When your band has got seven members, the possibilities for creative input are huge; but sometimes, an idea won’t match a bands vision or its creative direction, so more often or not this is how side projects start…but it’s rare you’ll find a side project form from within the same band. In the case of JESS AND THE ANCIENT ONES, (an alternative psychedelic rock outfit from Kuopio, Finland) that’s exactly what happened when guitarist Thomas Corpse decided to start THE EXPLODING EYES ORCHESTRA, borrowing five of the seven existing members…a band within a band...that’s some Inception type shit right there! 2015 saw them release the first installment of their already planned saga, aptly titled “I”…let’s see what they’re all about…
We get underway with a track called “The Smoke” and It’s clear they've retained the psych elements of the band, it’s just been toned down a touch in terms its rockier aspects. The bass has some prominent groove fueling the track and it’s got a slight retro feel to it as a whole, if you can imagine THE DEVIL’S BLOOD and GHOST, you’d be on the right track, it’s a strong start. “Crazy Heart” slows things right down into a deep, despairing ballad of sorts, it’s bluesy but the addition of the piano gives it a subtle romantic touch, and despite its somber nature, it’s a lovely song and an album highlight.
Tracks such as “Drawing Down The West” and “Black Hound” keep things stripped back and mellow, the latter having a slight stoner-rock vibe, a lot of spoken-word content and quotes among the blues-inspired jazz tones of the track, sounding like it came straight from the darkest corners of Louisiana, while “Two-Zero 13” is a much harder guitar driven track, providing an album highlight of contrasting nature, ensuring that really there’s something for everyone here, for the most part at least. Essentially, all that’s happened is …The Ancient Ones have shed two members and toned down their material. The album however is a pleasant one, the tracks are a tad lengthy overall but that won’t bother too many people and there’s really nothing explosive here at all…with the second installment planned for release next year we’ll just have to see how or if they’ll evolve further. [6]
We get underway with a track called “The Smoke” and It’s clear they've retained the psych elements of the band, it’s just been toned down a touch in terms its rockier aspects. The bass has some prominent groove fueling the track and it’s got a slight retro feel to it as a whole, if you can imagine THE DEVIL’S BLOOD and GHOST, you’d be on the right track, it’s a strong start. “Crazy Heart” slows things right down into a deep, despairing ballad of sorts, it’s bluesy but the addition of the piano gives it a subtle romantic touch, and despite its somber nature, it’s a lovely song and an album highlight.
Tracks such as “Drawing Down The West” and “Black Hound” keep things stripped back and mellow, the latter having a slight stoner-rock vibe, a lot of spoken-word content and quotes among the blues-inspired jazz tones of the track, sounding like it came straight from the darkest corners of Louisiana, while “Two-Zero 13” is a much harder guitar driven track, providing an album highlight of contrasting nature, ensuring that really there’s something for everyone here, for the most part at least. Essentially, all that’s happened is …The Ancient Ones have shed two members and toned down their material. The album however is a pleasant one, the tracks are a tad lengthy overall but that won’t bother too many people and there’s really nothing explosive here at all…with the second installment planned for release next year we’ll just have to see how or if they’ll evolve further. [6]
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