Maserati

Prog rock reached its peak in the ’70s and post-rock two decades later, yet the genres aren’t as different as they might seem. Both are described with fanciful adjectives like "mammoth,” "grandiose” and "cerebral.” Both challenge age-old rock’n’roll conventions and both bring electronics into standard rock instrumentation. Still not convinced? Well, check out Maserati’s Inventions for the New Season, a record that makes the connections more obvious. The Athens, GA band, and once one of Kindercore’s finest, assemble a dark instrumental blend of mid- to late ’70s Floyd, guitar-based theatrics and ambient minimalism, ultimately making their first record in four years sound like post-rock under the dark side of the moon. However, this is more appealing in theory than practice. The album possesses a chilly and somewhat rigid feel, mostly because of the excessive digital delay that infects the repetitive guitar figures. Also, too often the lengthy tracks cycle through emotional build-ups that rarely pay off, such as the album’s ten-minute opener, "Inventions.” And, disappointingly, Maserati’s new drummer Gerhardt Fuchs (LCD Soundsystem, the Juan Maclean) sticks to standard arena rock-style drum patterns, showing little of his more dance-oriented side. Unfortunately the record sounds fit for some bad ’80s action flick or nostalgic laser show and isn’t an inventive musical hybrid.