Plankton
"Plankton"
Grooveyard Records
The first thing I noticed about the new PLANKTON c.d. was the awesome cover design and c.d. artwork. It had professionalism & creativity written all over it. As I popped the c.d. into my player and "dropped the laser beam" I was swept away by an earthy/dreamy tune called "Varlevitation" with its loose "take-no-prisoners rhythm section", killer guitar and heavy Bonham-like thud! An awesome opening track. On the tune "Pickadoll", we have some Ritchie Kotzen-like funk guitar leads into some awesome Hendrix-like guitar torture and "total feedback mayhem"! I can tell that these guys mean business! The trippy Hendrixy tones and vibe on "Monsoon" create "sound sculptures" of "pure heavy guitar beauty". The tune "Elephantman trampled me with it's big phat guitar sound! Killer heavy guitar riffage! "I'm not an animal" has a funky - blues/fusion quality to it. Two of the stand-out tracks on this c.d. are "Jorm", with it's lilting waltz-like groove complete with an awesome bluesy guitar jam that would make Uli Jon Roth proud! The other standout track is "Zeitgiest", with it's explosive dual guitar assault and "hyperactive groove"! As an added bonus, the harmonica playing on "Zeitgeist" kicks unequivical butt! I was very happy to hear Plankton include a brilliant and refreshing version of the Jazz classic "Take Five". I've always loved that song and Plankton do the song some serious musical justice. The creeping rhythm section and "screaming" Chris Poland-like guitar tone on "The Living Room Jam" also hit me hard!
The best way to describe the Plankton c.d. overall is "a loose-jam-session earth funk punctuated by wah-wah soaked guitar flourishes and a hard-assed relentless groove that takes you on a dual guitar journey into your own imagination and beyond"! This c.d. features superb arrangements, loose funky playing, get-down guitar solos, and has a mature musical complexity to it that provides for a deep guitar listening experience. If this isn't one of the best c.d.'s guitar freaks will ever hear - "I'll eat my heavy guitar hat"!!! "Guitar Madness" from top to bottom!
---James Gardner
(avid guitar freak and grooveyard supporter - 2002)