Elephant9 - Greatest Show On Earth
(Rune Grammofon)

I never thought I would see the day where a jazz-fusion band called Elephant9, from Norway, actually catches my ear and I can talk highly about it. Now on their 5th album, audaciously titled Greatest Show On Earth, this elite trio of musicians has been on a steady climb and have made a huge name for themselves with drummer Torstein Lofthus and keyboardist Ståle Storløkken leading the way. Ominous keyboard drenched soundscapes serve as both the opening track, and the middle intermission, giving the listener a nice bit of relaxing time in between these slamming instrumental tracks. They take the progressive precision of bands like Yes and Goblin, and blend it up with the shocking live energy of electric-era Mile Davis band. Elephant9 has dynamics and the kind of group chemistry that ensure group collaboration while making sure they’re not competing with each other. Ripping (and I mean ripping) organ solos and chords smother these songs, and they sound fantastic and rich. It makes me realize that I don't hear many hardcore organ sounds in contemporary recordings. To round it out, this is one of the most ear-grabbing and thicker heavy prog-jazz records I've heard in a while. I'd give it your attention. (VII)
Check out a track here.