Austrian avant-garde progressive rock band Blank Manuskript has released quite possibly the finest document of a live concert with this release titled A Live Document. The 10 tracks are played in front of an engaged audience, and immediately this live document enveloped me with a listening experience that aptly signified everything I want in a live album drama, original compositions, theatricality, even science fiction. Within this entire performance, you are exposed to impressive musicianship conveniently presented as one of those rare live performances that seeks to take the listener on an immersive journey of tightly composed spontaneous pieces that are fraught with energy and excitement.
From the first moments of the album, I felt like I was experiencing something truly special for the listener. The band sets a beautiful, epic tone, drawing from layers of classical traditions, inflections of psychedelic textures, soundscapes, and a linked form of narrative drama that harkens back to some of the finest moments and tastes of progressive rock. The titles themselves, “Foetus,” "The Cult of Birdman,” “Silent Departure,” should signal to the listener the richness and surreal creativity of the music. The band skillfully intertwines contrasting movements of symphonic grandeur, delicate beauty, free improvisation, and on a dime wildfire-like frenetic jazz improvisation.
Ultimately, A Live Document rises above "just another live album" in part because of the complicated and difficult music the band plays, but more importantly, the magic of the product is centered on the group dynamic and chemistry within the band. Their stage performance reminds me less of just a concert, but rather an artistically theatrical event immersive, surreal, unbelievably human.
With A Live Document, Blank Manuskript demonstrates that progressive rock is alive and well, and producing new and interesting material. A Live Document is a bold statement from a band that continues to push the limits of musical experiences, and invites listeners into a world where music is not only a tale, but a journey.
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Bandcamp: https://blankmanuskripteu.bandcamp.com/merch
Website: https://www.blankmanuskript.at