DRH – Thin Ice
- Posted on 24-11-2018
This intricate and layered musical offering by the French ensemble is a rewarding listen. Comprised of four studio cuts and two live tracks, "Thin Ice" is a highly eccentric and eclectic mix of rather trippy prog metal, jazz, and 70s-inspired prog rock. Saxophones crash and collide with sharp guitars and deliciously groovy bass lines while the drumming is seriously intense. There are twists and turns aplenty within DRH’s strange musical sphere, but the surreal soundscapes conjured up by these noble French geeks are as rich on atmosphere as they are on clever melodies and arrangements. Some parts bring to mind Yes and the mighty King Crimson while others sound as if Steven Wilson is having a seriously heavy breakdown and freaking out completely in the recording studio.
"Thin Ice" is a lot to absorb and occasionally even too much to digest, but when in the right frame of mind this stuff totally works for me and I find it both nicely challenging and musically rewarding. We are essentially dealing with a jazz/prog rock/prog metal opus with nods to Frank Zappa, the aforementioned Crimson, and the likes, but filtered through DRH’s own unique approach to writing edgy music. Feeling experimental? Check this explosion of creativity out.