Amplifier have always reached for greatness but never quite made the vital connection. Where their spiral-eyed prog-metal looks great on paper, the reality lacks that unmanufacturable blend of sly commercial nous and batshit craziness that all the best sonic adventurers, from Yes to Radiohead, have taken and dipped in gold.
softwareuiphraseguid=“232ab790-7d39-4dc2-93d4-1fa45023204b”>Trippin’ With Dr Faustus isn’t a bad album. Freakzone is an exhilarating wig-out, and there’s no arguing with the gigantic riffs that propel Kosmos (Grooves Of Triumph) and The Commotion (Big Time Party Maker).
But classic albums aren’t built on riffs and blowouts alone, and Trippin’ With Dr Faustus falls short of greatness. Part of this is down to Sel Balamir’s forgettably limpid voice, but its also down to the lack of truly memorable moments. Until that changes, greatness will continue to elude them.
