Samla Mammas Manna- Maltid (1973)

If it wasn't for EdibleChrist introducing me to the R.I.O.- Rock In Opposition- genre, I never would have come across these guys.  Sammla Mammas Manna has gone through multiple line up changes and even a few name changes, but this album, their 2nd, seems to sum up this early 70's Swedish Prog/Rio sound to a "T". 

Maltid has a huge mix of all musical styles combined in one single direct approach for an all encompassing sound.  The vocals are in Swedish, and since I don't speak Swedish, I have no idea what they are saying; but since they use their vocals as more of an instrument and not as a "main sound" it fits in perfectly. (Seriously, they could be talking about unicorns or the newest Swedish dance hit for all I know.)  The great thing about this album, and alot of the early 70's European RIO/prog sound, is the fact that all the instruments being played, are being played very well.  You get to hear solos on various instruments, and the drumming is really quite advanced when you think of the time period when it was made.  Since the time signatures change and the instrumentation is weaving in and out of each other, the percussion is a constant throughout, not including their own solos.  Guitars, bass, pianos, xylophones, and more are used to provide you with a sense of music based comradeship that melts into a dynamic sound that will keep the most avid music fan and the most hyper ADHD child enthralled with interest.

RIO is a genre that you have to acquire a taste for.  Not for the standard music fan, this album and the genre as a whole, will be highly respected by some, and greatly disliked by others.  If you enjoy divers music, you'll love RIO and if you like RIO, you must get this album.

Official score-4/5

Kenjihyakkei- Viva Koenji (1997)

So where to start with Kenjihyakkei? Well they are Japanese, classified as RIO-Rock In Opposition and Zeuhl, but that's just the beginning. This is truly one band that you just have to hear for yourself, honestly.  If I was to attempt to begin a description of this group, I would start with rock, then throw in some metal, add male/female vocals, mix in multiple effects on multiple different instruments all surrounded by off-beat time signatures, leads, rhythms and mix that in a pot, cook it on high, then take it off the stove and let it cool.  So that sounds crazy, right? Actually it's not that crazy at all, if you are acquainted with RIO.  Koenjihyakkei is just one of many RIO projects, yet one of the better.

Viva Koenji is the 2nd release by Kenjijyakkei and, out of the ones that I have heard, probably my favorite.  The production is really good, even though the average user might just consider it crazy unstructured noise, it is actually really well put together and has a great flow to it.  10 tracks with a running time of a little under an hour, this can be trying to complete, in one fell swoop, but if you're a fan of this style, it'll be really easy to digest.  I will say that even within their unconventional style, the tracks end up running together when you listen to them; which is good and bad at the same time, so let me explain.  When the tracks all run together, I have a tendency to not be able to see the differences in what they are pushing across the table to me as a listener, but on the other side of the coin, having them run together shows a stream-lined approach to the release; so pick your poison.  

With at least 5 solid members, and others that show up throughout this album and others, I would suggest this to someone who is adventurous and likes new things.  Kenjihyakkei throws everything at you, most of the time all at once, and with so many things going on as you listen to the album, this is a really good place to test the waters. If you use a file sharing program, or you have a certain site that shares music, you might start there; due to this not being readily available in a lot of areas, but if you can score it used, get it!

Official Score-3.5/5