Fish on Friday - 8MM

Een schemerige theaterzaal met een oplichtend scherm, een zittende toeschouwer en de tekst

Fish on Friday - 8MM

Cherry Red Records


What a magnificent album Fish on Friday's latest production is: 8MM. FoF big boss Frank Van Bogaert (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Marty Townsend (guitars), Marcus Weymaere (drums and percussion), and the inimitable Nick Beggs (bass, Chapman Stick, backing vocals) demonstrate once again what amazing musicians they are. Moreover, Frank van Bogaert wrote virtually everything, recorded, mixed, and mastered the entire album.

On this album, the band is joined by Theo Travis (flute and saxophone on Jump this Wall), Sofie Dykmans (backing vocals on Jump this Wall), and Lula Beggs (vocals on A New Home and Silently Raging). 8MM also features an ode to Frank's favorite band Metro. Overture to Flame and Flame were written by Duncan Brown, Sean Lyons, and Peter Godwin.

For the first time, Frank van Bogaert has been assisted as producer by Nick Beggs. But that is not all; Beggs also sings many parts together with van Bogaert, and that is of great beauty.

8MM is the band's 6th album and was partly recorded during the Corona pandemic. As a result, Marty Townsend recorded many of his parts in the US, where he lives again after 30 years in Belgium. Van Bogaert recorded everything else in his own brand-new studio in the Ardennes. The sound quality of 8MM demonstrates once again what a phenomenal producer Van Bogaert is. Every detail is perfect. His new studio is inspiring, and you can hear that too. Everyone delivers top-notch performances.

The 11 songs are of superior quality; there isn't a single weak track among them, and after listening at least 10 times, I still can't say what my favorite is. Although, perhaps it is the 7:41 minute long *Funerals*. But don't hold me to that. Don't expect sound explosions or raw vocals; this is a rare, beautifully recorded masterpiece that is a joy to listen to. Not only musically, but also lyrically.

After the already beautiful previous album Black Rain, Fish on Friday takes another step up.

Exquisitely beautiful and what a band!!!