The Tangent
Le Sacre Du Travail

Has it already been ten years since I first heard The Tangent? I guess it has as that is when The Music That Died Alone was released, it was and still is a brilliant album having. Since then the band has done five more album and now comes the seventh in their studio discography, its title can be translated into The Rite of Work. It is a conceptual showcase for the first time in the history of this band. Andy Tillison, the main man of the band says they are taking some risks with this album moving into territories not all known in the genre. But isn’t that what progressive rock is all about, to find new ways of doing things? I would say that a progressive band takes more risks if they stagnate in their evolvement, a band like The Tangent should not do that as they have always managed to reinvent themselves which is why the taking risk part just sounds like normal proceedings to me.

The concept is about You, about a day in your life. It is a workday the album showcases and then ends with some bonus tracks of which one is a punk song, which is kind of cool. It is not like any album by The Tangent, but still it is recognisable for that band. Tillison can evolve but not hide his personality in the music, the vocals are recognisable as well. The album itself is very complex, several of the songs are very long where three of the five that make up the story is over ten minutes long, one over 20 and another one over 19 minutes so there are some long epic songs on this album. As is common practice in the progressive genre it is a complex and diverse album, very dynamic and varied in its style. Quite long as well, but as the story winds forwards in unexpected twists and turns I don’t think the playing time is a problem as there is nothing stagnant about the progression of the story and the songs.

I think that this is what I expected, but I did not expect it like this. Meaning that I did not expect this kind of story but I expected to hear something new, fresh and exciting that still had the character of The Tangent. They don’t disappoint in any sense of the way, no song on this album is weak although the lyrics are a bit disturbing because to be honest I cannot think of anything worse than being awoken early in the morning, go to a job and do something that I don’t really want to do. That is awful. But it is told in a great way, the beauty in tragedy I suppose.

Sure, all is not brilliantly glorious as it is an album that requires the right person. So, if you are open minded and can take the time to really listen and take an album in, this is for you. Otherwise it is to complicated and will never really work for you. But let us not focus on those not suited, for the ones suited to such music this is a great piece. The best track is the second one, a 22 minute epic that just kicks ass, and kicks it hard. It is a work of art, a piece of brilliance on most part and it may just possible be the best work from these guys to date. Impressive, that’s for sure.

The Tangent is one of my real favourite bands and they showcase once again why that is, with an album that requires time and many listens they manage to thrill and entertain and remind me why I listen to this much music because every once in a while these kinds of albums shows up and blows me away, they aren’t many but there are some. One of the best albums of 2013 and just the fifth album in the year to receive a rating of six or better. So, if you claim to be into progressive rock then you have no valid excuse to miss this album. It is great.

HHHHHHH