maudlin of the Well: Part the Second

Produced by Toby Driver
Released: May 2009

maudlin of the Well existed within a small niche of the heavy metal universe occupied by a very few: In the Woods... and Agalloch being two of the others. Their 2001 twin albums Bath and Leaving Your Body Map were experimental volumes that combined a wildly eclectic range of styles under the umbrella of the band's self-declared "astral metal" -- basically music created during experiments with astral projection, given emphasis by Jason Byron's dream-like lyrics. In 2003 the band split up after Byron left and Toby Driver formed Kayo Dot with three or four of the others (motW had up to nine members at that point). That band was/is essentially maudlin of the Well with all the aggressive metal aspects excised--the blast beats, the harsh vocals, the tremolo picking and the doom riffs--and the "astral" songwriting element replaced by a sort of abstract stream-of-consciousness approach. So, more or less the same thing only without the metal or the New Age woo-wooery. A year or so back, some motW fans got together and put up the dollars for Driver and some of his former bandmates to restore and record a bunch of early tracks that had never been released. This spectacular act of musical socialism allowed Part the Second to be released as a free download from the band's website.

And what a piece of work it is. Part the Second is five tracks of progressive chill-out music that sprawls majestically across almost 46 minutes. With none of the harsher, heavier metal sections of motW, this feels more like an early Kayo Dot release and logically bridges the gap between both bands. The epically titled first track "An Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost" is an elaborate musical saga almost 12 minutes in duration that fuses 70s-style prog with post-rock elements, a diverse array of acoustic and non-rock instruments and whispery lead vocals. The next song opens on bells and vibes in the dreamlike tapestry of an avant-garde film soundtrack, becoming even stranger with the injection of violins later on. Strings and piano dominate "Rose Quartz Turning to Glass" which also features some interesting vocals.

Part the Second leaves its greatest treasures until the final track, "Laboratories of the Invisible World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)", which swells into a glorious extended guitar solo about halfway through that is reminiscent of Pink Floyd's more transcendental moments. This is perhaps the most maudlin-like track on the album and a final confirmation on just how great this band was. That Part the Second lacks motW's more extreme musical elements is only slightly disappointing as it was the precise juxtaposition of the various styles that made the band's music so special; however, even without them this is an exceptional album of fluid musical experimentation and dexterity. And it's free, so you lose nothing by checking it out.

1. Excerpt from 6,000,000,000,000 Miles Before the First, or, the Revisitation of the Blue Ghost
2. Another Excerpt: Keep Light Near You, Even When Dying
3. Rose Quartz Turning to Glass
4. Clover Garland Island
5. Laboratories of the Invisible World (Rollerskating the Cosmic Palmistric Postborder)

Rating: 95%