Island Poetry adopts a wide-ranging interpretation of the classic 1970s rock vocabulary which shapes Mad Painter’s music. The album fuses elements of hard rock, progressive rock, glam and melodic styles, and the Hammond organ is placed together with the electric guitar, piano, bass, drums and the layered vocals. The warm analog-type production enhances the full-band method, giving the record a clear sense of live performance rather than an overly refined studio sound.
The different styles on the album are especially evident in the various musical directions adopted by its tracks. “Shadow of the Words” has a theatrical quality similar to that of Queen, whereas “Nektarized” deals with a space-disco style inspired by Ganymed. “Two Horsemen” includes twin-guitar effects influenced by Wishbone Ash, thus adding another unique character to the album. In other cases, “I Am the King” is based on the Moody Blues, showing that the album goes beyond a single understanding of 1970s rock.
The more substantial aspect of the record is shown in “Stand Your Ground”, a song that features the kind of speed and aggression typical of Motörhead, while “Circle of Hands” is Mad Painter’s version of the Uriah Heep classic. “Tommy Lost It All” on the other hand sticks to the group’s usual sound. Furthermore, the album includes lyrics by writer and music journalist Dmitry M. Epstein on six of its twelve tracks, giving these songs a touch of wit, character and dramatic imagery.
The musical foundation which unites Island Poetry remains consistent even though there is variety from track to track; the Hammond organ, the electric guitar, the piano, the bass and the drums form the basic structure, together with layered vocals contributing a further feature to the arrangements. Instead of having twelve songs all based on the same method, the album looks at a number of related threads within its 1970s-style rock language. The outcome is a deliberately diverse group of tracks that uses those influences as a wide musical vocabulary without losing the feel of a full and complete album.
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