Twelve Foot Ninja - Silent Machine (17/02/2013)
A raging and epic debut creation, ‘Silent Machine’ is the culmination of Twelve Foot Ninja’s “Project 12” which follows the fable of their eponymous character “the Twelve Foot Ninja”.
The album conveys the Ninja’s fierce journey and tribulations through thumping metallic riffs synonymous with their previous work. Though, the album constantly features the innovative mash-up of genres that make Twelve Foot Ninja who they are, those frequent moments that envelop the listener in a ‘calm before the storm’ scenario draw elements of reggae, jazz and Asiatic music to their mixture. They define the sound of the album.
The album’s initial single ‘Mother Sky’ showcases every aspect of Twelve Foot Ninja’s diverse capabilities. It blends several genres so seamlessly that you forget that this group is defined as simply another progressive rock band and begin trying to create an entirely new genre solely for them.
Similarly, tracks like ‘Shuriken’ and album title track ‘Silent Machine’ feature electronic aspects that don’t even nearly detract from the album’s overall splendour. Without these various, euphonic inclusions and the lyrics of ‘Silent Machine’ that read like poetry for the trials of the Ninja, this album would just be one more prog-rock album for the shelf.
As each song in ‘Silent Machine’ signals another legendary chapter in the fable of the Twelve Foot Ninja, so too does this album signify a veritable step forward for this brilliant, fresh and ambitious band.
Jack White
The album conveys the Ninja’s fierce journey and tribulations through thumping metallic riffs synonymous with their previous work. Though, the album constantly features the innovative mash-up of genres that make Twelve Foot Ninja who they are, those frequent moments that envelop the listener in a ‘calm before the storm’ scenario draw elements of reggae, jazz and Asiatic music to their mixture. They define the sound of the album.
The album’s initial single ‘Mother Sky’ showcases every aspect of Twelve Foot Ninja’s diverse capabilities. It blends several genres so seamlessly that you forget that this group is defined as simply another progressive rock band and begin trying to create an entirely new genre solely for them.
Similarly, tracks like ‘Shuriken’ and album title track ‘Silent Machine’ feature electronic aspects that don’t even nearly detract from the album’s overall splendour. Without these various, euphonic inclusions and the lyrics of ‘Silent Machine’ that read like poetry for the trials of the Ninja, this album would just be one more prog-rock album for the shelf.
As each song in ‘Silent Machine’ signals another legendary chapter in the fable of the Twelve Foot Ninja, so too does this album signify a veritable step forward for this brilliant, fresh and ambitious band.
Jack White