CoC : Spock's Beard - Day for Night : Review

Spock's Beard - _Day for Night_
(Steamhammer/SPV, 1999)
by: Paul Schwarz (5 out of 10)

Confusing one to assess in some ways, this. When I get a shit black or death metal record it's easy to affix what it is I do or don't like about it because I have a wide and varied knowledge and experience of those styles. What I have before me now is a prog-rock/pop album done by high profile players who've done albums with Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins. It's not that I don't have an opinion, it's just not easy to explain what it is that bugs me about this record and what I like. Probably the biggest plus in this record's favour is its more progressive funk influenced side. This comes to include some decent slap bass work and funky drumming and occasionally some nice guitar runs. Apart from these small joys, _Day for Night_ rapidly drowns as far as I'm concerned. The band don't use keyboards to very great effect and the singing is a sort of Pink Floyd on Zanex whiny rock dirge which admittedly does occasionally impress ("Distance to the Sun"), but in general is simply annoying and infuriatingly pop-sounding. The album is additionally overlong and contains that ridiculously wanky fall-down; the "revisited" song (and Spock's Beard actually revisit two of them). Some very digestible pop melodies and good musicianship on display, but certainly not the kind of record I crave for the rock or metal fraternity to produce.

(article published 15/6/1999)