Echo Street (Bonus Edition)

As the title says, I was drawn to this album by, as usual, hearing a track on BBC Six Music (The Wheel); so I was going out on a limb not knowing what the rest of the album might sound like to me. I have to say I was - and am - really pleasantly surprised. For me, every track is a winner - something I think is difficult to attribute to many albums.The Wikipedia entry says the band has overtones of Pink Floyd, Soundgarden, Black Sabbath, Tool and Oceansize. Maybe. But for me this album at least has influences from the likes of Yes and Led Zepplin. As another reviewer said, the album grows on you the more you listen.On a more general note, this is a review of the CD (unfortunately not the Deluxe version!). After much comparison of MP3 and CD quality, I just prefer the latter. And it might not be a vinyl album cover, but at least you have the disk cover: its imagery and information.

Well, how do you follow the mighty Octopus - the eight legged one was my album of 2011 by some margin....?Echo Street is how. The Octopus has grown up - opener Matmos available in various locations online as an album preview is a great opener and really sets the scene for a great collection of tracks. Not as immediate, hard rocking or dark as its predesessor, Echo Sreet's a grower and has been spinning uninterupted in the car stereo since it arrived.Like all good progressive bands Amplifier have moved on and I love them for it. Whether its the influence of new guitarist Steve Durose (ex Oceansize) only time will tell but theres a lightness of touch to procedings that melds well with the riffing and feedback typical of the classic Amplifier sound.An amalgam of albums 1-3 with a little added optomism, Echo street is 100% progressive and 100% Amplifier - its a great album.

As much as a love Amplifier I was a little disappointed with Echo Street for the main reason being that this album lacks the epicness and intensity of their previous albums and EPS. I thought 4 songs were great in this album, Matmos in particular having that unique Amplifier signature and reminding me of those uplifting songs like Hymn of the Aten, O Fortuna etc. Reading some of the reviews here, Amplifier has always been a "grown up" or "mature" prog rock band as far as I am concerned and this new direction they have taken has left me a little uninspired, change/revolution isn't always a good thing, I remember when I worshipped Oceanszie and how they suddenly changed from great prog rock to something I could not relate too, I thought a 4th member is unecessary anyway on a positive note my personal favourite song in here is "Extra Vehicular" by far the best song, followed by "Matmos", "The Wheel" and "Where the river goes" the other 4 songs still had elements of Amplifier but just felt a total deviation from their usual songs. Having said all that I keep an Open mind, maybe they will grown on me with time.

I worried that Amplifier were in danger of doing a Radiohead , ie disappearing up their own backsides.Their debut album is one of the most astounding debut`s I have heard , and really should have made them massive had not the world been obsessed with pseudo indie and/or xfactor rubbish.The octopus was a good album, but perhaps a little too self obsessed.Gone were the hooks of the debut , replaced with great technical playing....but technical demonstrations without the hooks leave me cold.This is a different direction , and whilst those who loved the likes of Octopus may find it too mellow, to my mind its a band maturing.Yes, superb themes, but all together a slightly quieter more dare I say progressive album.Fans of Porcupine Tree, Pineapple thief will appreciate it, as will anyone with a passing interest in bands like Radiohead and Muse.

Progressive Rock is something we British do very well, even if most of the population don't appreciate it. This was one of those CDs that I just had to buy after hearing a track on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone and it hasn't been off the CD player for the last two weeks. Amplifier are also a superb live band, catch them if you can on the 2013 tour promoting this album. The comparison with Porcupine Tree is very obvious and I fear this may be wearing thin for the band, but I mean it as the highest compliment. They certainly have their own very distinctive sound and a slightly heavier edge. This is probably going to be my album of 2013.

Bought The Octopus on release and was highly impressed and only caught up with this recently. Even more impressed, arguably more commercial but the songs are great. More about what they choose to play than showing off chops, shall be moving on to the rest of their catalogue.

a brilliant group and for me this is their best

I have been a fan of this band since the first album. One the first listen I admit I was disappointed with this album based on them being a little heavier on previous records, but by the third listen I was hooked.