Cosmiclava where the lava flows

If here weren't the cleanly, vivid production then one could guess that this Swedish band would derive from the early 70's, but TDBO exsists since 2003 and this is their first album, which has been released by Record Heaven/Transubstans Records in 2008. Right from the start of the opener 'Dance', it's obvious that a booming hammond organ plays a decisive role here and that's it's not only a decorative attachment. So it's clear that they're at home in the same territory like Atomic Rooster and Uriah Heep, whereas some of the ten songs are considerably more progressive than the aforementioned two groups. TDBO incorporated more jazz, folk and a lot of blues as for example in the boogie-oriented 'Trota di mare'. Frequently TDBO is very playful and the balance between explosive, steaming heaviness and relaxed hippy-vibes is the reason for a varied listening pleasure. This can happen during a song, but much more it characterizes the whole album. I prefer the driving songs and heavy moments, but that's only because of my personal musical preferences, and not because the band's fails when playing softer. The vocals of Alexander Frisborg owns a very special charm, which maybe will not appeal to everyone, but I like his voice because it makes the overall sound more self-contained. When Daniel Karlsson is using the mellotron, King Crimson cross one' mind but the group is never losing the own identity. The complete album was recorded almost live in the studio, what is a further proof for the excellent chemistry and the technical skills of this five young musicians. Even if a few passages are a bit too cheesy for my taste, this is a highy advisable album that should be interesting for all fans of heavy organ-driven progressive rock.
(KK)
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