Style: avant-garde jazz, drone metal, experimental (mixed vocals)
Recommended for fans of: Swans, Sunn O))), Secret Chiefs III, Sun Ra
Review by: Josh
Country: Belgium
Release date: 26 June 2020
[EDITOR’S NOTE: This review was originally published in the June 2020 Part 1 issue of The Progressive Subway.]
Neptunian Maximalism truly live up to their name. This is a two-hour-long, three-disc album of pure avant-jazz metal, with all vocals sung in a constructed language, with lyrics about an alternate version of Earth ruled by sentient elephants. I’ll be damned if that isn’t the most prog thing I’ve ever heard.
But what actually is this? Sure, those words mean things, but what the hell do they mean when put together like that? First and foremost, this is a jazz album. Everything else is layered on top of that core sound of sax, bass, and dual drummers, each absolutely massive. The first thing that the listener hears when putting on this album is the obese baritone sax, tone as fat as the one off of Charles Mingus’s rendition of Moanin’, blasting a simple but mesmerizing riff into their ears. From there we’re greeted with an all-out aural assault from the percussionists, hammering off a cacophonous soundscape that serves as the metaphorical army to the saxophone’s sultan. The track lurches back and forth, the sound swelling and swelling until it peaks, the sax letting out soaring, ear-piercing screeching over the Middle Eastern-esque drumming, and then it all stops, flowing into track two, which opens with an incredibly technical riff from the bassist, the perfect intro for the fourth member of the band. That sound alone, progressing onwards, is enough for a whole album by itself, but Neptunian Maximalism aren’t putting out just one album here, no, they’re doing three. As the album goes on, we’re greeted with a myriad of percussion instruments, tribal shouts, blood-curdling growls, synths, and all sorts of ambient noise. Truly, maximalism.
The songs embody that word as well, with most tracks lurching well over the six-minute mark, leaving themselves ample time to evolve and progress, and boy oh boy do Neptunian Maximalism take their time. Their drone influences are on full display here, as riffs and drum patterns repeat on and on, slowly but unsurely changing. Expect frequent, extended solos, often extending far beyond the minute mark. Again, this is a jazz album for the most part, and one going into this expecting headbangable riffs will be disappointed. To enjoy this album, one must take it all in and give it all the time it asks for.
But is there such a thing as overmaximalism? Potentially, yes. If you don’t have the patience to sit down for two entire hours or the patience to listen to extended drone tracks, this album probably isn’t for you. It is most definitely not a daily driver, and one who appreciates it will probably listen to it sparingly. I’ll be honest, it wore me out several times throughout my listening experience. It takes time to get through as well as attention, as putting it on as background music mutes the subtleties and makes it feel too repetitive. If you’re considering listening to Eons, keep this in mind.
I don’t feel comfortable rating this album. There’s just too much going on here for me to reasonably assign a score to it in the time I’ve had to review it.
Recommended tracks: You’re either in it for all two hours or you aren’t in it at all
You may also like: yeah idk about this one
Final verdict: N/A
Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | RYM page
Label: I, Voidhanger – Bandcamp | Facebook | Official Website
Neptunian Maximalism is:
– Guillaume Cazalet (amplified guitar, vocals)
– Jean Jaques Duerinckx (baryton sax and sopranino)
– Didié Nietzsch (digital soundscape, spectral)
– Reshma Goolamy (amplified bass guitar)
– Joaquin Bermudez (amplified saz)
– Romain Martini (amplified guitar)
– Lucas Bouchenot (percussions)
– Stephane Fedele (drums)
– Alice Thiel (synth)
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