WIZARDS AT WORK
BY LEN SOUSA
Ketman - Esperanto
Album Review
Contrary to popular belief, Ketman are not a band. They are wizards who wield their instruments like magic wands—the latest result of which is a self-produced 3” disc titled Esperanto. (Yes, named after the invented language William Shatner filmed an entire movie in back in 1965.)
Trying to decipher lead singer Eric Penna’s lyrics through the fuzz of their electronic baubles is similar to decoding Shatner’s stilted delivery in Incubus. Thankfully, an enclosed lyric sheet proves the wizards are up to no good, penning songs about torture, slavery, and even Faust. But it’s not all doom-and-gloom for these musical Merlins as their sound doesn’t always mimic their dark topics. For example, “Moomat Ahiko,” while starting on a somber note, soon suffuses into a hectic revelry of campy guitar distortion.
Penna’s vocals are also played as spontaneously as his guitar. First using a straight-up rebel yell, the singer detonates flares of high-pitched squeals between his chords, making his voice feel susceptible to the electricity running through his instrument. Bassist Joe Marrett keeps the sound closer to a bass-n-drum lineup than to a traditional punk three-piece while drummer Mora Precarious is anything but her surname, providing a stable backbone for Penna and Marret’s eclectic cacophony.
Ketman’s potion works best on “A Live Gallop,” when halfway through the track, the sound grows sparse and listeners are treated to spellbinding peals from a xylophone and other percussive instruments—pounding to a finish with Precarious’s thundering bass drum, and eventually ending with a gypsy band section.
It never feels like Ketman is trying too hard on this little album, or attempting to be what they’re not; instead, the wizards battle through their songs like horsemen in the Apocalypse, eager to land several heads on their pikes before the night is over.
Originally Published:
Northeast Performer
