Artist: Toundra
Title: II
Type: Album
Label: Aloud Music
The sleeve artwork of this album suggests sophistication. The pattern is Japanese in its colour and shades. In fact Toundra are from Spain. Sophistication is indeed at the heart of their brand of instrumental post rock / metal, adding to the likes of Bossk and Long Distance Calling as specialists in the musical art of painting wordless pictures. “II” is proof that trite lyrics are simply not needed. Even the track titles are minimalist. The music is not.
An Eastern flavour delicately spices the beginning. Quietly progressing, it is pure and clear and delicate as a flower. This could be the calming music of a summer’s evening. Staying silky and smooth, the guitars resound as the track strengthens in emotion and becomes powerful but never violent. Each progression is carefully overlaid, taking us further forward in the instrumental story. No words are needed. It’s the music and its development which fuel the imagination. Reflective heartbeats create a beautiful and exotic ambiance. But it’s not for soul-searching contemplation as there’s constant movement, excitement and fluency. We’ve reached the third track but it’s possibly better to see this album in terms of progressions than “what happened on track 2”. It’s more like a time line. The start of “Zanzibar” is reminiscent of one of those epic Opeth passages, but as ever the colours change. Dark becomes light and light becomes dark in a seamless way over the course of this kaleidoscopic affair. It all may sound very highbrow, but that’s not something to be put off by. Wide-ranging guitar lines provide the varying levels of emotion, delicacy and intensity. The drums provide the constancy and exotic flavourings. Constancy becomes urgency and the storm dies. We linger a while and the music progresses just as time itself changes. “II” is full of imagination and is constantly evocative in its moods.
“Völand” takes a slightly different tack. The exotic percussion and overall ambiance has aMediterraneanor North African feel about it. This is music of relaxation. The cultivation of expansive ethnic rhythm in a rock framework caused a momentary thought in my mind of UK’s Jurojin. “Danubio” follows and is more along traditional post rock lines. The ringing guitar seems to be conveying a sad message, while at the same getting nearer and nearer. Before we know where we are, 6 minutes has passed and we are exposed to a pulsating passage. Seamlessly the musical train slows down and leads us into the world of “Koschei”. This track is steady and like the album as a whole, it is majestic.
This is not music for raucous appreciation or audience energy. It’s more a case of looking on in awe and imbibing the dream as these musical magicians perform their tricks. “Bizancio” has a typically climactic air, hinging on a simple rhythm but rising in its intensity and power. A cello is used to evoke additional sadness but in the spirit of this album it is allowed to make a full statement for maximum impact before we explosively turn to a giant fusion of sound to bring the album to an end.
“II” is a series of linked scenarios or soundscapes. It is full of ideas but not overstated. There may be no words but as a musical work this is as expressive as it gets. It hooked me in, took me willingly on a colourful and exotic ride. The timing and musicianship are sublime. “II” should delight music lovers of all types. It certainly delighted me.
(8.5 / 10 Andrew Doherty)
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