and forms. And while Lynnette Shelley's vocals continue to be a focal point for the band, the avant-garde instrumentation shows a clear progression from the 2001 EP.
"Haruspex" opens the album with a long (24:30) aural collage that's more sound than music. Bits of frenzied riffs and feedback flow in and out of the piece, supported by tinkling pianos, lilting voices, and evil church choirs. The track resembles Genesis' "The Waiting Room" from The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway or "Revolution 9" from The Beatles' White Album.It's a challenge at times, but the diverse elements assembled here keep you guessing what could possibly come next. Some of the sounds may freak you out, but there certainly isn't time to be bored.
The second track, "Birdbrain" returns the band to a more 'normal' setting, easily becoming the most accessible song on the album. Scattered throughout the track are passages that resemble the early psychedelic work from Jefferson Airplane or the epic "The End" from The Doors. That's not to pigeonhole the song as a 60's retread, because "Birdbrain" is as modern as it is adventurous.
Both "Afterloss" and "Cenotaph" are lighter pieces that showcase The Red Masque's ability to delve into more atmospheric and acoustic realms. "Afterloss" is a flamenco-influenced guitar workout, while "Cenotaph" is Nathan-Andrew Dewin's solo piece performed entirely on harp. Both songs provide a change in texture and dynamics for "Haruspex" and may make you reach for the repeat button.
There's an undeniably sinister quality to Red Masque's music that can be both haunting and inviting. As promoters of the first Philadelphia Underground Music Convention back in June, the Masque is making a name by refusing to budge from their musical goals. More bands should have this kind of dedication to their craft. It's certainly not for everyone, but a worthwhile visit all the same
-- Kevin Krieger
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Progression
Magazine
October 2002/Issue No. 41
What
can you say about a group whose opening 24-minute track
prominently features a toy piano? On first listen, I
kept expecting the entire band to come crashing in,
it was one of those kind of beginnings. Instead, the
tinkly stuff went on for several minutes. Gradually,
the bass, percussion, guitar, eerie keys and eerier
crooning inserted themselves to create an ominous, occasionally
Crimsoid mood.
As the minutes elapsed, there was plenty of variation
but slim pickings in the melody department. The closest
this ambient freak-out came to tunefulness were a hopeful-sounding
ascent on churchy organ around the 14 minute mark, and
some music box stuff at the end.
"Birdbrain" continues in the Crimsoid vein,
with Middle Eastern touches and the crooning taking
on a gypsy wail. The two remaining tracks dissolve from
acoustic guitar, harp, gypsy wailing and minimal percussion
down to just harp for the final six minutes.
Fairly well done for what it is. 11
stars
--David Taylor
Sonic
Curiosity
October 2002
This CDR from 2002 features 48 minutes of intensely dark, haunting prog rock. The Red Masque are: Steven Blumberg, Nathan-Andrew Dewin, Brandon Ross, Lynette Shelley, and Vonorn, with a guest appearance by Abhi Taranath on electric guitar on the 24 minute epic track "Haruspex". (A haruspex is an ancient Roman diviner who based their predictions on the interpretation of animal entrails, natural prodigies, and unusual meteorological phenomena.)
That epic track begins with a drawn-up passage of meandering calm, instruments pattering at random to generate an expectant tension. When the music finally coalesces into emphatic cacophony, the expansion displays grand proportions with growling bass, searing guitar, loudly whispering drums, serpentine keyboards, and screeching vocal effects. The loose threads all merge to formulate a seething dragon of sound, thrashing its mighty rhythms and unfurling fiery riffs. Each time chaos or a slow moment tries to emerge, the miasma rises again, swallowing the mix and the listener.
The remaining three tracks on this CD exhibit more conventional structure and demonstrative melody. These songs apply the band's energies to produce strong tuneage rich with gothic sentiment. From towering spires of a dark castle there explodes guitar pyrotechnics, blazing across the wicked sky to illuminate the misty marshes. Those haunted fields are alive with the fervor of dynamic percussion and squealing keyboards. The husky female vocals rise to enunciate dire consequences to all who dare venture deeper into this music. And the audience is drawn in, unable to resist the lure of darker secrets.
The Red Masque excel at building passionate cohesion from furious chaos. Their music employs delicate structure, but it is prone to explode into feverish cacophony, generating a blur of freeform fury that dazes the unprepared audience.
Crystalline harp plays a vital part in the CD's final track, establishing a mournful conclusion that places all the frightening scenarios in a more mortal context.
--Matt Howarth
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Caladan:
Progressive Art Rock Net
September 2002
translated
from the original Polish to English by the reviewer
for The Red Masque. For original Polish version, please
visit http://www.venco.com.pl/~caladan/.
mark: 9 (out of 10)
Quite recently I had the pleasure of reviewing the debut
EP from this young avant-prog band, that made a really
positive impression on me. After it's release The Red
Masque haven't been idling their time and quickly got
to the studio to record another mini-album, that was
supposed to while away the time of waiting for their
first full-length work. But a funny thing happened and
the planned as an EP material has grown to almost fifty
minutes! And I must admit that I'm very pleased with
this situation, all the more that I have been (again!)
very positively surprised with "Victoria and the
Haruspex"… Surprised, because The Red Masque
have done enormous progress for such a short period
of time… As a matter of fact only one track and
quite loosely reminds of the debut album, as the whole
is more acoustic, melodic and spatial, sounding very
fresh and interesting. Anyway, every of the four tracks
included here deserves an individual mention…
Opening the record "Haruspex" is an over twenty four minute long improvisation, but in contrary to "Ended Ways" from the previous album, this one is decidedly more in the vein of minimalism. It begins… with the sounds of winding up a musical China doll, that, judging by the picture and annotations on the cover, had a strong influence on the final shape of this work. ;-) The track develops quite slowly: the sounds seem to be like hang up in space, sometimes playing together, sometimes separately… constantly appearing and vanishing just to make room for other noises… And so it carries on… The whole is however performed with a magnificent feeling, which results in a surprisingly cohesive track - the musicians skilfully control the sounds and the atmosphere building up the tension to the very end. In "Haruspex" one can also most fully experience the richness and instrumental variety of The Red Masque's music, as the band uses such diverse instruments as: concert harp, didgeridoo, psaltery, chimes or from the more odd stuff: the aforementioned China doll and toy-piano (!!). Anyway the "usual" instruments are also often used in quite untypical way, creating a conglomeration of strange, but extremely hypnotizing sounds. Opening the record with a track that lasts longer than all the other put together is a risky solution, but The Red Masque managed to do it perfectly!! A great beginning, presenting a palette of varied and interesting sounds, that keep one's attention for the whole twenty four minutes.
The next one is, already known from the band's concerts "Birdbrain" but in a new, rearranged version. This is the song that reminds me the most of "The Death of the Red Masque" EP: it's dominated with the electric guitar and entangled rhythm, but there are some surprises as well… One of them is almost classically art-rock guitar solo and the other a magnificent trance-electro-psychedelic section, that starts and ends in a very unexpected way. But the highlight of this track are the phenomenal vocal parts. Lynnette Shelley proves that she has a troumendous voice: strong, clean and with a wide scale… and as her vocal arrangements are quite original and interesting as well, the whole makes a truly huge impression…
After the dark "Birdbrain" we're back into more calm and acoustic mood, as "Afterloss" is mostly based on great dialogs between acoustic guitar and a harp, with floating vocals of Lynnette "above" them. Despite that it's quite traditional and, as for The Red Masque, melodic song, the band has once again displayed their creativity. There are some nice flamenco inspired guitar parts (especially when confronted with Shakespeare's lyrics) and quite successful use of male voices (however mostly because there's not too much of them ;-)), not mentioning the complex structure with lots of tempo changes and an obligatory bizarre / experimental section. :-)
The last one is "Cenotaph", a solo piece on concert harp from Nathan-Andrew Dewin, the track that's the hardest for me to describe, as it's based only on changes in the sound of one instrument. Most of the time it's quite calm and nostalgic with rather delicate string touches and warm sound of the instrument. Unfortunately what strikes the most is the high level of noise, which in this song is especially audible, however the whole sounds quite pleasant… Well maybe it could be a little shorter too…
I must say one thing: I haven't expected it… to be that good!!! The band has done a great progress since their debut EP and on "Victoria and the Haruspex" it sounds very mature and interesting. For The Red Masque has managed to keep the dense and dark atmosphere of their tracks and the spirit of experimentalism, simultaneously making their music more spatial and melodic, what gave a troumendous result!! If equally with great melodies you can precious innovation and creativity in music, if you can see a challenge in it, than I warmly recommend you this album, that has already a place in my own top 5 of this year… It tempts me to give "Victoria and the Haruspex" a maximum note, however I believe that such creative and talented people as The Red Masque's musicians can do even better, so let's reserve it for the next release…
--Dr Alcibiades (dralcibiades@skrzynka.pl)
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Progressive
Newsletter
September 2002
Translated from the original German to English by Dennis (fractal4) and Renate (rarebird) from ProgressiveEars.com. For the German version, visit http://www.progressive-newsletter.de/.
Wow. This album is really hard material [stuff]. There is nothing on the album that one could quickly catalogue into a popular category [drawer] and it doesn’t open itself to make a quick critique. No, for the Red Masque, one needs to check things out a few things at a time, and in many places one also needs good nerves in order not to abandon it immediately. Now to start from the beginning
The Red Masque is a five member band from the American East Coast that has already used their instrumentation to attack unusual boundaries. Next to the usual equipment that a rock band uses, one can also hear harp, Didgeridoo and Glockenspiel used in a way that is not just an insignificant mass but is a craft by this quintet. Those who like to have their Progressive Rock predictable and calculable can jump to the next review for the formations of this music apparently adhere only very slightly to any convention and style boundary, for each of the four pieces on the CD, The Red Masque create their own characteristic Micro cosmos.
It begins with an over 24 minute piece that is completely improvised, that after a wonderfully melodic start flows into tension of a bizarre trip of oblique and dissonant sounds. The listener is left alone and fairly shaken though this chaos without finding a chance to stop. Short fragments reminds one of the ProjeKcts of King Crimson,
from time to time something Magma-like comes forward, than some strange soundscapes pass through, the vocals come completly (???)..
After 14 minutes, there are moments were it does sound like ideas in the style of 70s progressive rock, but these moments last only for a short duration. Defenitly beating everything and for the duration, quite exerting.
The next song, “Birdbrain” is one of a completely different calibre. This title starts, carried from high elven-like singing, slowly increasing itself to a fulmination [explosion?] with turned off guitar and keyboards. One hears a definite 70s Progressive Rock style, like a very coarse mixture of VdGG and Psychedelic rock.
The record goes further into an acoustic, very folk
like sound in “Afterloss” and then to a less
chaotic and arranged more sparingly sound with a totally
surprising end i “Cenotaph” which is carried
only by the harp and is very classically inspired. Sad
but pretty.
“Victoria and the Haruspex” is and unusual album that is full of internal twists and turns. One who is searching for new listening material will find in this album music that is not easily digestible.
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Progressive
World
September 2002
Victoria And The Haruspex. Sounds like the title of
an early 60s Doctor Who episode -- fans will recall
there was a character named Victoria ... well, two characters,
really (one was Vicki). But, before I digress too far
along that road -- and you know I could -- let's come
back to this Victoria. It has nothing to do with the
British SF series. Haruspex is not the Linux database
software or game software, either (for those tech-heads
that were wondering). No, this Haruspex seems, perhaps
to some, rather sinister. From the Occultopedia that
I came across in my web-wanderings prepping for this
review, it means: "The Latin name for a diviner,
originally derived from the Etruscan method of divination
which involved the foretelling of future events from
an examination of the entrails of slaughtered animals
(haruspicy). The word may have been derived from the
Sanskrit root hira ('entrails'). A synonymous term is
extispicy." (and with tobasco sauce, extraspicy).
[oh, behave - ed.]. This meaning comes clear not by
the cover, but by the tray insert, an illustration of
a robed figure poking and prodding...well, you can guess.
It is reminiscent of artwork from the 19th century.
So, exactly what exactly is the latest episode ... erm, rather, album from The Red Masque all about? Well, "Haruspex," the first track is a dialog-less horror film, told with music and eerie, ethereal vocalizations from Lynnette Shelley. This is a dark, rumbling, evil sounding piece -- improvised, to boot. At times ambient at times angular and discordant. Whatever is happening to the hapless Victoria, it is dark and foreboding indeed. But what else would you expect from a band inspired by Poe?
The name Shelley comes up again, in that the lyrics for "Birdbrain" are taken from Percy Bysshe Shelley's poem "Epipsychidion" (1821). The poem was written for Emilia Viviani, who at the time was living, against her will, in a convent. The lyrics that have been used by The Red Masque are adapted from lines 5 - 8, 13 - 14, 25 - 28 of the Shelley poem (for those interested, you can find the text of the poem at mayaweb.upr.clu.edu/artssciences/ingles/nb-epipsychidion.htm (the University Of Puerto Rico) and the "Birdbrain" lyrics at The Red Masque website). Background out of the way, what about the song itself? Remember the arty, experimental days of the mid-to-late 60s? The music was heady, kinda heavy (as in thick); organ was the dominant instrument, and Middle Eastern motifs formed part of the structure? Well, this track will give you that feeling. When it doesn't sound like King Crimson. And when Shelley doesn't sound like Souxsie of Souxsie And The Banshees. Which is not a criticism in the least. In fact, because of the close proximity in time of my hearing this and Final Tragedy's Greed, I'd say what Delphine Cochand was trying to achieve there and didn't quite do (at least to me), Shelley and The Red Masque do here. In a different manner. Shelley's vocals here are both ethereal and earthy ... a natural warmth even at their hauntingest. Plus, guitarist Steven Blumberg (since replaced by Kiarash Emami) plays some wicked guitar in this track - a tempestuous flurry of sound. Given the lines chosen, all I could keep thinking of was "I know why the caged bird sings" (Maya Angelou). Also, by way of comparison, the mixing here gets the balances right. Though Shelley's vocalizations are in the mix for "Haruspex," it is less buried and more that they are integrated... they become less a "voice" and more an instrument.
In an acoustic manner, we get more tempestuous guitar and other fervent sounds in "Afterloss," the lyrics being Shakespeare's "Sonnet 90." As befits the bard, the instrumentation and sound is old world, this brought about not just the acoustic guitar of Brandon Ross, but of the concert harp of Nathan-Andrew Dewin and the naturalistic percussion of Shelley and Brian Van Korn. Though, as the band note themselves, the piece also is flamenco-like, which is not something one associates with Shakespeare.
The last piece on this album length EP... if, because it is a full-length, we can call it an EP... is "Cenotaph" ("a monument honoring a dead person buried elsewhere"). This delicate and gentle piece is Dewin alone on concert harp. It is reflective and warm though which just a touch of sadness. Not melancholy, but sadness. Dewin's playing is fluid and clear. Given the darkness of the music that precedes this piece, it is, in contrast, much lighter in tone. But you know that all is not right, by the end, as the notes become sharper, angrier... almost frustrated. On the sleeve, we see that this track is dedicated to Alan Dewin, Nathan-Andrew's brother, who died last year in the World Trade Center attack. Since this album's release, Dewin has left the band to further develop his tribute to his brother.
Victoria And The Haruspex seems a mellower album than Death Of The Red Masque overall, and presents us with a different side of the band in some respects. It's not an easy album to get into, and that's one of the charms about it. It is a little rough in spots, places needing an extra bit of polishing, though in saying that I'm not referring to the improvised "Haruspex"... On the one hand, it may not be the album you put on at your next party... although, the haunting sounds of "Haruspex" might just be the perfect soundtrack for that Hallowe'en bash.
--Stephanie Sollow
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Prog4You.com
August 2002
Here is a band, and a custom CD, ready to challenge any reviewer. I new that I was in for it when I decided to look up the word "Haruspex" to see if it was, perhaps, the European term for the "toy piano" shown on the CD jacket. Instead, I learned that a Haruspex was a lesser Roman priest who professed to tell the future by reading the entrails (guts) of animals. I can't say that I'm any type of authority on vivisection, nor augury, but if Victoria were anyone other than the China doll on the CD jacket, I would speculate that her future is grim indeed. Victoria should make herself scarce!
"Victoria and the Haruspex" is a very complex album. It is far enough off of the over beaten track that it would be easy to dismiss this work out of hand. However, that is not what Prog is all about. Prog has been, and should be, a forum for personal expression and feelings. Too often we are exposed to "bottled" offerings that have no individual style what so ever. This cannot be said about The Red Masque. These folks are definitely into their own trip, and in a big way. The music is often from just beyond the edge. This is particularly true for the first track "Haruspex." This song reminds me of the sound track from any number of Twilight Zone shows, mixed in with a little Kabuki. This track is haunting, and just a little crazed. Throughout the work, I could just picture the twisted insides of the mind of the Haruspex himself. Definitely a late Saturday night, post party, deep listen kind of work. I enjoyed the bass playing and toy piano. To understand this track fully would take a lot of listens!
My favorite cut is the second track "Birdbrain", a building rocker featuring nice guitar work and the strangely breathy ... vocals of Lynnette Shelley. This song seems to be about the mind of a caged bird, which includes, I think, a mental tirade and at the end I do believe the bird seems to be wrung out and crying. This is an exotic and powerful song. A keeper for me.
The album is rounded out by another trip to the dictionary for "Cenotaph," (a memorial tomb without a corpse) done as a nice little harp piece and the Shakespeare inspired "Afterloss." Afterloss has a nice feel to it with Spanish style classic guitar and some very nice harp work. Overall this is very intellectually challenging album requiring a number of listens to begin to understand. Most people, of course, will not give it the time of day. That's okay; they can keep to the mainstream as they please. For those who adventure, and try to understand the efforts of others who push the envelope, there are certain rewards here to be sure. The music is complex. Not immediately accessible in some cases, sometimes haunting, and sometimes powerful. I'll keep this one and accept the next review for them if it comes my way. It will be interesting to see what they do next.
I would like to rant here for a moment if I may. If you want people to know what you are all about, you need to publish, at some level, the lyrics to the songs! This is the perfect use for a website if the publication costs are too high for the CD. Your average fan or reviewer cannot be expected to have the time needed to decipher the words. The Red Masque has their lyrics available on their website and has my gratitude, for the rest of you. Give us a head start if you can please! Thank you. Rant complete.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. On the lighter side, I had the opportunity to see this band live recently, and they were a trip. The music is seemingly difficult to reproduce live and may have suffered some accordingly, but I found Miss Shelley fetching and her vocal stylings most unusual. I got the biggest kick out of watching the drummer pursuing his kick drum about the stage. He hasn't yet learned to either put biomass inside the bass drum, or to place his semi-kit on top of a non-skid mat! Also featured, was an interpretive/exotic dancer who, in her own way, spiced up the concert considerably!
Overall this is not a mainstream Prog album, and that is good. I ended up enjoying it unlike so many others. Give this a chance, if you dare! Enjoy the road less traveled.
If you have read my rubbish before you know that I am
very stingy with my Keyboards. I am going to give this
work................8 Keyboards [out of 10]. Surprise,
surprise!
--Steven J. Mynaugh
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Progressive
Ears
August 2002
Yesterday Marcia received a copy each of "The Death of the Red Masque" and "Victoria and the Haruspex" in the mail from our favorite Philly quintet. I stole "VatH" from her this morning on my way out the door to work. Needless to say my drive to work didn't seem like it was down the same roads. I then listened to it twice through while working. This album is so hauntingly beautiful. How can artists like this not find the ways to get there music heard? It is so wonderful to hear this music, yet depressing that more people aren't aware of it.
--Scooter McGrooter (aka Scott)
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Ytsejam.com
August 2002
I’m fairly certain that one exists in every medium
market??a late night TV personality who hosts a Z-movie
horror show: a guy (or woman) who stands (poorly applied
makeup is a must) on a set that looks like it was built
with the help of the local middle school drama club
and makes horrific puns during the (all-too-frequent)
commercial breaks. Our own guy in the flea-bite part
of the world where I grew up was named Ned The Dead.
Imagine Paul Reubens (in Buffy mode) having mated with
the most annoying local weatherman and you might have
a fraction of an idea of what Ned was like. His show
appeared from behind the dark sheath of night right
after SNL had ended and from October to April (the only
months during which I ever find reason to watch TV after
midnight, for some reason), I would sit before my mother
and father’s aged RCA, transfixed by some dubbed
Italian or German export/import in which you were as
unlikely to find anything resembling a plot as you were
to find me ready for church the following morning. Though
I do not remember any of the titles or very much of
what actually occurred in each of these films, the sketches
are there: man and women get lost whilst looking for
some quaint Midwestern town and are subsequently invited
to spend the weekend with a mysterious septuagenarian
who first seems benign but then quickly devolves into
something slouching toward the devil incarnate. That’s
one. There are, of course, plenty of others: spacecrafts
or meteors crashing to earth and releasing mutant life
forms who, eyes red,threaten the fate of their new world;
there are plenty of pet or-farm-animals-gone-bad plots
and, of course, variations on Frankenstein as well as
vampire and werewolf stories.
Though the acting was atrocious and the plots were about as rancid as the sandwich Phil Parrington had left in his locker for an entire summer, there were some positives: scantily clad female actors (sometimes they were even attractive, though at 14 I hardly had anything approaching discerning taste), lessons in how not to write dialogue, and terribly, terribly frightening music. This was the stuff I always thought I was going to hear when I bought early death metal albums but never did. You can buy some of those soundtracks, I’m sure, in old vinyl shops around the world now but back then there was no way in hell I could get my hands on any of it and that made me genuinely sad.
So,
imagine the delight I took when the latest release by
The Red Masque made itself known. Four tracks of dark,
ritualike music to scare the neighbors with. Lynnette
Shelley’s voice is as soothing as it is terrifying
while the noisy, restless rumblings of Steven Blumberg
(guitar), Nathan-Andrew Dewin (lots of things), Brandon
Ross (bass and others) and Vonorn(drums and percussion)
bubble up beneath her. While some would argue that the
production here is below par , it actually seems to
lend an extra layer of creepiness that makes this frightful
experience all the more exciting. While a few corners
could be shaved from one or two of the tracks and while
it’s impossible to say this catches this band at
their absolute best (this band has a lot of yet-untapped
potential) and while it will inspire virtually no car
ride sing-alongs, it will take you back to those long-ago
Saturday nights when, for a few hair-raising moments,
you sat up straight on the couch and listened, wondering
how anyone could dream of something so
scary-sounding.
--Jedd Beaudoin
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Progressive
Rock Group Forum
August 2002
Here's my [2002] top 10 [albums], this time in strict order:
1.
Pain Of Salvation "Remedy Lane"
2. The Red Masque "Victoria and the Haruspex"
3. Quidam "Pod Niebem Czas"
4. Echolyn "Mei"
5. Star One "Space Metal"
6. Dream Theater „Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence”
7. Mostly Autumn „Music Inspired by The Lord Of
The Rings”
8. Niacin „Time Crunch”
9. Mangala Vallis „The Book of Dreams”
10. Vanden Plas „Beyond Daylight”
--szary3333 (aka Dr. Alcibiades from Caladan: Polish Art Rock.Net)
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ProgNaut.com
August 2002
The four song disc opens with a 20+ minute improvisation
called "Haruspex', that clearly reminds me of early
70's King Crimson but in a more gothic haunting way
almost like Univers Zero in the 70's. With it's slow
building from chaotic nosies to a full blow "jam"
highlights their first full length cd, "Victoria
and the Haruspex". Lynnette's vocals adds to the
improv as a "vocal" instrument as well as
a strong vocal sometimes angelic presence on the other
three pieces of music.
The other three songs are "Birdbrain", "Afterloss" and "Cenotaph". All just under 9 minutes. Both musically and lyrically, a true treat to the progressive music lover.
In my most humble opinion, this is one of the best pieces of progressive music so far in 2002.
--Ron for ProgNaut.com
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Zoltan's
Progressive Rock Web Site
July 2002
Comments: Wow, I can't believe how much this band has grown since their 2001 release, Death of the Red Masque. The Red Masque started playing in 2001. Influenced by prog bands like Van Der Graaf Generator, King Crimson, Gong, St. Just, and avant-garde classical music the band released an EP that quickly got the attention of the avant-prog world. Now, just a year later, the band is back with a powerful full-length CD. For a band this young, Victoria and the Haruspex is quite an accomplishment. The CD starts off with a 24-minute track entitled "Haruspex". This piece slowly builds from avant-garde experimentation to Crimson-like jamming. The first thing that struck me was how colorfully rich the sounds coming from my speaker sounded. The band's palette of sound is larger than most other modern bands. Toy pianos, a musical China Doll, Harp, lo-fi synth, and kitchenware mix freely with the traditional electric guitar, bass, and hammond organ set-up. The 24-minute epic seems somewhat composed to my ears(or at least certain sections sound composed structurally), but it's possible that it was completely improvised. If so, the band recorded an inspired session. My favorite compositions follow the epic. "Birdbrain" will be regarded as one of the band's classic. This piece sort of reminds me of some of Peter Hammill's early solo work mixed with a Morricone-esque 70s Italian sound similar to bands like Biglietto Per L'Inferno and Banco's Darwin. The beautiful "Afterloss" quickly follows, and features melodic interplay between acoustic guitar and harp. This piece could be compared to the sound on St. Just's first album, with its dark psych-folk influence and melodic beauty. "Cenotaph", a darkly romantic classical composition for solo harp, closes the CD.
I read many reviews of Death of the Red Masque, and it seemed that some people either liked Lynnette Shelley's vocals, or didn't get it. On Victoria and the Haruspex, Lynnette's vocals tend to be less avant-garde and deep. Instead, she prefers a clearer avant-girl sound similar to groups like U Totem, After Dinner, Hatfield and the North, and National Health. And the use of backward vocal reverbs and a made-up language during some sections adds a scary, out of this world, element that I've rarely heard in rock music. Victoria and the Haruspex is in my 2002 Top 5 list. This avant-prog album takes its influences to a new level without falling trap to cliches and imitation.
--Steve Hegede
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Progressive
Ears
July 2002
How long is your attention span? In regard to that and
patience, Victoria and the Haruspex separates the "long"
from the "short" and the "haves"
from the "have nots." This CD from the Philadelphia-based
progressive music band, The Red Masque, could send commercial
radio programmers running and screaming for their lives.
It isn't just that the first song, the nearly 25 minute "Haruspex," lasts longer than the rest of the songs put together, either; they'd be terrified that the intro to this song takes a good three or four minutes, which is just about the lifespan of most chart toppin' hits.
But wait, there's more to the story. Versatile lead singer Lynette Shelley alternates between mountain singing, operatic singing, chanting and seemingly singing in tongues. Mate that with the band's tendency to travel through the twilight world of percussion and you can divide people who hear this CD into two groups: those who relish these lengthy compositions of bizarre music and those who will cover their ears and run in the opposite direction. Just for kicks, instead of the usual thundering bass occasionally heard throbbing in the car next to me (or you) at a red light, it might be fun to hear some Red Masque music blaring instead.
"Haruspex" is impossible to categorize, but until you hear it and make up your own mind, anticipate it as a sort of cosmic hoedown having no connection whatsoever with country music. It begins and ends with what sounds like the tinkling musical sounds of a mobile attached to an infant's crib. Between those ends lives a circus of sounds. "Why David, whatever do you mean?" you will inquire. Well, there's chirping, swirling, sliding metal, a crazed push-button phone, the banging of pots and pans, and the electronic plucking of chicken feathers; all of which (and more) sounds are made with musical instruments.
Coming from a clearly talented musician named Vonorn are various drum rhythms through much of it and Shelley's vocals take strange flights that enhance the otherworldly ambience of this opening cut. The idiosyncratic "Birdbrain" recalls Pink Floyd's "Astronomy Domine," but isn't close enough to render it bedridden with a case of plagiarism. While "Birdbrain," "Afterloss" and "Cenotaph" (for those who can't get enough of harp solos) are more accessible than "Haruspex," this disc is for patient adventurers of strange musical journeys.
Want to know more about the folks behind it all? Visit www.theredmasque.com, send feedback to theredmasque@yahoo.com and/or, in the comfort of your own home, purchase the CD by shopping at www.bigballoonmusic.com.
--Dave Lilly
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Aster
Farm Studio Diary
June 2002
Today I had the opportunity to do some CD mastering. The CD was the new album from The Red Masque, and it presented the greatest mastering challenge I've faced in my brief mastering career. That's because The Red Masque uses such a wide range of sounds. Most recording artists, when they record, try make music that's going to fit in the CD format, but The Red Masque is the kind of band that completely ignores any ideas of format. That kind of approach makes their music unique and refreshing to hear. It also means that it takes a few tricks to make it fit into the CD format comfortably without compromising the musical effect. To do that, I had to use some techniques and equipment I don't use all the time, but the end result was the same as any other mastering project I've done: it sounds like an album.
The boldness of their musical approach has been getting
The Red Masque quite a bit of attention in progressive
rock circles, and rightly so. I think many recording
artists, including myself, could stand to learn something
from their example.
--RICK ASTER
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Big
Balloon Music
by John Reagan
June 2002
Just released: "Victoria and the Haruspex" by The Red Masque. On this their second release, this band isn't standing still - only one song (Birdbrain) echoes the style of 2001's "Death of the Red Masque." This is their first full-length release (48 minutes) and it includes a 20+ minute jam reminiscent of KC, an acoustic number, and it finishes up with a beautiful solo harp piece. A must-have!
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Owl
Sounds
by Phil McKenna
June 2002
WARNING: If you like your prog safe, predictable, flowery and happy- slappy, or you are subject to heart palpitations or an uncontrollable desire to collect Lawrence Welk records, DO NOT LISTEN TO VICTORIA AND THE HARUSPEX!!!
If however, you do like your music full of unpredictable twists, sometimes subtle, sometimes jarring tonal shifts, otherworldly vocalizations and many other things, RUN OUT AND GRAB THIS CD!!!!!!!
This is a triumph for The Red Masque, an epic battle against predictability and falling into the ordinary and safe! It shows the band's continuing restlessness and eagerness to plumb many musical wells to create a brew uniquely its own.
Our
journey begins with an epic length improvisational
piece, "Haruspex". Starting with the sound
of a china doll's music box being wound up, along with
the urgent notes of a toy piano, the piece soon morphs
into a harrowing ride through soundscapes punctuated
with roiling, thunderous drums, VDGG-esque spook organ,
insistent growling bass and searing Frippian guitar
outbursts, and not to mention Lynnette Shelley's floating
Gilli Smyth inspired space/ghost whispers, all used
to wonderfully spooky effect! This would have been a
perfect background for a great suspense/spook movie,
or perhaps it's a soundtrack waiting for a movie to
be created specially for it. This piece however does
take some patience to navigate as there are gradual
builds, but the listener's patience is rewarded many
times over. And just as it began, it ends creepily with
that doll and a toy piano. Not for the faint of heart!!
"Birdbrain" is about as close to a conventional "rock song" as The Red Masque dares to get, at least at the outset. With words from a poem by Percy Bysshe Shelley, the band again starts on another harrowing yet exhilarating journey into the psyche of a caged bird. From there, the band's penchant for unexpected twists comes to the fore once again in a maelstrom of VDGG/ psychedelic inspired creative madness. with Lynnette Shelley's otherworldly deep alto pulling you along.
"Afterloss" is the most surprising cut on here, far removed from the chaotic maelstrom of the first two songs, a flamenco/Spanish tinged song of longing unfolds, with Lynette's impassioned unique "deep alto" voice painting the pain of the song's protagonist, accompanied by acoustic guitar.
"Cenotaph" closes out the disc in yet another unexpected way, as a piece for solo concert harp, brilliantly and lovingly executed by Nathan Andrew-Dewin. One cannot help but get misty eyed listening to this song with all it's longing and sadness.
Yes, it will leave you exhausted, yet strangely exhilarated. Not for the faint of heart, but for those who seek an adventure in listening! I cannot recommend Victoria and The Haruspex enough! A MUST HAVE!!
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Rec.Music.Progressive
June 2002
Yes, I got the CD at the PUMC and after listening found it to be an excellent release. The harp solo ending was superb and unexpected. Great, great CD and highly recommended!
-- Cerebus711