I truly enjoyed Jargon’s solo album, The Fading Thought. Well, now the band he fronts, Verbal Delirium, is back with its follow up to their last successful release, The Imprisoned Words of Fear.
On November 25th, Verbal Delirium will release their fourth album, Conundrum, on Bad Elephant Music. Verbal Delirium is an Athens, Greece, based progressive rock band, which, lead vocalist John Kosmidis, AKA Jargon, describes in this way, “If I had to describe the sound of Conundrum, I’d say something like Pink Floyd meets Cardiacs, meets Queen, meets Muse, meets King Crimson. We can’t wait to get this album out, and we hope you’re all going to love it!”
Love it, that’s easy! What’s not to love here? Had it come out earlier this year it would have dominated the airwaves at my home. As it is, it will still be in my top five progressive rock albums of the year. It is simply amazing.
Verbal Delirium is made up of: Jargon, on lead and backing vocals, and additional keyboards; George “La Trappe” Pagidas, on bass; Stratos Morianos, on keyboards; George “K” Kyriakidis, on electric and acoustic guitars; and Vasilis “Wil Bow” Armaos, on drums.
The band has included some celebrated guest musicians on this album, including:
Marios Ivan Papoulias, on violin on “Falling – In Pieces”; Nicolas Nikolopoulos, on saxophones and, clarinet on “Conundrum”; Nikitas Kissonas, backing vocals on “Falling – In Pieces” and “Intruders”; Leonidas Petropoulos, on backing vocals on “Falling – In Pieces” and “Intruders”; Konstantina Vretou, backing vocals on “Falling – In Pieces”; Eva Miliou, on backing vocals on “Falling – In Pieces”.
So, let’s talk about this album. The opening track is meant to blow you away, and make you think. And remember. Imagine, after all the horror the world has experienced from 2020 through 2021, with the Covid Pandemic. And now, Verbal Delirium has the balls to make a video about the power and cruelty of Covid cells, enlarged and gently floating in your direction, as dark and haunting music plays. You have got to see the music video to believe it. They absolutely captured the power and fear, that this vicious virus presented to the world, over the last two years. A horrible memory, we’d all like to forget, but we must remember, so that we are never caught off guard again, in the future. Is it too soon? Maybe too late? No, just right. Watch it and listen to the lyrics, “Feels like falling, from a great height to the bottom of your soul. Eating the flowers of your womb. I’ll rise from your decay. Spreading disease and poisoning your every cell. I am death!” What a way to open an album!
“In Pieces”, opens with soft plucked guitar, like the start of a U-2 song I remember from the past. Then, bell-like keyboards and Beatles – like electric guitar. Jargon sings, “My lovely princess into broken pieces. She was begging for some love. Forget it all, say goodbye to yesterday. Sometimes we have to do wrong”. The opening sounds like a Beatles song, with some Freddy Mercury-like vocals added to raise the vocal level even higher. Then, this two-part act, takes a deeper and darker turn with deep bass, drums and heavy guitar. The darkness reached deep for Pink Floyd, Wall – like atmospherics, along with supporting dark strings. Greek or Latin tragedy verses from a choir follow and close this epic.
“Intruders”, opens with clapping, and soft organ. Verbal sings, “They always try to put me down, they want to see me burn. Just want me be a failure and lose everything I have”. But Jargon cannot be held down. He sings, “And I won’t let them smash my dream again and see me suffer. I’ll rise from my ashes once again. And I am true I believe in me”. There is an almost Beach Boys – like “La, la” chorus during this delightful period of the song. But things take a turn for the worse, as the pace speeds up and the two closing sections arrive. A theatrical performance within a song. Wow!
“The Children of Water”, opens with beautiful and eerie piano and soft guitar. Jargon’s voice rises to inspiring comparisons to Freddy Mercury. He sings, “The cold caress touches their little faces and Morpheus guides them to Earth of light. Remembrance of the warm flame shivers in their desperate eyes. They engrave on the ice of their hearts their names”. A powerful and deep song of desperation. Very much like the darker parts of The Lamb Lies Down of Broadway.
How many bands choose an instrumental to be their album title? Not many. But I like the choice here. “Conundrum”, is full of wonderful, thematic and theatrical music, like all of Verbal Delirium’s work. Nicolas Nikolopoulos’ saxophones and clarinet add a variety to the album’s overall mix that all should appreciate. Watch the live video the band made for the song. In it, I especially enjoyed watching two keyboardists go to work on a symphony of otherworldly sounds. This is an excellent track, and I completely understand why it had to be the album’s title track. Very dramatic, with a carnival feel at times. Simply take in all they are offering here for your complete enjoyment.
“The Watcher”, opens with some fun piano mixed with guitar. A wonderful, carnival beat. Then Jargon sings, “In a cold winter’s night I saw your shadow. Searching in the room, making a reciprocating move. Breaking the silence”. Some of Jargon’s vocals on this track, remind me a little of Michael Sadler, on Saga’s jazzier albums, like Behaviour; for anyone who remembers that one. The lyrics, on the other hand, hint back to Peter Gabriel’s Intruder. Later, some beautiful music and theatrical sounds. A wonderful combination of effects.
“Neon Eye Cage”, speaks to our love, addiction, need, or necessity to use our mouse, keyboards or phone to engage in the world of the Internet and social media. The opening music almost sounds like Steely Dan or early 60’s Motown. A real examination of all that is our life, stuck in the Web. A powerful commentary on modern life and our marriage to IT. It is also the album’s longest song, and my favorite. Powerful keyboards and cool reverberating guitar matched with pacing drums.
“Fall from Grace”, is the grand closer you hoped it would be. Jargon sings, “A space between us now. Dividing lines around. Look what I’ve done…” All set to soft piano and birdsong. Jargon sings, “All the things I buried deep are now. On a threshold of reveal”. He continues, “I never wanted to be here. Never wanted to see this. What’s gone is not forgotten. But I can’t take I back”. Powerful guitar solos and keyboards, along with the flaring drums take us to the end.
This album was a surprise this late in the year. I was expecting this album to be released next year. I am happy they didn’t wait. Conundrum is everything I wanted. Great music set to theatrical sound. Unparalleled vocals from one of the best male vocalists in progressive rock. Every note and sound well thought out and perfectly timed to reach your memory. Highly recommended. Everything you could want in an epic piece of art. Please buy and enjoy this album. It is worthy.
Track List:
- Falling
- In Pieces
- Intruders
- The Children of Water
- Conundrum
- The Watcher
- Neon Eye Cage
- Fall from Grace
Lyrics and Music by Jargon. Arranged by Verbal Delirium. Produced, mixed and mastered by Leonidas Petropoulos at Studio Anaconda.
Social Media Links:
https://verbaldelirium.bandcamp.com/album/conundrum-2
https://www.facebook.com/VerbalDelirium
https://www.instagram.com/verbaldelirium/?hl=en
YouTube Music Videos:
Verbal Delirium YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVG9bTd17DWxkKp2tULW9CA
Falling Video:
Conundrum Video:
Sudden Winter Video: