WATERCLIME 'IMAGINATIVE' (LION MUSIC)
Basically
the band WATERCLIME is a certain Mr V (mainman of the band
VINTERSORG), who does everything on his own (Guitars, Bass,
Vocals, Keyboards, Organs, Mellotron & Programming,
production, mixing and mastering!!!) on the 2nd WATERCLIME
album. The result is a surprisingly great Neo-Progressive
Rockalbum which sounds like it was created by a true
progband in the sense of IQ, SYLVAN, PENDRAGON... Songs like
"Vision or Void", "Moonstream Portrait", "A Journey to the
Center of the Soul" and "Twilight" will easily find it's way
to all the Neo-Progfans. Progfans should check this out
definitely, more info at:
www.lionmusic.com/artists/waterclime.htm
(Points: 8.2 out of 10)
Strutter Zine, Netherlands
Waterclime -
Imaginative
Lion Music
(2007)
I have to say that I was once a huge Vintersorg fan. It seems like when most
people are digging him between that and his time in Borknagar, my interest
dwindled tremendously. I think the final nail in the coffin for me was his non
stop over the top dramatic voice that is so rich and thick. Yes, he can sing,
but it was just not cutting it for me anymore. Is there any other style he can
do beside black metal and the theatrical? I wasn’t exactly fond of the first
Waterclime disc and when I received this, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to even
listen to it or pass it on. Well, I couldn’t help my curiosity and it got the
best of me. So, I popped this in. I knew that this was classic 70&rsquo ;s prog/rock,
but a smile was quickly put on my face when I heard the first track “Vision Or
Void.” It has a very dated vibe, but I love this. I am impressed with this mere
song for so many reasons. First, he played everything on here himself and each
instrument is played to perfection. This is a near impossible feat if you ask me.
Secondly, Vintersorg’s voice is a bit thin here, but I dig it. He can alter his
voice a bit if need be. What a change of pace. Lastly, the music is just
wonderful. It a mix of vintage ELP prog thanks to the complex drumming. The
spacey Hawkwind like vibes are tripped out and then even jazz atmospheres make
an appearance on here. What sounds like a xylophone is thrown on here for good
measure. This is such a layered song that one listen isn’t enough. While my
initial listen was a pleasant one, I must go back because there is so much going
on. The major issue here now is if the musicianship and interest can remain for
the duration. “Flashes” adds flutes to the mix of jazz and prog to give it that
folk feeling and despite the fact that there is a lot going on, it actually
works. “Body Migrated” throws in the kitchen sink as he adds horns to the mix of
things. You would think that the band Chicago was hired to perform on here. As
opposed to the other songs on here, this one doesn’t sound as dated. It has a
touch of modern flair. In the end, I wasn’t expecting something so out of left
field, but in a fabulous way. This disc has it all from soft jazz to mellotron's
to organs to percussions, horns and so on. This is a well crafted disc that old
school prog heads should dig even if you you never heard of the man responsible
for this. Not only do I suggest multiple listens to soak in everything, but to
get the full experience I suggest that you pull up a chair and put your
headphones on. This is one incredible journey. I loved every last drop of this…even
the vocals.
www.live4metal.com
Waterclime - The Astral Factor
Lion Music
(2006)
As you see that Lion Music's new release onslaught has just started even from
the beginning of January, 2006. Waterclime is a new project of extreme
metal Vintersorg's leader, Mr.V. To be honest with you, I've never
tried out the music of Vintersorg before, but surprisingly Waterclime's music
sucessfully combines the elements of symphonic progressive rock with folky and
trad music influences from Norway. Somewhat, the album of The Astral Factor
sounds in the vein of early White Willow and some other notable
progressive rock bands from Scandinavian regions. Yet, the music of Waterclime
has managed to create their own atmospheric sounds and ambients with complex
arrangments. In addition, each song has etherial and soothing effects to satisfy
retro-prog rock fans. It's quite interesting to see that so-called European
extreme metal and death metal groups have made fantastic symphonic rock or
vintage sounding prog rock music like Opeth and Dan Swano. I have
no idea why such bands/musicians residing in extreme or death metal bands
sometimes release and make astonishingly fabulous prog rock and symphonic
keyboard oriented albums. Yeah, I think there are some good enough reasons or
motivations behind such great music to perform. The instrumentation through the
entire album is really solid and beautiful enough for prog listeners to enjoy.
Recommended for atmospheric and ambient prog rock music fans. The Astral Factor
is one of fresh retro-sounding sympho prog albums done by modern-day's extreme
metal musicians.
Pilgrim World, Japan
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WATERCLIME - "The Astral Factor", 2006 (Lion
Music)
Theirs is no disgrace.
WATERCLIME is a new side project from Vintersorg
frontman Mr.V. When I read the press release on the new CD 'The Astral
Factor' I was expecting some kind of ambient symphonic noise thing that
probably went nowhere. Man, was I wrong! Simply put, 'The Astral Factor'
is amazing. Finally someone has made a prog rock record without it
sounding like a math equation. It is deeply rooted in 70's progressive
and experimental art rock, but also sounds completely refreshing in an
age where melodic and technical hard rock sound mechanical, unoriginal
and soulless.
All the instruments and vocals on this record
are credited to Mr. V except three guitar solos (two of which are played
by Vintersorg guitarist Mattias Marklund), and two guest vocalists. Also
of note is the fact that Mr. V wrote and recorded one track at a time
giving the album a layered and textured feel. One might think this would
create a record devoid of any real structure, but that is not the case.
The album has structure, just not in a conventional sense.
Upon hearing the opening track "Mountains", I
was already hooked. An upbeat and melodic rocker with Martin
Barre/JETHRO TULL style guitar riffs and organ stabs that conjure up
visions of Rick Wakeman's towering pyramid of keyboards onstage during
an early YES tour. Mr. V's voice sounds remarkably similar to Ian
Anderson of Jethro Tull. So much so that I half expected to hear a
blistering flute solo complete with quick short out of breath chirps in
between notes. The next track "Floating" starts with a clean strumming
rhythm guitar over top and electric sitar that flows perfectly into the
first verse. As a matter of fact, the whole album flows right along from
one song to the next. It does not ramble on with pretentious times
changes that only make sense to the people playing them. All of the
instruments intertwine with each other. On the song "Painting Without
Colors" an uplifting guitar part meshes perfectly with a dark, sinister
organ. The album is full of musical paradoxes that somehow seem to make
complete sense.
WATERCLIME is a musical project that wears it's
influences on it's compositional sleeve. You can clearly hear the
stylings of early YES, TULLl, NEKTAR, ELP, GENTLE GIANT and even RUSH.
Out of all this is something that feels very new and from a listener's
standpoint is completely fulfilling. It is an album that is rich in
harmonies, ambiance and atmosphere. It is said that a key inspiration in
composing this record was nature. I think that 'The Astral Factor' is
proof that music and nature are in almost perfect harmony.
- Jettmandude www.peacedogman.com
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| Waterclime -
The Astral Factor (Lion Music) Review by Steve Green |
Waterclime is the new project of Andreas Hedlund AKA Vintersorg. And
what a cool as fuck album he's produced. This one hit me straight away
as opener Mountains sounded like the bastard son from Jethro Tull's
Aqualung, especially in the vocal department, with the performance a
dead ringer for Ian Anderson if ever I heard one. And the sense of
familiarity is felt throughout the album. Never in such an obvious way
as the opener, but small nuances and melody lines tap at the old grey
matter and shake a few cobwebs. But unfortunately I've failed to place a
single one to it's original source.
From the lofty heights of Mountains (pun intended) the album quickly
switches to the aptly
named laidback folky vibe of Floating. Which also fits in nicely with
the album title. The spaced out hippy 70s feel continues onto the title
track with lead guitars than hint at Thin Lizzy, before taking a more
Proggy direction. I gave up smoking dope about 13 years ago, but I can
imagine a couple of natural herbs assisting in the enjoyment and
relaxation factor of this chilled out cosmos. And once in it's trance
like state, the pace rarely increases, which is fine by me.
The chorus on Painting Without Colours picks the pace up slightly as it
measures high on the feelgood factor and the urge to light an incense
stick or two is impossible to ignore. The dual layered vocals are highly
addictive as they cruise gently above their acoustic foundations. I know
I'm repeating myself, but "cool as fuck" is the only way to
describe this masterpiece.
If you're an old git like me and were brought up on a healthy diet of
70s Prog and a smattering of 60s Hippy Folk, then you'll love this. It's
as if the last 30 years never existed and I can quite happily live with
that.
www.lionmusic.com www.live4metal.com |
 Waterclime, a band with
an unusual name - fitting for the rather unusual individual who helms
it. "Mr. V" or Vintersorg as he's commonly known has founded
yet another "band" to satiate his ever-increasing interest in eclectic,
experimental and avant-garde music. Taking on the sole responsibility
for production, instrumentation and composition, Mr. V has created a
most intriguing record in The Astral Factor. Sound familiar?
Well, it seems Mr. V's fervor for astronomical phenomena and
existentialism hasn't been quelled since his previous outings in his
namesake band and Borknagar, and he reprises these
themes (albeit less prominently than before) taking on nature and art as
well. Lyrically, the album is more accessible and less complex (read:
pretentious) than what his back catalog is known for, and he primarily
uses clean singing rather than his trademark growls.
The music is extremely well produced; Mr. V's prowess in creating an
ambient "wall-of-sound" is remarkable, which compliments the mellower
tone of the album well. Based in 70's progressive rock akin to the likes
of Uriah Heep, Vintersorg blends soothing, folky
guitarwork and calming symphonic electronics including bells, mellotrons
and flutes to create a wonderous feel to the music. Vintersorg largely
dispenses with traditional song structures completely including time
scales on occasion, much akin to the work of The Devin Townsend
Band circa Terria, all of which is quite impressive
from a technical perspective. He opts more for creating textures through
motive, repetition and variation - there's scarcely a (what one could
term a) riff to be heard on this record. Vintersorg layers some
brilliant, intersecting vocal harmonies, presenting a heightened mix of
intrigue and splendor to the tracks - uncontrolled genre defiance is a
key to its success, as Vintersorg infuses some of the most vibrant
jazz-inspired passages since Opeth's Still Life
into the music. The dissonant vocals on Scarytale lend
themselves towards jazz fusion and evokes the memories of 60's and 70's
prog such as Yes, Genesis or Pink Floyd. However, with
that being said, the long instrumental passages can sometimes be tiring,
but are rarely dull. It's an inspired album, however light on crunchy,
heart-pounding metal that some might find uninteresting. Another
annoyance is his over-dependence on simulated percussion in lieu of
actual drums - the flow and sound combined can quickly become lifeless
and static. Vintersorg's reputation for penning quality music goes
unrefuted yet again - a great album that doesn't follow the rules but
inexplicably comes out on top.
Standout Tracks: Scarytale, The Astral Factor, Painting Without
Colors
Rating: 8.5 / 10 www.harm.us.com
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Waterclime: The
Astral Factor
 Finland's
Lion Music is continuing to
surprise us lately with their
varied offerings, as they are
slowly starting to release more
and more classic prog and fusion
styled albums instead of the
normal instrumental guitar
recordings that they have been
noted for. Waterclime's The
Astral Factor is actually a
project from Mr. V of the
eclectic avant-garde metal band
Vintersorg, and he has recorded
a lush and symphonic 70's
sounding album here with a
couple of guest musicians ,
namely fellow Vintersorg
guitarist Matthias Marklund as
well as Black Bonzo member
Magnus Lindgren. Otherwise Mr. V
handles all the instrumentation,
from the drums to the guitars,
flutes, strings, bells, vocals,
bass, and keyboards, of which
are featured organ, synths, and
Mellotrons.
It's a pretty symphonic and
melodic ride from start to
finish, with waves of keyboards,
lush layers of lead and backing
vocals, and electric and
acoustic guitars. One of the
most appealing songs is the
lengthy "Painting Without
Colours", a soaring number that
brings to mind classic Yes or
The Flower Kings at the most
symphonic. If you like things a
little more rocking, there is
the Hammond organ and Mellotron
drenched hard rock of "Midnight
Flyer", which instantly reminded
me of vintage Uriah Heep, The
Vanilla Fudge, or Nektar with
its charging keyboard attack and
muscular guitar riffs. The final
cut "Timewind" also throws in
some meaty metal riffing
alongside splendid Mellotron,
Moog, and Hammond layers, for a
wild aural assault. Overall this
is pretty enjoyable and proggy
stuff, that will surprise a lot
of people. From the vocal
harmonies to the rich
instrumentation, it's one of the
early prog rock gems of 2006.
Check it out!
Track Listing
1. Mountains
2. Floating
3. The Astral Factor
4. Diamond Moon
5. Painting Without Colours
6. Midnight Flyer
7. Scarytale
8. Timewind
Added: January 11th 2006
Reviewer:
Pete Pardo
www.seaoftranquility.org
Score:
Related Link:
Lion Music |
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Waterclime – The
Astral Factor
2006 Lion Music
Mr. V from
Vintersorg really
perpetrates more
intelligently minded
music than one might
expect from a solo
type project on ‘The
Astral Factor.’
Dubbed Waterclime,
the music has
organic textures
that sounds
something more band
effort oriented than
something that
relates to personal
musical endeavor.
And although Mr. V
sings and plays all
the instruments
(with the exception
of guests Matthias
Marklund and Magnus
Lindgren on a few
tracks), there is a
full-bodied sound to
the record.
‘The Astral Factor’
incorporates the
melodic style of
some of Yes’ most
provocative material
(think ‘Tales from
Topographic Oceans’
for example), the
soundscape approach
of Camel and early
Genesis, traditional
elements of English
and Nordic folk
tunes, and the
modern progressive
rock approach
together for a
record that is in a
class of it’s own.
Quite heavy in the
atmospheric element,
(but yet it’s not
metal although,
although there is a
heavy crunch at
times) the
improvisations are
built around the
melodies rather than
just going into free
form, where Mr. V
puts his
compositional
arrangements to a
high degree on this
album.
Whether refreing to
the jazzy melodies
of ‘Scarytale,’ the
minstrel folk rock
of ‘Floating,’ the
psychadelic space
rock of ‘floating,’
and the
Crinson-esque art
rock toyings of both
‘Mountains’ and
'Diamond Moon,’ Mr.
V does not let the
production get in
the way nor let
anything get buried
underneath the
Mellotrons, Organs,
guitar riffs, and
the occasional
strange time
signature.
Waterclime is proof
that art-rock does
not need to go ways
into the ‘spaced out’
field of things;
this record has
soul, and it conveys
it very well.
Added: January
19th 2006
Reviewer:
Tommy Hash
Score:
www.ytsejam.com
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