[Review] Mr. Bison – Echoes From The Universe

Mr. Bison is an Italian band that combines Progressive Rock, Psychedelia, Stoner and Blues traits with a modern and original style. The new album “Echoes From The Universe” was released on February 16, 2024 via Heavy Psych Sounds Records and contains 7 long tracks. Opener “Child of the night sky” immediately immerses us in the band’s sound, showing the interweaving of Progressive and modern Psychedelia. The tempo changes are interesting and the structure of the song is constantly evolving, always maintaining a high intensity and alternating dynamic and incisive vocal parts with elaborate and technical instrumentals. The album’s shortest track “Collision” offers interesting interweaving of keyboards and guitar in pure Prog style. A track that combines engaging melodies, choral vocals and beautifully crafted, enveloping musical textures. “Dead in the eye” features a slow-moving rhythm section and deep sounds that increase in intensity as the song progresses. Interesting is the combination of retro Prog traits with modern heavy sounds, evolving and enriching the song with tempo changes and elaborate passages. The band is also skilful in this track in combining melodic parts, more atmospheric sounds in the instrumental sections with an interesting solo cue in the second part. A guitar arpeggio opens “Fragments,” evolving the track with layers of sound to which keyboards are added. The rhythm section is elaborated with load-bearing bass lines, and then develops into a fresh and modern style enriched by dynamic and expressive vocal parts. An introductory first minute opens “The Promise,” developed with fine guitar and keyboard work over an evolving rhythm section. With a change, the sound explores Heavy Rock sounds with space overtones, a driving rhythm and melodic vocals as counterbalance. An interesting guitar and synth interlacing in the finale concludes the track with an instrumental section with more electronic overtones. “The veil” is the longest track on the album at 7:21 minutes. An enveloping sounding track, with massive hypnotic guitar riffs, a warm and expressive vocal, enhancing and exploring all the msuical saccetures that make up the band’s style. Intense, deep and very intense and at the same time technical and elaborate, in my opinion the best track on the album so far. The tracklist termian with “Staring at the sun,” which opens with a deep and sombre sounding intro. Increasing the intensity as the minutes go by and incorporating well-constructed guitar work, the band creates an enveloping sound with an elaborate rhythm section full of technical passages. In the latter part they return to a softer, more progressive sound with melodic vocals that take us to the end of the album. A band that has its own personal style that is brought out in all its facets through the 7 tracks that make up the album’s intense tracklist. A good blend of genres and styles, combining retro and modern sounds thanks to the band’s personal and original style. A recommended listen for lovers of new trends in Prog mixed with Psychedelia, confirming the good things heard in their previous works.

Tracklist

01. Child of the night sky (05:15)
02. Collision (03:14)
03. Dead in the eye (07:04)
04. Fragments (05:41)
05. The Promise (07:15)
06. The veil (07:21)
07. Staring at the sun (05:23)

Lineup

Matteo Barsacchi / Guitar, Bass, Synth
Matteo Sciocchetto / Guitar, Bass, Voice
Lorenzo Salvadori / Drums
Davide Salvadori / Acoustic Guitars, Synth, Hammond, Mellotron, Bass

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