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FREAK NEIL INC - "Characters", 2005 (Lion Music)

THIS is the sound of progression.

I feel all warm and fuzzy inside when an album like this comes along. Bassist and chapman sticker Rob van der Loo (SUN CAGED) has put together what just might be the progressive metalhead’s wet dream. If the names of some of his guest musicians such as Steve DiGiorgio (DEATH, SADUS, TESTAMENT, oh, you know him), Sean Malone (CYNIC, GORDIAN KNOT, AGHORA) and James Murphy (DEATH, OBITUARY, CANCER, TESTAMENT, you know him too) mean anything to you, then you have some idea of what to expect, right? Actually, you’d be wrong, because you’re going to wind up getting a hell of a lot more for your dollar here.

What really set this album apart from other so-called progressive projects are two major aspects: one, the foundation of this one is the bass. I’ve always felt that the bass guitar is a highly underrated instrument in rock music, and having it in the forefront while maintaining a coherent musical vibe that even the casual fan can relate to is highly commendable. Second, the execution is superb. Like a lot of these projects, Mr. van der Loo wants to go for the “weird” thing with digital effects and unorthodox song structure, but here “weird” means “something that the listener has never heard before that keeps them interested from beginning to end” as opposed to “overpowering zaniness that alienates the listener”.

Oh, and do you want cohesive music drawing influence from all sorts of genres? Well, you’ve got it! Apart from the standard progressive metal wanking, you’ve got some grinding distorted bass with odd time signatures, similar to MESHUGGAH only more listenable. And yes, there’s plenty of jazz influence here—you know, in the way that CYNIC succeeded in doing it way back when. Hell, you’ll also get a bit of techno percussion (“I Understand”) which manages to sound appropriate. Even the vocals fit well here: you get traditional male metal vocals, growling, and beautiful female vocals…sometimes all three in the same song! Not even the ballad (“Beyond the Garden”) is boring, as the purdy vocals of Irene Jansen and the resonating taps of the chapman stick sound relaxing yet still intriguing. Everything is played masterfully, not just from Mr. van der Loo and his big name guest stars, but from the foundation of all the SUN CAGED and STAR ONE/AYREON members who play everything else.

Now this album actually came out way back in October of ’05 (yeah, I know, we’re only human at PDM), and had I heard this earlier it’s highly possible that this little gem would have wound up in my Top 10 list of the year. It’s that good. So I’m gonna do you a favor and shut the hell up now so you can do yourself a favor and start listening now.

- Grim Analyst www.peacedogman.com

FREAK NEIL INC. - Characters
Lion Music

Release Date: OUT NOW

by: JEREMY JULIANO

Email: jeremy@metalexpressradio.com

Freak Neil Inc. is the brainchild of Sun Caged bassist Rob van der Loo. This is Rob’s second solo outing; his first being an EP entitled Six Arms. With Characters, Rob has expanded his solo concepts by involving a plethora of musicians and by adding vocals to the disc. Be assured this material is not made of Sun Caged leftovers. The songs are explorative and bold in their expressionism. If you are familiar with Rob’s playing in Sun Caged, you know what an amazing talent he is. Playing bass on his custom Conklin 9 string bass, or using his two-handed fretting instrument, the Chapman Stick, Rob stands apart from most rock bassists.

Each track on the album represents its own character and how they deal with their own frustrations in life, hence the album title. You may have to broaden your horizons to accept this concept. “Jaba” and “Talking Chair” are possible character names, but titles like “Café Supreme” and “I Understand” don’t connect to personality traits. However, each song is definitely its own entity.

To help give the different tracks their own identity, there is a who’s who of guest musicians helping Rob on this release. Steve Digiorgio and Sean Malone lend their bass talents when Rob is busy handling the stick. Ron Baggerman brings his own stick to the mix, and Chris Godin, James Murphy, and Marcel Coenen offer their skills on guitar. Joost van der Broek appears on keys and Roel van Helden handles all of the drums. On vocals, Irene Jensen, Andre Vuurboom, Arjen Anthony Lucassen, and Nick Hameury all contribute to give each “character” their own voice.

As you may have imagined, there is a lot of bass on this record, and Rob certainly doesn’t disappoint; every song features either a catchy bass rhythm, or a bass solo, or both. The way it is presented may catch many by surprise, for instance, in the midst of the thrashing beats of “Jaba,” the whole song takes an unexpected turn, going into a big-band swing rhythm. On “Downtown,” the feel is more of a modern Jazz disc than Prog-Rock. Van der Loo certainly uses his solo outing to explore many genres.

With each song being its own personality, the album never develops any pinpointed cohesiveness, resulting in an album that could have been a collection of various artists. Perhaps there should have been a few less characters and a few more chapters, and then the story would have better taken shape. Ultimately, it is a collection of songs which seem to be vehicles for the artist to test the waters of possibility; in the case of van der Loo, it is exciting to hear his talents displayed. This is not going to be the kind of disc that winds up in your CD player for a couple of weeks; it is more of the occasional listen. In the end, it is an amazing display of talent, which is unique enough to keep even a casual listener entertained.

www.metalexpressradio.com

Freak Neil Inc – Charactors

2005 Lion Music

Uh Oh, here comes another project that is hard to categorize, but it’s a good thing, seeing how these guys are doing their own thing and not trying to be a carbon copy of sorts. Lets begin by saying that Freak Neal Inc is a project of Sun Caged bassist Rob Van Der Loo, where friends such as Arjen Anthony Lucassen, James Murphy, Sean Malone, and Irene Jansen among many others are brought along for this ride, so there is no telling what might go on in this recording. Regardless, it is not this massive sub symphonic concept album, it is a record that Van Der Loo has made with the intention of creating his own symphony, with whatever means of melodic endeavors that might come into mind. Sure they meld math metal, avant-garde, and experimental fusion that incorporate everything from hardcore to industrial to Goth, with no need for any individual labeling. Freak Neil Inc are sort of this hyperactive moniker of alchemic insanity where they instigate hard driving metal guitars with electronic blips and samples here and there to literarily push the boundaries of art metal to limits.

Minded with psuedo-techno textures (‘I Understand’), dark grooves (‘I’m the Hero’), aggression (‘Jaba’), jam sessions (‘Café Supreme’ and ‘Downtown’), and even ethereal balladry (‘Beyond the Garden’), the record goes all over the place. It is almost like the title of the record denotes what each song is, a ‘Character’ itself, although the album should not be conceived as a record in that faction. Highly recommended for fans of Devin Townsend, Steve Vai’s ‘out there’ material, Mars Volta, Event, and Spiral Architect, Rob Van Der Loo has created a new breed of experimental chaos to the table that ponders upon the ultimate aural aggravation; much welcome.

Added: November 21st 2005
Reviewer: Tommy Hash www.ytsejam.com
Score:
Related Link: Rob Van Der Loo Link

Rob Van Der Loo's Freak Neil Inc.

'Characters'