| CD REVIEW PN |
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Band: PN Now what more can be said about PN without falling into superlatives and national chauvenistism? I mean, in their genre they are quite unique in Belgium. They started back in Autumn 1992, the original bandname being Portie Nootjes and playing a somewhat “simpler” mixture of punk Rock and Hardcore, primarily influenced by the likes of Bad Religion (and other more “complex” Hardcore acts). However, from the start it was clear that this band would not be limited to any musical constraints, the individual musicians wanting to incorporate additional influences as their progress as musicians would allow it! As it so happens, I’ve followed this band from its humble beginnings, and after a couple of demos followed December 1996’s Romance, which already showed an extra hint of Metal influences which impressed enough people to allow PN to play a shitload of shows all over Bellgium. The ensuing Daybreak Serenity (released late 1998)showed a shift in the band’s influences towards a mixture of Newschool Hardcore and passionate, emotionally driven vocals. In January 1999 the band records 3 tracks for a split with Reply, Circle, and Exit Nineteen, the songs showing a further shift of influences, the vocals becoming even more emotional and driven (say Screamo for good measure). During 2000 the band records for the first time with Dirk Miers at his Dé Studio, and although the resulting album was still loàded with melody, Our Pitiful Paradise became the most heavy outing PN made up to that moment! One year later PN is again in the studio, this time to combine half a dozen new songs with live videos recorded at the 2000 Pukkelpop gig to make the Dreamwave Heroes mini-CD. Working up to the next recording, PN slow down their concert agenda booking, thus freeing time to work more elaborately on new material…and late 2002’s 6-tracker The Art Of Being We clearly shows the effort put into the album, with traces of the progressive influences from such artists as Neurosis…or rather early Isis (it even impresses enough to entice US label Life Sentence into licencing the mini-album, PN recording some extra songs and adding the Dreamwave Heroes EP to make this US release a bit more interesting). In early 2004 PN feels like experimenting a bit, and invites piano player Tom Bessemans to the rehearsal studio. Re-arranging some old songs and writing a couple of new semi-acoustic tracks, the band plays this set during a special 5-gig tour, recording the last session at Hasselt’s Muziek-O-Droom venue to become the track-list for the September 2005 released live album Live At The MOD. 2006 sees the band venture in an even wider array of calm-versus-aggressive music, adding more and more Progressive and atmospheric elements into that year’s album Through Satin Veil Gropes Desire. Personally, I liked what I heard só much that, having already bought the CD, I also hunted down a copy of the vinyl version of the album! The new album is very much a continuation of the band’s drift to experimentation (during 2007 and 2008, they’ve put together quite a few ideas, dismissed just as many, and were left with something that is unparalleled in their career), although I’m sure many people already familiar with the band’s previous releases might lift an eyebrow or two at a first listening session! Let’s go over the album track-by-track, shall we? “Let The Muse Respond” opens the album with an atmopheric intro (including also djembe play) before growing into a Progressive mid-paced Post-Hardore tainted passage with lead singer Johan Quinten’s clean vocals contrasting against his brother (also the guitarist of the band) Bert’s shouted growls (he also puts in a couple of clean backings though)…and ending with something which is actually rather close to Stoner Rock/ Metal! The ensuing “Stone Roses, Dead Gardens” sees that Stoner-style return, evidently with a very pominent bass, and again with contrasting vocals. These two heavier tracks past, it’s time for a calmer interlude, starting with the beautiful “Pull Out Of This Story” (during which Bert’s backing vocals are clean only). The ensuing album title track is the one that might have you being amazed at first listen, as it’s an acoustic track in which the music is provided by Bert playing piano, and one Beatrijs De Klerck doing the same with her violin. Vocals on this track are done entirely by one Annelies Tanghe, a young Leuven based artist with the sexiest raspy/ hoarse voice you’ve ever heard (formerly of Rock act JinXS, she also contributed backing vocals to the song “De Laatste Keer on the 2008 Nagelbijter album of DutchPop singer Sam Janssens – currently going under the nickname of Iza, she should have her debut solo effort out soon…and you can be sure I’ll be one of the many people wanting to check that out. Now if that stirred your interest, check out myspace.com/tangheannelies), even if the somewhat sedate song is also the most melancholic one on the album! “Unleash The Lions” continues in the calmer vein, although with somewhat more distorted guitar (not quite atmospheric, but not quite heavy either), and the nicest “ooh-ooh” backings you’ve ever heard this band do! A return to the atmospherically calm/heavy repetitive/ Progressive comes with the ensuing “How Can I Be You”, which has a focal role for the more aggressive vocals, even if Johan still brings in a couple of clean passages as well! Actually, there’s even a passage where the two blend together with a third, weirdly monotonous/ melancholic, one. The heavy atmospheric mood continues with Favours And Favourites”, for which part of Johan’s clean vocals were put through a vocoder; second vocals are courtesy of a raging Bert again! This track being 6:43 long (longest on the album) then allows for a calmer (2-minute) interlude (during which the vocoder is switched off), but again grows towards an explosion of emotions towards the end of the song! Album closing track (“What,” you’ll say, “that soon?”…well, the album only lasts just under 34 minutes, would you believe?) “Mise En Abime” is an atmospheric instrumental, in which the starring role is first laid upon bassist Jimmy Van Rietvelde (drummer Jurgen Vermaelen showing considerable and admirable restraint throughout the track), the guitarist playing at that moment rather etherically. When the latter comes to the fore halfway the track (which is only 128 seconds in length anyway) the bass still remains poundingly present, albeit in atmospheric terms! For a preview of the new material, you can surf to myspace.com/pn666, where the band not only posted a 3-minutes album teaser, but also the full “How Can I Be You”, and a pre-production version of the track “Stone Roses, Dead Gardens” (funny how that song grew…or rather, was cut down to the essensials…with time). Not much no go on? Well, if PN is new to you, there’s also 3 additional tracks off previous albums! I’ve always had a special place for this band in my heart, even at the very beginning, but I have to admit it’s the band’s musical prowess which won me over to including their material in my year-lists! By the way, the copy Johan handed me over came in a somewhat weird package, with the album wrapped in a poster-size packing paper, laid in a cigar box with the essential artwork printed on. Nice, very nice…but I suppose it’s a limited edition of the album! Can’t wait to go get myself a vinyl copy of the album as well! 98/100 Tony. |