Review: Monster Killed By Laser - Hall Of Spheres

It's gotta be said that 2017 is shaping up to be a pretty damned good one for the Eggs In Aspic label..so many quality releases so far and that run would appear to be continued with this latest one. The fantastically named Monster killed By Laser are a Leeds based four piece who draw influence from "Brooding soundtracks, pompous prog rock, audacious big riffs" and they have produced a little gem in the shape of 'Hall Of Spheres'.

The brief 'Black Lodgings' is a portentous track that draws on seventies horror soundtracks: a dark, deep drone is overlaid with dread laden keyboards...it is right up my boulevard, I just wish it were longer. 'Hall Of Spheres' breaks the spell with a nice slice of retro sounding prog - keyboards straight from the seventies combined with some muscular progressive rock but about halfway through it morphs into something faster and heavier, almost bordering on progressive metal but never quite straying out of the pomp and bluster of prog. 'Vermilion Sands' opens with what sounds like a squadron of Lancaster bombers flying overhead before the band break into more seventies influenced music, this time drawing on some of the wonderful cosmic electronica that was coming out of Europe (could have nicely fit onto the 'Cosmic Machine' comps) but it carries with it an air of suspense. 'Temples of Humankind' is a belter of a track...more riff infused prog that cracks along at a fair lick; the drums are pummeled heavily producing a bracing rhythm around which the guitar and keys create another bombastic retro progstravaganda! The last track is 'She Wilts' which, as you'd imagine from the title, is a mournful piece built around some ace synths that sound straight out of a seventies sci-fi movie..it is a plaintive, melancholic track but also pretty damned ace!

'Hall Of Spheres' is a wonderful collection of tracks, all inspired in different measures by music from the seventies, whether that be the pioneering electronica from that era or the more ostentatious progressive side of things. It is all carried off with a large amount of charm and the feeling that it has all been done out of a genuine love for the music. It is a great tape and, as alluded to previously, continues the run of innovative, creative music released by Eggs In Aspic. It is released on August 18th but can be pre-ordered via the label's Bandcamp page here.