|
English reviews of Ugly Little Thing:
ZNR wrote:
"Think Niacin meets Mastermind meets Magellan and you get the idea! The guitarists is nothing short of amazing. The bass parts are played by the organist and he perfectly mimics a very hot bass player! The singing is very good too, with some nice harmonies here & there which aren't generally part of music like this. The band recalls probably many artists from the past but without making you think of anyone in particular which is certainly a big plus for this type of stuff. Anyway, they kept my foot tappin' & my brain alive!"
Sonicbond.com wrote:
"...this is amazing stuff, grungy / proggy / jazzy stuff, with excellent songwriting, and no lack of melody."
Ytsejam.com / Tommy Hash wrote:
"...Ugly Little Thing bounces back and forth between a progressive rock record and fusion record, where the music tends to have a fuller sound than what most would expect from a trio. Again with the cynicism, the improvisational skills, and the occasional pop element in there for hookline catchiness, Junk Farm is able to fill in all the gaps, where many power trios can’t."
Strutter Magazine wrote:
"...Anyway, this is a very good release, very diverse and interesting for the progfans, whom are open-minded and desire for a lot of diversity, although the band does not forget to add progmetal melodies. Conlusion, a recommended progmetal release! "
getreadytorock.com / Joe Geesin wrote:
"...Maybe it’s the metal rather than rock, maybe it’s the addition of funk, but this best (or is that least annoying?) fusion album I’ve heard in a long time. A lot of these ‘musos’ who want to go off on fusion supergroup projects could do a lot worse than to listen to this."
Reviews of the song An Eye For An Eye at the demo-check of the magazine Soundcheck:
"...Played cool, complex, but still with an eye for melody. Beautyful electronic elements."
(Jan Hoffman)
"...The chorus is superb, sounds great. Together you harmonize very well."
(Daniel Brandt)
Click here to read German reviews of Ugly Little Thing!
English reviews of Didn't Come to Dance:
www.seaoftranquility.org / Jon Neudorf wrote:
"The German band Junk Farm formed in 2001. Didn't Come To Dance is the follow up to their second album Ugly Little Thing, both released on the Quebec label Unicorn Digital. Although I have not heard their second release, from what I have read their new album is not a great departure, although the melodies may be a little stronger here. I have listened to this album a few times and can say this is an extremely melodic record.
This three piece 'power rock trio', as they have been referred to, consists of Benjamin Schippritt (guitars, vocals), Berthold Fehmer (organ, keyboards) and Michael Sticken (drums, percussion). The music on Didn't Come To Dance is chalk full of chugging guitar riffs, ripping guitar solos, stellar organ sounds and the steady drumming of Sticken keeping it all together. If you think that sounds heavy, you would be right but there is plenty of space for quieter moments and some of the melodies here will have you shuffling your feet and tapping your toes. These guys must have wrote the book on 'stick in your head' melodies. The music is hard to categorize as it touches on a few different styles like progressive metal ala Dream Theater, but mainly focuses on heavy melodic rock and funk with more than a slight nod to progressive rock. King's X came to mind while listening to many of these songs.
The band is as tight as can be, especially when the metal riffs do little twists and turns adding a progressive edge like in the heavy prog/funk of "10 Out Of 1" where ripping guitar solos and heavy riffs are the order of the day.
Check out the progressive metal of "Didn't Come To Dance" with its gritty vocals, catchy chorus, pounding rhythms and subtle organ rounding out the sound or the heavy funky grooves of "Still Not Dead" that has a strong King's X flavour. There is a strong fusion element in the instrumental "Music Police" where interesting drum patterns and tight guitar solos has the band at their progressive best.
The lyrics are also worth mentioning as they are as quirky as the band's music. Amongst the metallic riffs and melodic Hammond of "Chickbag" Schippritt sings:
"She's haunted by a curse
Always dreams about her purse
She never comes to rest
Which one fits the best?
She is full of stress
Which one enhances her dress?
Mirror, mirror on the wall
Who's got the tinniest of ..em all?"
Besides purses, the band touches on being a stalker, the advantage of love songs and the benefit of talking to yourself. Junk Farm does not take themselves too seriously but these guys have some serious talent and are another pleasant surprise of 2009.
If you like heavy progressive rock done with a large helping of metal riffs, hooks and funky grooves you need to hear Junk Farm's latest. Seriously recommended for the heavy progger in all of us."
www.ytsejam.com / Tommy Hash wrote:
"The power trio from hell is back to raise some more hell - but this time their musical monstrosity takes a more refined approach, pondering on both the metallic & melodic side of things. Didn't Come to Dance sees these guys moving into more prog-metal territories, as with their last album, Ugly Little Thing was more rooted in psycho jazz/rock-fusion - still the cynical lyrics still apply, heightening the musical expression to different levels.
Featuring guitarist/vocalist frontman Benjamin Schippritt, keyboardist/Hammond organist Berthold Fehmer (bass lines are played via pedals or keyboard sounds), & drummer Michael Sticken, the trio still plays out their odd time signatures and rapid key changes, yet the music remains more fluid and accessible this time around, coming complete with a more hook-laden edge to intensify the catchiness factor up several notches keeping these guys from being just this mere jam band/prog fusion hybrid. On the latest, they take the best of Niacin, Vander Graf Generator (minus sax), King's X & even Dream Theater to purvey their latest offering of sinister tunes.
The grooves of "10 of 1," "Love Song," "Take it Off," and the title track are constant to the metal edge that encompasses the album whilet he acoustic "Vacation Time," the eased back "Eurovision Song Incest" (which could be mistaken for a long lost King's X cut), & the full-on jam session of "Music Police" & the ballad "Where We are Going To" prove that there is more to this band than just trying to blow our minds with insane arrangements - making this one of the most intriguing fusion/metal hybrid bands around.
The one thing about Didn't Come to Dance is that this marks the last time that Junk Farm will remain rooted in the guitar vs. organ sound, as the website shows, a major lineup change has occurred with a new drummer and a regular bassist replacing the keyboards - with Schippritt remaining in the fold - this will certainly mark a major change for the band's sound on the next release, but the band, in this form made their mark."
www.kinesiscd.com wrote:
"Didn’t Come to Dance (2009) is not a radical change, but the songs and melodies here are much stronger and Junk Farm have put more work into the vocal arrangements, sometimes adding a Zappa feel to the proceedings."
Benjamin is endorser of:
www.pyramid-saiten.de
Ulf is endorser of:
www.dwdrums.com
www.zildjian.com
www.latinpercussion.com
www.remo.com
www.compact-monitors.de
www.agner-sticks.de
|
Online Now!
