The summer and early fall saw more glowing reviews for the Pray For Brain CD "None Of the Above." I'm honored to say we haven't had a bad one yet.
Here's a summary of the addiitonal ones since the previous post:
"The band gets a sound that plays on Mideastern modes often, yet does it in a sometimes heavy, always smartly rocking way. These are originals that have metal, surf and avant fusion overtones, depending. ....Mustafa Stefan has his very own way with the guitar (and oud!) that is technically adept but very lucid and original in a Mideastern minor mode that has rock heft when he choses to crank a bit--and a bit of the hang-ten surf sound down pat when he brings that on. ...
The tunes, the band as a totality and Mustafa's signature guitar style all give you something different, something extra.
I must say that this one was a big, pleasing surprise. I don't know how far afield they gig, but if they happen to be in your town, check them out! The album, too! It's not the obvious and it is very good."Gapplegate, Sept 19, 2014 http://gapplegateguitar.blogspot.com/2014/09/pray-for-brain-none-of-above.html
"Each member of this group comes across as having a very distinct voice and the combining of the band does some surprising things....But don't confuse their technical prowess for soulless Satriani-like noodling because that's far from the case. Every song here has heart and rhythm. They're righteously unique." ABQ Free Press, August 13, 2014"Imagine funk if it were played by musicians with a prog/metal sensibility. Some will find that mental image irredeemably gruesome; other will be intrigued. ....[T]here’s a world-music undertone to these deliberate (but not plodding) instrumental numbers. In places the group’s tracks feel like the guitar solo passages on late-period Frank Zappa albums. The aptly-named “Sufisurf” hints at the group’s stylistic mashup of disparate genres. Challenging but worth the effort. " Musoscribe, July 24, 2014 http://blog.musoscribe.com/?p=6075
"Here’s a trio of upright bass, drums and guitar that takes no prisoners. With a musical style that defies description ... these three play together going where the musical muse takes them. Bass and drums do what they do best, set the foundation, and create the rhythm while the guitar soars into the stratosphere. Sometimes the guitar slithers in all soft and dreamy while the bass takes the spotlight or at other times the drums.... there are many moments where the music is actually quite subdued and sparse, hypnotically drawing you in. Then there were times I had to check my CD player to see if it was smokin’ because the music was that hot. Fans of intense instrumental fusion will want to check this out for sure." Jerry Lucky, the Progressive Rock Files, July 17, 2014 http://www.jerrylucky.com/
"Not only proficient musicians, but performers that love to play together and have the skill to take a tune to a higher level. ...This group swings, grooves and improvise in a way that only musicians that have evolved a large vocabulary can.... This is a group that refuses to shoe-horn themselves into a single genre or style. Instead they fuse anything that is within their reach. And on top of that they can improvise within any of it, and talk to each other in ways that has to be experienced." George De Bruin, Cerebal Rift, Jluy 2, 2014 http://cerebralrift.org/2014/07/02/please-pray-for-brain/
"...Inspired and creative music, breathing some new life into the sometimes stodgy world of instrumental progressive rock music. Recommended." Dangerdog Music, 6/4/2014 http://www.dangerdog.com/2014-music-reviews/pray-for-brain-none-of-the-above.php
"A sorta-rockabilly line-up but a world music/jazz/progressive music sound...tunes feature time-signature/dynamic changes like 2004's Crimson Jazz Trio album, or more precisely, like King Crimson as a guitar/bass/drum trio. ...this band has a bright future in a noncommercial sense." Ricky Flake, Mississippi Sun Herald, J6/5/2014 http://www.sunherald.com/2014/06/05/5629449/an-alternative-playlist.html
"The playing on this album is complex, focused, and precise. Nelson's bass playing is mesmerizing, Voorhees plays with hypnotic ease, and Dill's guitars will knock you out. ... Our favorite cuts include "Drop the Needle," "Hawk and Mouse," and "Circus." Cool heady stuff with balls." Babysue.com, 6/2/2014 http://babysue.com/2014-June-LMNOP-Reviews.html#anchor30283
"... It’s definitely challenging music that is nearly impossible to classify. It also manages most often to groove....This is an exceptional instrumental set either way. " Gary Hill, Music Street Journal, 5/27/2014 http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/index_cdreviews_display.cfm?id=104457
