ALBUM REVIEW: Fraktal Phantom – Live in the Studio

Coming from Seattle, Fraktal Phantom is a project comprising Sean Fisher on guitar, Cary Kindberg on bass and lead vocals and Jack Gold-Molina on drums. Already prolific as individual artists, they came together as a trio in 2013 and have been performing live since then on psych music festivals scene, been on tour and shared the stage with Nik Turner and featured on the KEXP’s Sonarchy Radio’s live sessions. And they have recently released an EP titled Live in the Studio.

Broken Times reveals a lot about the band main features. It’s an electric blues rock track, with uplifting guitar riffs and appealing rhythm. The guitar is the main actor, ranging from rock, psychedelic, blues, with a touch of progressive techniques, in one song. Adding the use of the wah-wah pedal makes the entire experience feeling like having Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix joining forces in the same band. An extremely pleasant comparison with Seattle’s greatest hero comes to mind also when it comes to the vocals and lyrics.

Cosmic Fire is a lengthy piece that shatters any lingering doubts about Sean Fisher’s guitar skills. The track proves the band’s ability for synchronization, jamming and improvisation, as the guitar layers and solos work perfectly with the jazzy drumming and the exquisite bass. It also long lives beyond audition, planting the earworm of the repeated ‘Cosmic Fire, Cosmic Fire!’ in the brain, even if this is not the goal of the recording, being practically the only lyrics on the track. The ending is a slow reprise of the main theme, with more wah-wah, rock beat variations and remarkable bass lines.

Oh Well is indeed a cover from Fleetwood Mac’s golden years and Fargo’s season 2 opening soundtrack. Still, Fraktal Phantom manages to pour more and more energy into it, bringing up the speed and using all their skills and passion for playing.

Live in the Studio is an excellent introduction to the band capabilities and a wonderful example of sound unity and good use of band members’ musical heritage, expertise and psychedelic/jazz/metal background.

Fraktal Phantom – Broken Time