When Robert Fripp said: “Music is the cup which holds the wine of silence,” he could have been theorising over this band. When the raging prog of Screamnasium abates to reveal a core of quietness, the sound of O.R.k. becomes a vessel of beauty.
The quartet – ex-Porcupine Tree bassist Colin Edwin, singer LEF, King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto and guitarist Carmelo Pipitone – revel in the quiet/loud dynamic, pitching gentle dexterity against bludgeon.
Opener As I Leave is a perfect example of the effect. On the more frantic Unspoken Words, LEF sings over fabulous drumming and bass-playing with shades of Chris Cornell.
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Then on Hope For The Ordinary and Something Broke, Pipitone riffs the house down in splendid fury. All this plus Italian vocalist Elisa on Consequence and virtuoso cellist Jo Quail on closer Someone Waits. Drink it all in.
