Translation from the original German (under construction):

The beginning for a witty discussion of a phonogram is always difficult when it is, as in this case, a work of almost physical presence is sustainable. The Quartet 3rdegree open up their music with a whole new horizon of progressive interpretation, and have a low recognition value, which in our verkaufsorientierten time an absolute novelty.

Far too often is currently the term 'Progressive' in the popular music abused quickly by the industry this stamp aufgedrückt to the latest consumer renaissance of this genre with beizumengen. Once in the sixties from the idea was born - rock / pop songs with new harmonies and instrumentation to expand composition is also available in lengths to achieve - now show us some musicians that progressive rock in the still unfamiliar three-to five - Minute format can be transformed without the banality radiotauglichen a pop ditty abzudriften.

3rdegree music are such a formation, which possesses the gift, their compositions are not designed in sterile epics with excessive ornamentation to sink, but trained technicians who are so in the short genreunüblichen songs to integrate assets.

The four men from New Jersey mastered the art, yet sophisticated correctly, flush to write songs without instrumental Egomannen on the plan to bring.

A certain tendency towards self-irony, you can not deny them, but they call their new book "Narrow-caster" (the opposite of "broadcast"), in order, so to speak, on Klinke the smaller cleaning or bake bread by independent musicians without a lobby supposed to be.

A special feature is certainly also the fact that 3rdegree twelve long years of their creativity put on ice after 1996 with the second album "Human Interest Story" a local domestic success, in late summer 2005 their concept of Power Pop Prog revive.

The result can really be heard. Ten atypical composition jewels, what this musically more progressive avant-garde tend, as in Popgewäsch to drown. Band founder Robert James Pashman and his men have for the first time a real team working out and leave on "Narrow-Caster" a very own, not always easily digestible handwriting.

With typical American looseness succeeds the Quartet of the east coast, musically laid, and moderately complex, sometimes too straightforward to draw from leather, and cleverly arranged scattered substantive details or nesting in the song pack.

Bass player, keyboardist and singer Robert James Pashman, guitarist and singer Pat Kliesch, drummer Rob Durham and lead singer and keyboardist George Dobbs does not produce instrumental in flirt, but Spark arrangements to process the overflow from the ladle of grunge, hard rock, West Coast avant-garde and New Artrock, and create it into a successful niche product.

The protagonists combine modernity with a refreshing Schlichheit, playful progressiveness with grungigen parts, like the sound Guard Esken "Free For All", but increasingly put on polyphonic melodies and vocal harmonies, the compositions are pleasantly antiquated leave. Carefully Interpersed, electronic Popelemente and wrinkled, complex, barely accessible structures, will receive a stylistically subtle fragrance brand, but without the listener to verprellen.

The interpretations can hardly be desired. A certain sharpness and wit game come to the same validity as the scant lyrical moments. The four players dazzle with their arrangement art and music smoothly, like a perfectly abgeschmiertes gearbox.

Pashman’s bass, along with his keys and Dobbs work form the basis on which most 3rdegree compositions build, the latter being programmed just like uses sounds, like the clavinet, an analog, electro-mechanical keyboard instrument, which sounded technically equivalent to a harpsichord.

This comes in quite the opulent tastefull, scattered minimalist game by guitarist Pat Kliesch, which sometimes even references an Andy Summers ( "Banana Peel"), Mike Rutherford and Kim Thayil ( "Free For All") which indicates, but also happy with archaic elemental force pushing forward or even with Belew'schen solos ( "Narrow-caster") to claim the interview.

George Dobbs song voice paired articulation between a gruff tone with a slightly gutturaler technology and a tonally distinct phrasing singer, which at the end as a crossroads of a bluesgetränkten Chris Cornell and removed Ray Weston sounds.

Rob Durham also provides for all packages, a supportive but unobtrusive percussion work, the cranky extravagance of the ten songs, including those seven in their original form from 1996 come off.

Textually are 3rdegree thematically substanzvoll with some ugly, uncomfortable phenomena in our modern society apart, so to speak, as authors keep the ground from under its feet.

Musically, the men were supported in their work by studio guests Veronica Puleo (backing vocals in "The Last Gasp") and Dan D'Elia (drums in "Narrow-Caster" & "The Last Gasp").

With this comeback album suggests that the ensemble genrekompetenten the consumers, who before an eclectic mixture with the highest rock Delicatessen compositional not uninterested away, and also has a passion for bands like Echolyn for himself managed to discover.

Kenner succinct short productions with the typical verse, bridge, chorus patterns in a bed of melodic and rhythmic structures and an established level of complexity, these recordings are eager to explore.

The strength and fascination of "Narrow-Caster" lies beneath the surface like a hidden treasure chest and breaks only after several Hördurchgängen its locks. This sounded technically powerful, modern production is a further indication that the idea of progressive music in the pool area is still not completely drained or the genre in the 21st Century seems to be. A bit more media presents such recordings would do very well in order not to dust in the archives to condemn anonymous.

11/20/2008 Ingolf Schmock

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