Progressive Reviews

By The Pricking Of My Thumb
WHERE ECHOES END

Where Echoes End are :
Eddie Katz : Keyboards, Sampling, Sequencing, Bass Guitar, Vocals & Orchestral Cymbals
Paul Read : Keyboards, Sequencing, Sampling, Vocals, Electric & Acoustic Guitar

Mark Rachelle : Additional Loops & Synth Strategies

Tracklisting :
Part I. "To The Enlightened Man"
The Right Brain Experience
1. Disengage....Disengage....Disengage

Part II. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
Engine Of Evolution
1. Ripples On A Stagnant Pond.
2. Life As A Animation.

Part III. "The Face In The Mirror"
Skin Encapsulated Ego
1. Inventor Of The Invisible World.
2. Terra Incognita.
3. I Tell The Truth, Even When I lie.
4. Opinions Divided.
5. A Cast Of Thousands.
6. Only In War
7. Our Lowest Ebb (i) - Denial. (ii) - Animosity.
8. Our Lowest Ebb (iii) - Negotiated Control. (iv) - Depression.
9. Syndication I - Prologue
10. Syndication II - Their Anguish, our Entertainment.

Part IV. "And Oh How We Long To Escape"
Blurred Boundaries
1. Trust Me.
2. I'm Here But I'm Not All There.
3. A Stranger To Reason.
4. The Human Condition.
5. Ad Infinitum.

Part V. "Wild Imaginings"
Infinite Shades Of Gray 1. Reengage....Reengage....Reengage.

By The Pricking Of My Thumb is a concept album about life and the desire of man to have more power, more money, more sex and more control. Topics covered on the album include, Crime, Corruption, Violence, Rape, Murder, Genocide, War and much more....

The music I can only describe as Avante Garde, Electronic, Tribal with influences such as White Noise (70's Electronic Band), Tangerine Dream, Hawkwind, David Bryne/Brian Eno, Prodigy and probably many more....

The album is split into 5 parts with each part having been split into a number of tracks. Part I. "To The Enlightened Man"
The Right Brain Experience
1. Disengage....Disengage....Disengage

Haunting keyboards combined with vocals which are narrated in a similar way to a few Hawkwind tracks, Church Of Hawkwind, Warrior On The Edge Of Time. Towards the end of the track, a heavy drum beat comes in whilst the eerie keyboard effects mesmorise over the top. the track then fades out to the sound of birds singing.

Part II. "Endless Forms Most Beautiful"
Engine Of Evolution
1. Ripples On A Stagnant Pond.
This track starts with some chanting, an african tribal drum beat is playing. (the same drum beat is played on Ratamahatta : Sepultura). There's a deep bass synth reminiscent of a White Noise track 'An Electronic Storm In Hell'. Also the sampled voices remind me of 'My Life In The Bush Of Ghosts' : Brian Eno/ David Byrne.

2. Life As A Animation.

Sampled voices, excellent keyboard work with some great stereo effects. Some of the keyboard work give the impression of a fairground ride.

Part III. "The Face In The Mirror"
Skin Encapsulated Ego
1. Inventor Of The Invisible World.
Strong keyboards and vocals. Vocals have an Eastern feel to them and there's some sampled voices too.

2. Terra Incognita

Sampled voice followed by keyboards, with a heavier sounding keyboard coming in over the top. More sampled voices talking about Religion and Scientists

3. I Tell The Truth

Starts with some atmospheric keyboards, the sampled voices talk about Native Americans or First Nation as they are now known. Indian Chants, heavy drum sound with some great keyboards in the background.

4. Opinions Divided

Starts with some sampled voices, the sound of a heartbeat and then your told a very disturbing story about Emma Eckstein, a a patient of Sigmund Freud, the music is quite eerie and haunting and later changes to a heavier keyboard sound and the track ends with the sound of a heartbeat.

5. A Cast Of Thousands.

Piano, voices are fairly quiet, changes to atmospheric keyboards, sampled voices are in German with a piano playing in the background.

6. Only In War.

Heavy keyboards, church organ, multi-layerd keyboard track and as you can guess from the ttle the voices talk about war.

7. Our Lowest Ebb (i) - Denial. (ii) - Animosity.
Multi-layered strong keyboards, with the sampled voices talking about terrorism

8. Our Lowest Ebb (iii) - Negotiated Control. (iv) - Depression.
Nice keyboards and flute, sampled voices talk about Abortions and Executions.

9. Syndication I - Prologue
Starts with some nice keyboards,which is followed by a disco type drum sound,with sampled voices over the top.
10. Syndication II - Their Anguish, our Entertainment.

Heavy keyboard sound, middle eastern style voices, heavy guitar, acopustic guitar combine to make an interesting, atmopspheric track. some of the keyboards are reminiscent of Jean Michel Jarre.

Part IV. "And Oh How We Long To Escape"
Blurred Boundaries
1. Trust Me.
Sampled voices, strong keyboards ounds , keyborad effects and the subject ir Racism.

2. I'm Here But I'm Not All There.
Nice keyboard effects with an unusual sequence being played. Quite chilling and haunting.

3. A Stranger To Reason.
starts with a phone ringing, car hor, the sound of a person answering the phone, then the whole sequence is repeated whilst this is going on there are some nice keyboards, agian similar to Jean Michel Jarre being played in the background.

4. The Human Condition.

Native Indian sounds, with strange keyboard sounds quite eerie and haunting

5. Ad Infinitum.

The Prodigy meets Jean Michel Jarre for this track. Techno type drums with some excellent atmospheric keyboards with some weird kweyboard effects over the top.

Part V. "Wild Imaginings"
Infinite Shades Of Gray 1. Reengage....Reengage....Reengage.

Combining piano, strange keyboard effects, fades out to the sound of drums and bass.

Well, what can i say. This album conveys images to the listener such as

But I loved it, but then I like listening to Bands/Artists/Musicians that want to create something a little bit different. We have here musical influences ranging from Celtic and Classical to heavier, progressive styles of music. This is an album to be listened to and what an experience you will get.

One of the albums of the year so far...
But that is only my opinion...

Contact : Where Echoes End: c/o Eddie Katz
2 Auravale Rd Menzies Creek, 3159, VIC, Australia

Website : http://people.myplace.net.au/~echoes/frame.html