Monday, August 5, 2024

Terraced Garden, Canada-Ontario


Melody and Menace. 1982 Doggerel

Not an easy band to describe, this Terraced Garden, hailing from Toronto, Ontario. Arriving very late in the progressive rock game, it's not readily apparent where the band is coming from. Especially on Melody & Menace. King Crimson is one obvious influence, especially when considering the Fripp sustained leads and the David Cross like violin. Flute and mellotron also call out an early 70s UK progressive rock heritage. But then there's the maudlin, but weirdly accented, vocals (a bit like the Canterbury bands actually) and compact song lengths, very clearly a product of the early 1980s. The album improves as it goes, and is definitely one of the progressive rock highlights of the era.

Braille. 1984 Doggerel
Within. 1988 Doggerel

The other two titles are definitely geared more towards 80s styled commercial rock, though each have their moments. I need to revisit them both.

Priority: 2

10/10/10; 1/31/16

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have only heard "within" but I think it's a great album in need of reissue. These guys are different and unique without trying to be. Maybe a mirror image of classic Crimson - instead of whole albums of "Pictures of a City", "The Devil's Triangle", "Cirkus" and "Battle of Glass Tears" interspersed with the occasional "Cadence and Cascade" and "Lady of the Dancing Water", Terraced Garden's "Within" album is heavy on melodic songs (with more teeth than CAC or LOTDW)but still featuring the occasional Crimson-like raveup.

Purple Peak Records said...

Anon - Good insights. Thanks for the comment!

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