REVIEW: THE MUTE GODS – “Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth”

2017 is off to a pretty darn terrifying start. Well, for the most of us at least. But on the bright side all’s not bad because we’ve got the all new ‘Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth’ by the prog-rock super group The Mute Gods. While this is something positive to look up to, it’s ironical that this album captures such dark and terrifying sounds (perhaps potentially of 2017). Trust Nick Beggs to go all soprano on us and bring to our kind attention everything that is so wrong with this world. We feel ya, Nick. Thanks!

The album starts off with an instrumental opening “Saltatio Mortis” which simply means dance of death. The album is off to a very dark start. I remember that the debut album wasn’t all that dark but was a quite a thriller. Nevertheless, I was excited to see what this record has in store. You can’t really go wrong with the magic of Marco Minnemann, Roger King and Nick Beggs.

“Animal Army” is straight to the point- aggressive and tense. The arrangements of the trio show a new level of aggression not seen in the past music of the band. While it may not be the most complex arrangement that there is, the composition brings out this very raw feeling and ‘cut the crap we mean business’ feeling. Carrying forward the mood, “We Can’t Carry On” plays on. The lyrics are a stark reflection of a bleak reality. The drums on this song create a lot of tension in the music and make some great transitions. Minnemann’s brilliance only casts doubts whether he might be an alien. I’d like to believe so.

“The Dumbing of the Stupid” is a heavy song that features some very fine guitar work and riffage and solos. The rhythm sections during the solos and leads are absolutely nuts! Despite this song being a little long, there isn’t a dull moment ever. The song gets over before you even know it. “Early Warning” is a warm and mellow song that slows things down for a bit on the record. Coupled with Nick’s ever wonderful singing, the work on the bass is stunning on this. The acoustic parts on this song add a great deal of colour in the music.

“Tardigrades Will Inherit the Earth” from the first bar is reminiscent of every prog rock song trait you could think about. This song is pretty straightforward though. It’s a great song to introduce someone to progressive music. This song has a mass appeal to it. Anybody can dig this song and hopefully everything that the song has to say. “Window Onto The Sun” is a melancholic tune. The lovely textures on this song add a lot to the music’s dynamics without sounding muddy.

All over Nick is known for his skills on the Chapman Stick. “Lament” exactly highlights his prowess on the Stick that has got him so much acclaim apart from his work on the bass. It’s a nice song to unwind to. “The Andromeda Strain” is another super proggy instrumental by the trio. The signature styles of the trio as individual musicians are wonderfully showcased on this one. Michael Crichton would absolutely approve of this!

The record comes to an end with “Stranger Than Fiction”. A soft drive into the horizon on a chilly twilight. Time stands still on this song as the song slowly fades away. I guess by now it’s a band tradition to have one song about human experiences amidst this mad and sometimes insane world.

‘Tardigrades Will Inherit The Earth’ is yet another brilliant offering from The Mute Gods. This newest avatar of the trio’s musicianship differs to quite an extent from the debut record in terms of the overall sound and mood. There are some underlying similarities between the two records but both continue to remain very different and are par excellence. The quality of production is top notch. Roger King brings out his absolute madman skills on various capacities. Nick Beggs brings out a very different tone to his style on this band’s music in contrast to his other participations such as with Steven Wilson and Steve Hackett. Marco Minnemann continues to retain his signature styles which seem to fit everything he lays his hands on. This speaks volumes of his versatility and individuality. Another great album with a strong message.

The Doomsday Clock recently moved closer to midnight and then we get the new The Mute Gods Album. Coincidence? I think not.