The Gethsemane Option

This album is a sophisticated, serious work that requires much from the listener but also gives much in return. It is not a concept album proper, but the individual tracks --although varied and beautiful on their own--flow in a way that at first escapes description, only to then, after awhile, and repeated listenings, make sense in a way only a Dots album can.The tracks range from the dark "Pendulum," a song where Ka-Spel uses his hypnotic voice to communicate messages about violence, death, and the recognition that we humans--even in times of conflict like war-- are essentially all the same, to the upbeat, electro-bizarre "Grey Scale," which reinforces the Dots standing as the current kings of electronic psychedelia. The mind-blowing "A Stretch in Time," best enjoyed at full volume with the lights out, gets my vote for best song of the last 10 years! (With Steven Wilson's "Harmony Korine" a few year back in the running). The song again makes great use of Ka-Spel's haunting vocals, and this time they are skillfully augmented with a deliberate succession of subtle sound effects, gorgeous keyboard crescendos, and a ghostly choir of voices merging with a gaseous rush and ending in a--if I may borrow a phrase from the Ozric Tentacles- "swirly termination." You must hear it to believe it.The Dots is like the universe--ever evolving and ever changing. If you love the Dots like I do, you will love this album. If you are new to the Dots, this is as good as place to start as any. If you appreciate interesting, thoughtful music that challenges the heart and mind, the Dots are for you. Their latest effort is some of the best music currently out there. But it does ask something of the listener: it asks you to listen."Just six more dimensions--too many now to mention...."Sing while you may!

Best appreciated when you can dedicate the time to listen from beginning to end.I agree with the previous review that this demands a lot from the listener, but is well worth the time. In my opinion their best in the last 10 years or so. Yes, Hoornblower is missed, but on the other hand I can't see this album coming out the way it did if he was there. Pendulum makes an immediate impression - amazing - like this entire CD, so so much going on. The track recalls feelings from 'Centre Bullet', but much more solemn and intense.One More Dimension is next in terms of impact. Again, please take the time to truly listen - unbelievable - so many layers of sound - so many different things going on at the same time.The rest the CD is great, but this one is worth it for these two tracks alone.

I think Plutonium Blonde stood out but for the past decade my interest lessens over each release. They lost alot of depth and character with the loss of Ryan Martin and Niels and for a lack of a better word their sound has become very sparse and too minimalistic for what Ed wishes to convey. The only track I liked on Gethesmane was Esher Everywhere. I enjoyed the listen but again as with the last ten years worth of material mostly something I'd listen to one time or once in a rare blue moon. I'm glad their live shows are still great and usually the new material is much more enjoyable in a live setting and I get a better experience out of it then listening at home. I just find myself struggling with every new release to keep any sense of motivation when it turns out I usually only half-like maybe one or two tracks out of ten. I feel bad to feel this way because across their albums there are certainly well over a dozen tracks I could consider absolute all time favorites in my heart.Ed and Phil are very talented musicians I just wish they would get out of this very uninspiring minimalistic age they seem to be stuck in. I'm not asking them to remake Crushed Velvet, but I'd like them to go back to (I really hate sounding pretentious saying this) solid "real songs". I'm usually not happy to see only 5-7 tracks on their albums that go on for 12 minutes because I know exactly what I'm in for and it gets predictable. I think they are capable of epic soundscapes but usually seem to settle for just weird atmosphere pieces. Their label is Trademark of Quantity and sometimes this joke is all too real and they seem to put quantity over quality in terms of their number of releases.

The Legendary Pink Dots in their 33+ years of music making have had many releases, some good some not so good. There recent releases have been on the ambient side, rather too ambient for my liking.The Gethsemane Option is perhaps the most coherent release from TLPD's for some time. The tracks seem to compliment each other. Even though there is still no drummer a few tracks have a minimal electronic beat. You still get the ambience and psychedelic parts with Edward Ka-Spel, spoken/sung lyrics. TLPD seem more inspired on this release than I have seen them in many years and certainly worth a look.

This album is the worse i've listen to in a long time. Really disappointed thought it would be much better.

Bon album du duo Ka-spel / Silverman, avec alternance de passages mélodi(ques)eux et de passages plus musicalement bizarres comme seuls ces légendaires points roses savent les faire.Seul regret : on devra encore attendre, à mon sens, pour retrouver la ferveur mélodique et créative du meilleur opus du groupe selon moi (mais tout est question de goût ;-)), à savoir "Nemesis On Line".