There are some things in life that, no matter how much one may like it, end up being way too long. That’s the case with Hari Karaoke Trio Of Doom’s Gealago. The 21-song release seems like a jazz and funk fusion that never ends. Many songs off of the lengthy release seem to blend into one, seeing how they are incredibly similar in sound. Although that helps the album flow, for those of us with a short attention span it doesn’t do much to keep the listener incredibly interested. However, there were a few cuts that had interesting qualities that helped separate them from the pack. “Saucers To Saturn,” for example, is barely a minute and features incredible percussion. The instrumental band brought an industrial feel to the disc during “Brutal Tuna” and made the group sound like they were banging on street cans or in a junkyard. The seventh piece on Gealago ended up being one of the few fairly upbeat tracks, with most of the others in the collection being very ominous and moody.
Although the band is quite unique, at some points during the release it feels like they’re trying too hard to be different. “Rituo” sounded like an experimental art exhibit gone wrong and put me off a bit. However, the final couple of tracks weren’t so bad. “Jungles Of Europa” ended up being one of my favorites because of its drumming, whereas “1969 Milky Way Dub” stood out for its woodland flute tone matched up with a groovy bass, guitar and drum combo.
I’ll give Hari Karaoke props, as Gealago was an interesting trip. But it lasted too long and felt forced. Perhaps for the next release the quintet should keep things a bit simpler and shorter.
