{"id":22036,"date":"2015-03-16T11:00:55","date_gmt":"2015-03-16T16:00:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.toiletovhell.com\/?p=22036"},"modified":"2015-03-15T21:04:09","modified_gmt":"2015-03-16T02:04:09","slug":"agren-vs-agren-a-tale-of-two-albums","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/agren-vs-agren-a-tale-of-two-albums\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00c5gren vs. \u00c5gren: A Tale of Two Albums"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Morgan \u00c5gren is quite possibly one of the best drummers alive. The man is a Swedish-born drum machine unfettered by genre classification or artistic ambition. His curriculum vitae includes collaborations with\u00a0Mats \u00d6berg, Frank Zappa, Devin Townsend, Fredrik Thordendal, Brendon Small and many more. We have written about Mr. \u00c5gren twice<\/a> in this here toilet, both<\/a> times heaping praise after praise upon his prodigious talent. To describe the man as a giant in the music industry would sell him short.<\/p>\n

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It is with no small amount of intrigue then that I practically stumbled upon not one but two new releases bearing the distinctive drum patterns of Mr.\u00a0\u00c5gren recently. Even more intriguing is the fact that neither of these albums can be described as metal. The first,\u00a0A Spark in the Aether<\/em> by the seminal prog rock monsters\u00a0The Tangent<\/strong>\u00a0materialized at random in my inbox after Inside Out Music<\/strong>\u00a0added me to their promotional platform. The other,\u00a0\u00c5gren’s own solo effort\u00a0Batterie Deluxe<\/em> came to my attention after our pal Roshin<\/a> shared it on Facebook. Neither is music I would typically cover, but the duality here is quite interesting, to say the least.<\/p>\n

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\"\"A Spark in the Aether<\/em> is the eighth studio release by revolving-door prog rock band The Tangent. Embracing a similar artistic ethos and work ethic to King Crimson<\/strong> (which should come as no surprise since the two acts have shared members and experienced Robert Fripp cross-pollination), The Tangent has never attempted to house a consistent line-up. Instead, world-class musician after world-class musician joins up to lend his or her talents to a studio album or tour set before vacating the seat for another brilliant player. The only constancy is provided by multi-instrumentalist Andy Tillison. This sort of collaborative, multifarious approach to creativity leaves an indelible mark on the music, and though this was my first experience listening to The Tangent, the ebb and flow approach to songwriting\u00a0is immediately evident in the final product. Every song drifts from element to element in a non-linear fashion, guided only by the preeminent influence of Tillison. However, each song maintains its own unique course, and the tracks never blend together. Ultimately, what results is a brilliant but slightly disjointed prog rock record that I’m certain will appeal to fans of the genre.<\/p>\n

Truthfully, I wasn’t sold at first. On the first two tracks, I was off-put by the airiness and levity of it all, and my eyes kept darting around the room searching for the lurking bully who was certainly going to shove me in a locker for listening to such a (well, let’s be honest) dorky album. However, it was on the third track “Clearing the Attic” that everything started to click. This was largely due to the efforts of Morgan\u00a0\u00c5gren. On this song his peerless drum skills really started to take shape, and fills and time shifts caught my ear. Every note, every fill, and every empty space he injected into the song fit the product so smoothly without ever overpowering. This is a drummer who knows how to anchor and support a band without simply sounding like a battering ram.\u00a0\u00c5gren’s ineffable precision remained a consistent thread through the remainder of the songs, and by the end of “A Spark in the Aether (Part Two)” I found myself, much to own surprise, thoroughly enjoying the goofiness and self-aware indulgence of the record. I’m still not won over to the dork side, but I can certainly appreciate the talent and abilities on display here, especially those of\u00a0Morgan\u00a0\u00c5gren. Unfortunately, I can’t find any streams from the new album, so this will have to do.<\/p>\n