Progressive Rock, Blackened Death Metal, melodic Power / Thrash, Progressive Oriental Doom Thrash, we've heard them all. But there will always be a band to try something new; to combine MOTORHEAD, QUEEN and OPETH, add some gasoline psychedelic. This is what we have in Californians OLD MAN WIZARD. Any pre-conceptions I might have had about what strange sounds could utter forth were scattered to the winds, "Unfavorable" is a solid, soft, upbeat, slow, trippy, rocking journey through some familiar and totally alien soundscapes. It is well worth exploring each of the tracks in full.

"Highwayman" begins the trek with a highly typical MOTORHEAD riff, and is filled with prominent, galloping bass lines (which sound gorgeous) that could have come from the battle-axe of the mighty Steve Harris himself, and overall features very interesting choices in instrumentation and dynamics, mimicking the stopping and starting gallop of a cross-western trek on the back of a sturdy horse. "If Only" is an unassuming, honest, unpretentious acoustic track that features groovy, yet soothing strums and well-placed, ambient leads - an archetypal road trip song. "Nightmare Rider" is another solid, Heavy Rock track, complete with more of this band's signature, growling bass at the forefront of the mixing; "The Bearded Fool" is much the same, but features much more progressive and diverse instrumentation and blistering leads. "Traveller's Lament" brings us back to earth with a breezy, blues-rock feel of intertwined acoustic and electric instrumentation. I'm beginning to notice the ingenuity with which this album was composed; beginning to end, one is brought round in full circle through a cleverly-devised pattern of spiralling song compositions and moods. Hence, upon listening to the final track "Forevermore", I'm hearing a mash-up of each of the previous songs; many contrasting moods and song styles on one, 7 and a half minute track; unpredictable and often abrupt transitions between many PINK FLOYDisms and MOTORHEAD riff brawling.

I feel like this album, already a great and intriguing listening experience, could have been so much better, if more tracks were included. The band certainly appears to have a near-infinite collective pool of creative wisdom. If such a thing is obvious in a band's debut album, it can definitely mean good things to come for what I hope will turn out to be a weird and wonderful future discography.