COSMOGRAF – Capacitor (2014)

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COSMOGRAF is a progressive rock project lead by Robin Armstrong, a multi instrumentalist musician from Portsmouth UK. The sound is rooted in ’70s classic rock with a contemporary and progressive twist, with influences ranging from Genesis, Yes and Porcupine Tree to Deep Purple, Pink Floyd and even Black Sabbath’s psych.
Armstrong, also called ‘Master of all things Chronometric and Progometric’, is not a one-man project on Cosmograf though, as for his new CD “Capacitor” he’s brought many guests to help make his music diverse and stunningly performed.

The proponents are quoted as being ‘Robin Armstrong and various members of the progressive rock community’ and, on “Capacitor” Robin’s high standing in that community is shown by the guests that have offered their services. Andy Tillison from The Tangent plays keyboard, Nick Beggs (Steve Hackett) and Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree) play bass and ex Spock’s Beard and current Big Big Train awesome stickman Nick D’Virgilio plays drums on every track.
As you can see, this new album from Cosomograf is almost a ‘who’s who’ of modern progressive rock.
To me, Robin is a kindred spirit to Steven Wilson in his uncompromising desire for perfection and his multitalented approach to music. An amazing lyricist, musician and songwriter, he is cultural icon for the progressive rock community.
Dealing with the Edwardian obsession for spiritualism and the afterlife, “Capacitor” delves deep into the soul’s purported journey after it is set free from the human body.

Fifteen minute opening track “The Spirit Capture” is the beginning of an almost spiritualistic journey for your musical soul. A very low key introduction with a sleek keyboard, smooth bass line and steady drumbeat accompanying the narrative before a thunderous riff crashes in and the song takes on another dimension.
Robin Armstrong is his own man but takes hints from the greats of progressive music and adds it to his already impressive mix. The complex and intelligent correlation between all the components is almost organic in nature, like a living thing it is nurtured and developed.
“The Fear Created” is a great composition too, with dark guitar-drive movements and feelings that leave quite an impression.

My favorite song on the album, however, is the sublime “White Car”. This track is saturated with emotion and is so incredibly clear on its lyrical content that it will bring tears to your eyes. The music is moody, careful and elegant, but the emotional impact is raw and bold. The instrumental section is brilliant, and the spiralling guitar a mark of genius.
Armstrong pays homage to the progressive way throughout the album and, on “The Reaper’s Song” he takes that influence a bit further. The gentle strummed acoustic guitar and plaintive vocal evoke direct comparison with some of the great progressive works from the seventies, the harmonised vocal pieces are a delight to behold and the whole song takes on an ethereal personality.
The last two tracks cover much ground sonically, ranging from heavy rock to the especially moody heartache of “Stuck in the Wood”, a song so full of guests and inspiration that it almost bursts out of my headphones to grasp my eardrums.

“Capacitor” is not just a piece of music, it is part of Robin Armstrong’s body & soul and you can tell he has put everything into this, leaving nothing back. It is musical paradise with an amazing musician as its peerless architect.
Much of this album does feel alive, almost like the spirits are stored within its very files. It does have a supernatural, yet somehow mechanistic feel: somehow both strikingly cold and real and also electric and brilliantly metaphysical at the same time.
If you wanna hear something musically rich, polished at the minimum detail (indeed ‘Chronometric and Progometric’) don’t let pass “Capacitor”.
An amazing listening experience.

1. The Spirit Capture
2. The Fear Created
3. The Reaper’s Song
4. The Drover
5. White Car
6. The Ghost Gets Made
7. Stuck in the Wood

Robin Armstrong: vocals, guitars, keyboards
Nick D’Virgilio (Big Big Train, Spock’s Beard, Genesis): drums
Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree): bass
Steve Dunn (Colourflow, Also Eden): bass
Nick Beggs (Steven Wilson, Steve Hackett, Lifesigns): bass on 7
Matt Stevens (Matt Stevens, The Fierce and the Dead): guitar on 7
Andy Tillison (The Tangent): keyboards

BUY IT !
www.cosmograf.com/shop/capacitor-cd-pre-order/
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