Great Escape
Great Escape builds a large, melancholy world from guitars, keyboards, electronics and contrasting voices. Crippled Black Phoenix often favour a gradual rise in intensity over an immediate riff, allowing the atmosphere to become a major part of the music. The approach produces some striking passages, but the record does not always turn its long preparations into equally strong songs.
To You I Give makes a convincing early statement. The bass sits prominently beneath processed guitars and keyboards, while a clear chorus gives the slow movement a melodic focus.
Times, They Are A'Raging develops from a spare rhythm with piano and trumpet. The quieter singing leaves space for the instruments before a heavier section arrives. The guitar and vocal lift gives that change a real sense of release. The surrounding material is less consistently engaging, making the route to the strongest passage feel longer than necessary.
Rain Black, Reign Heavy also moves from faint background detail towards distorted guitar. Slow Motion Breakdown provides a firmer response, using the instrumental setting to bring the band's heavier sound into focus. The playing has a clearer physical purpose here, offering a useful contrast to the more drifting stretches.
Las Diabolicas supplies a shorter electronic detour. Madman has an interesting pulse too, although the arrangement does not develop far enough to make full use of that starting point.
The two-part title piece brings the album towards its conclusion. Belinda Kordic's gentler singing gives the first section a different character from the second, where a steady groove gradually leads towards a fuller guitar-led passage.
Great Escape is rich in atmosphere and contains several convincing combinations of melody and weight. It also asks for more attention than its weaker passages justify. A tighter sequence would help the strongest ideas stand out. As it is, the album is rewarding in places and frustrating in others, with its ambition running slightly ahead of its consistency.
