YORKSHIRE OUTFIT WITH IMPRESSIVE AND CLASSY PROGRESSIVE ROCK
Materialeyes are a progressive rock band hailing from Yorkshire in England, or god’s Own County as it is invariably referred to by its inhabitants. They have just released their new album, Inside Out, which can be ordered at https://materialeyes.bandcamp.com/album/inside-out
Martyn Howes, vocalist (on Eric Upon Tweed), engineer, producer, guitars, keyboards, bass, and drums, reached out to this website. His bandmates are Dave Westmoreland (lead vocals, acoustic guitar, keyboards, and flute), and Will Lawery (vocals on Clay Man and guitar). This incarnation of the band was formed in 2016, but there is a fascinating story of how the original project was started, and I reproduce that here:
In the wilds of an isolated Yorkshire village stands an ancient hostelry where, almost two hundred years earlier a most vicious murder took place. Two men, who happened upon the same path, came to a small beck, or stream. As the first negotiated the steppingstones, the other grabbed him and slit his throat from ear to ear. The poor man crawled across the fields to the aforementioned inn, blood pouring from his wound. Ever since, any stranger who entered the inn has been met with suspicion.
And so, it was when Dave Westmoreland entered the same inn almost two centuries later. The room went silent as the older man entered. After ordering his drink his eyes met with those of Will Lawery.
The two men took stock of each other before one of them spoke the immortal words, "Get your guitar out then, we'll have a jam"!
Martyn Howes joined them for a jam in 2016, having previously featured in NWOBHM outfit, Roadster. This is the band’s fourth album following debut Strange Road, follow-up In Focus, and Three of a Kind.
This album is unashamed progressive rock, and I really like its warmth, the stories behind the five tracks presented to us. I wish that more children were taught that music at its best tells a tale and can fire the imagination. It is what attracted me to it back in the day and I have never really lost that sense of wonder – clearly, neither have Howes, Westmoreland, and Lawery.
We open with This World. The video is embedded below. This track reflects upon humanity’s disregard for this beautiful planet of ours, something you see every single day from the “minor” throwing away of litter right up to the tonnes of muck being poured into the atmosphere. This world is, indeed, running out of time. Musically, it is a reflective piece, with a band overture strumming out the theme before a very effective bassline accompanies acoustic guitar from when we get the first listen to the lovely flute playing from Westmoreland. It is descriptive, and I am pleased to report not in the slightest bit derivative of illustrious players from days passed. I like his voice as well, telling a story with a strong pastoral sense. Throughout the track, the playing is very good, some nice guitar licks, classic keyboards, sad orchestration, and a rhythm section which underscores matters well. The final couple of minutes opens a bit, but never loses its sense of reflection. The closing notes are beautiful and mournful. This is a strong start, and I think you will enjoy it.
Eric Upon Tweed is simply great fun and one for those who adore the more playful elements of prog – another track in a long and proud tradition (my favourite remaining Harold the Barrel) which pokes a sharp finger in the eyes of the pretentious journos who think all prog musicians and fans spend much of their time up their own arse and wallowing in spacey, drippy, hippy shit (man). It tells a story of Eric, a County Durham coal miner – if you see such persons (there are still a few remaining here in The Gwendraeth Valley), grab them, buy them a drink, and wallow in their stories pooing in their snap, grease on their chap, being a bit of a drinker, the daughter who gave him a dram and made him a man! Wonderful stuff, really. Musically, it matches the story, and puts me in mind of the classic Kinks period I love from the late 1960’s, playful, but well played, pastoral, but huge fun, utter unpompousness, and great vocals telling the story from Lawes.
Longship is the shortest piece on the album, but still weighs in over five and a half minutes and relays the story of our Viking ancestors. I like the guitar and synth effects bringing the sense of seafaring adventures and you appreciate the hardship these people endured on their long voyages. I especially enjoy the descriptive vocals on this track alongside keyboards which accompany, with delicate acoustic and bass guitar, but never intrude on the words. I have embedded it below.
Horsemen is the first epic track at over thirteen minutes and is inspired by the 1921 classic film version of The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. The guitar and flute which introduce this track are stunning, quite gorgeous. There is some good percussion with a pulsing bassline and warm keyboards introducing the main passage which commences with a lovely flute solo and keys washing over you. The track never takes on the dark hue you might expect from the subject matter, and I like this. Horsemen is a folk story which strikes me as being particularly suited to a band hailing from the county of Bronte. There are some great guitar bursts, and the keyboards soar above the story in the finest of prog traditions.
The album ends with the epic fan’s epic, Clay Man. This is a strong contender for the Lazland “Tales from Topographic Oceans Award” 2023 (qualification being a minimum of 20 minutes of music) apparently inspired by a dream following a particularly heavy Wensleydale cheese eating session by Will – you probably had to be there! The lyrics are interesting, though, talking of seeking answers from the eponymous subject with his clay dripping like blood with people staring and following him everywhere, so a dream brought to vivid musical life.
Musically, this track is the most ambitious on the album, with a nightmarish quality to the extended opening segment, keys extended, bass thudding, and clever guitar effects signalling the start of the dream. It doesn’t last that long, and ends with a lighter segment, the same instruments bouncing in our ears and a playful piano and organ in a segment which has us clapping along to the beat created.
We have a blues infused guitar solo, organ chiming in turning ever so delicately into a pastoral delight before another sudden change of mood with some psych turns. This piece never once loses the listener’s interest because it doesn’t stand still at all. The keyboard led passage at nine minutes in is quite gorgeous introducing the lyrics and story and continues as the words play out the start of the dream before the organ and swirling guitar take centre stage.
There is some more very beautiful orchestration – this dream is not nightmarish; it is a journey, and as that goes on, there is a strong Americana feel to a guitar-led passage before the prog epic sensibility reasserts itself in the closing segment as the words return.
Inside Out is a good album, one which repeated listening brings reward and differing textures, always the mark of quality. Thoroughly enjoyable and well worth your time. There is some interesting stuff on their website at https://www.materialeyes.co.uk/