Dark, moody prog
Jeffrey D. Elsenheimer | Lake Hamilton,FL USA | 09/06/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Yet another brilliant release that captures the aura of Swedish melanchloia that I have found so endearing. Not an example of technical, riff- rock, but very moody and atmospheric. Similar to Landberk or mellower moments (much mellower) from Anekdoten. Mixing folky tunes with modern elements and pulling it off very well. I am not a huge fan of female vocalists but Petronella Nettermalm's vocals can send shivers down your spine! Her vocals seem to fit this music perfectly. Every song is great, especially "Hypnotique." There is a video clip of it available on Progarchives, and it is awesome! You'll definitely see what I mean! The only complaint I have is a lack of Reine Fiske's stellar guitar work. If you get ahold of Dungen's CD "Ta Det Lugnt" you'll get a fine display of his work. I don't know what it is about these Scandinavian bands, but they seem to consistantly put out very impressive, addictive music! Fans of the moodier side of Anglagard would eat this up as well. And.... I don't dare fail to mention that this is a mellotron masterpiece!"
A Satisfying Debut
Kurt Harding | Boerne TX | 12/08/2007
(4 out of 5 stars)
"My entry into the world of Paatos came a couple of years ago via their second album Kallocain. Since I found that so compelling, I followed that with their magnificent third album Silence of Another Kind then backtracked to buy this. Well, only rarely is a band's debut album as satisfying as I find Timeloss.
The voice of Petronella Nettermalm has an irresistably mysterious and haunting quality that draws you in and keeps you under her spell. The album opens with a high-energy assault reminscent of the wild years of Grace Slick then segues into the dreamy entrancing style that has become her trademark on the next three songs. Of these, Hypnotique is especially delicious. As the reviewer from Istanbul wrote, the final song is the most modern-sounding of the five. There is a much harder edge and it offers some spirited drum work by Petronella's husband Huxflux. But the clanging dissonance in the final sequences spoils the rest of the song and for me ends the album on a sour note. Then I have to listen to the album over again to remind myself how good it really is! The booklet that accompanies the CD features both lyrics and pictures that add value to the package.
If you are musically adventurous and open-minded and have not yet heard Paatos, then start with Timeloss and buy the rest as well. I subtract one star for the album's brevity (around 40 minutes) and for the cacophonous ending I described. Otherwise, this is a keeper."
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1