GOTH » brutalresonance » Review: Jacqui L - Planet Parallel 5
Posted date: 2017-07-31 12:29:09
The strange story-based project is more experimental in its instrumentals than the average prog rock band, with lashings of metal, dark wave and goth in tracks like “Frankenstein”, which is the project’s first video on Vimeo, and “Under the Noise”. Experimenting with emo metal and dark wave isn’t atypical to a prog rock band,
but what is surprising is the jazzy bent that can also be found in many of the
songs on Planet Parallel 5. Two tracks, “Cold” and album closer “Distraction” are quite definitive in their jazz and blues tones, and are also arguably and surprisingly two of the best tracks on the album. The voice of the vocalist, who it has yet to be determined
is actually Jacqui L, lends itself particularly well to the jazz and blues format, and if the project were to give up on the more progressive and experimental bent, they’d likely have a great career as a jazz ensemble. In that case, of course, they’d have to determine whether or not to tank the weird alien goth scorpion back story.
Since this is the first full album from the Jacqui L project and it so many elements to it, Planet Parallel 5 seems a little busy
and frenetic. With a number of different musical styles represented and a
strange fictional back story which doesn’t seem to relate much to the lyrics in
said chaotic songs, audiences may get lost in the many directions this new
group or project or person or alien or scorpion is looking to take. All the
elements of Jacqui L are good on their own, so perhaps the answer is to
separate each from each and make individual projects. Saving that, hopefully
prog rock, jazz, blues, metal, dark wave and sci fi fans will all find something
to enjoy about this album and scrap the rest. Or not. They might not want
to tangle with a scorpion who can watch herself while she stings her victims.