Melodic Revolution Records Series (#3)
Murky Red | Time Doesn’t Matter
Label: Melodic Revolution Records
Release Year: 2012
Country: Belgium
Genre: Progressive Stoner Rock
Band Members
Stef Flaming – Songwriting/Guitars & Vocals
Joery Masson – Drums
Yolanda Flaming – Keyboards & Vocals
Patrick Dujardin – Guitars
Tom Kockelmans – Bass
Marie Vancamp – Backing Vocals
Track Listing
I Came A Long Way
On New Years Day
Galadriel
Cold Outside
I Give You My Soul
Saturn
Last Chance Hotel
Willow Tree
Boots For Hire
Heal My Bleeding Heart
Black Beast Rising
Contact Links
Murky Red Official Melodic Revolution Records Profile
Murky Red Official Facebook Page
Murky Red Official YouTube Channel
Melodic Revolution Records Official Website
Melodic Revolution Records Official Store
Talk about a very modern band with a timeless sound, Murky Red are just that and much more. Murky Red are a band that takes the listener back to a time when rock have very little restrictions, radio DJ’s actually had a choice of what they wanted to air which allowed for some bands to make it on pure talent. Murky Red take you back to a time when music was not as fractured into a entire forest of sug genres and take the listener back to a time when rock was not only fun for the recording band or artist but fun for their audience as well.
Murky Red’s sound really stems out of the late 1960’s into the middle to latter part of the 1970’s. Some bands Murky Red have been compared to according to their sound are Pink Floyd, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, The Doors, Steppenwolf, Bad Company, Fleetwood Mac, Rival Sons, Gary Moore, Mark Knopfler, Snowy White, Nazareth, etc … They accomplish such a vintage sound while including some modern day elements such as progressive rock, stoner rock, light doom metal and psychedelic rock. Murky Red also are a band that has much more appeal to adults as many of their songs are more adult oriented in their lyrical subject matter. This is totally and completely evident with their very first release in 2012 Murky Red Time Doesn’t Matter from Melodic Revolution Records.
When Melodic Revolution Records CEO Nick Katona introduced me to Murky Red, I honestly did not know what to expect. Once I began to listen to it, I was instantly transported back to my earlier years of life mentally, spiritually and culturally. It was like I went back and started to raid my Baby Boomer parents’ vinyl collection and creep them off to my bedroom to my turntable. Murky Red’s sound truly embodies those earlier Led Zeppelin, The Who or even Deep Purple and Black Sabbath records I remember cutting my melodic teeth on as a child.
Before we take a more in depth look into Murky Red’s Time Doesn’t Matter I will say that this is the first of my Murky Red double presentation. Look forward to seeing a review also from their most recent 2015 release Murky Red No Pocus Without Hocus that will have a link to it at the end of this article. To some of you this review will be a revisit of Murky Red’s Time Doesn’t Matter, to others this will be a first time introduction.
Now let’s enter the tranquility of fuzzy distorted guitars and bass, old school vintage Hammond organs and take a step back when rock was allowed to breathe within various styles without much discrimination.A look into music with a real sense of humour about it. Let’s look at some highlights from Murky Red’s Time Doesn’t Matter.
I Came A Long Way takes off in a unconventional up tempo rhythm and stringed passage. It still maintains the classic fuzzy distortion elements with many many progressions in step with the bass drum. The vocal is unusually alternative in nature almost in the vein of Steve Kilbey from The Church of the 1980’s meets Paul Rogers of Bad Company. Lyrically the song can be taken as ones infatuation with a love interest. About the 3:11 mark the track goes into a heavy psychedelic passage with the Hammond organ styled keyboards. The guitar solo is brilliantly fuzzy yet ethereal.
On New Year’s Day begins with some wonderful synth atmospheres that are accented by semi electric atmospheric passages. The guitar comes in with a more crunchy distortion that is accompanied by a very tuned down rhythm section. The harmony between the instrumental and vocals is setup to not overwhelm the listener but to allow for the listener to be drawn into the band’s main focus and objective. The guitars and rhythm sections apply layers of atmospheres.
Galadriel begins with a very dingy tuned down guitar that is almost a two fold passage of both rhythm and lead guitar. On a lyrical front the band display’s such a sense of humor in their message. This is more of a track in the vein of a stoner vibe. The female backing vocal adds a very unique and wonderful feminine quality to the song. The subtle drums within the solo is a very under rated progression on the track as well.
Cold Outside starts out in a more bluesy rhythmic chord progression. It even is so bluesy it almost has a Zydeco sound you would hear from New Orleans. The raunchy chord progressions remind me of a lot of earlier Stevie Ray Vaughn. This maintains all the atmospheric staples within the composition. The vocal is partially a melodic vocal and a semi spoken word vocal as if it is telling a story to the listener. There is also some very thought provoking subject matter lyrically. It also has a heavily psychedelic influence passage for the outro.
I Give You My Soul starts off with a very upbeat Neal Young vibe. The female vocal really takes a more progressive direction much like a Renata Knaupf of Amon Dull ii or even Annie Halsam from Renaissance with a little Joni Mitchell. Even in its modern form the track pays wonderful homage to vintage singer songwriting from the latter 1960’s .
Saturn starts out with a very lush piano guitar stringed passage. This track demonstrates the band’s wide diverse talent to play a little of everything. The vocals are really soulful. The rhythm sections really take you are a true adventure within the confines of 5:20. The guitar solos layer many atmospheres to establish a well talented progression.
Last Chance Hotel has almost a Johnny Cash storytelling vibe about it. Instrumentally it is a cross between Cream and Grand Funk Railroad with a twist of Chickenshack in it. The track is very heavy on the psychedelic and blues side while keeping a uptempo rhythm section to it.
Willow Tree is a very beautiful lush ballad on the album. The female vocal adds such a perfect feminine quality to it. This track has a very strong mass appeal that a little bit of every audio pallet is able to digest. The layers of atmospheres make this a very easy to follow track as well.
Boots For Hire continues with the lush atmospheres. This starts out with subtle drum beats with a beautiful synth right in step with it. The lead guitar opens up with a solo right at the top along with the subtle start. The guitar soon takes a very Sabbath doom laden progression. Lyrically this is a song about military service in war. The rhythm sections are as if a march is going on. There are some nice breaks and interchanges featuring brief moments of every instrument isolated. Soon the track takes off like a steam train and soon kicks the listeners ass with blistering passages. It soon takes a drop and the instrumental becomes more subtle as the vocal continues the story.
Heal My Bleeding Heart takes a very psychedelic direction with the opening passage. This reminds me a lot of Led Zeppelin meets Jefferson Airplane. It is a rocker, a bluesy track with the solo’s with the psychedelic atmospheres laced throughout the passages. Once again this one is heavy on solo’s that allow the listener a very relaxed listen. There is also some very subtle yet fine percussion work that lays back creating a soothing rhythmic passage.
Black Beast Rising starts out with some really heavy Floydian psychedelic influence with the guitar solos and vocal chants used more as instruments than actual vocals.The lead vocal finally comes into play as well as a very smooth rhythm progression. The guitar really takes on both a lead and rhythm based psychedelic vibe. This track is one of the more atmospheric and cleaner tracks that has of the lesser distorted fuzzy sections as the previous track.
As I was really allowing this to sink in, I felt transported back to rock’s past while still listening to a band and album that was just as modern and relevant as anything within the progressive, stoner and psychedelic rock communities. Murky Red may draw most inspiration from the past with their sound but make no mistake they absolutely do not sound dated. I appreciate and enjoy their modern approach. I also like the sense of humor they articulate lyrically within their music. I am giving Murky Red’s Time Doesn’t Matter a 4.5/5 .
For Part 2 Click Melodic Revolution Records Series 3.2 No Pocus Without Hocus
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLnVI7oIWQQ]
Video Courtesy of (Murky Red Official YouTube Channel)
