their sound is so robust and versatile that they can offer incredibly diverse songs with many different tones and attitudes, yet none...

Review of Cosmic Knockout by Samavayo

Author: Bijhan Valibeigi

May 2011

There is something special about discovering a band you like. Like some great adventurer in the deepest jungles, you have come across some territory previously unknown to you, and simply through arriving you find a deep satisfaction. That satisfaction can last until marred. When you discover a fantastic band, there is always the lingering fear that they may do something in the future that will pop your bubble. And any music fan is familiar with that tingling in their stomachs when they hear that a band they like is about to release a new album. Will it be any good? What if it is not any good? Will I stop liking the band entirely?

Last year the world was exposed to One Million Things, the second LP of Samavayo’s career. The band members were no novices, however, grinding out their Freshman and Sophomore projects in the form of EPs and European tours. By the time it came to record One Million Things, Samavayo’s membership was composed entirely of rugged professionals. Hailing from Berlin, Germany, the band is led by singer and guitarist Behrang Alavi – of Persian descent; Marco Wirth provides lead guitar; brothers Stephen and Andreas Voland provide drums and bass, respectively.

From the opening riff to the final crash, One Million Things will hypnotize. The style is elegantly crafted, weaving elements from many various rock acts together seamlessly. Although going out of their way to show off their various backgrounds in diverse elements, the band largely conveyed a sound harvested from every corner of the globe.

Thus any fan would be more than a little worried to find out that Samavayo had released a third LP, entitled Cosmic Knockout . Both of the idioms “third time’s a charm” and “bad luck comes in threes” can come to mind.

Cosmic Knockout is every bit the equal of its predecessor. Occasionally a band will release an album that delivers what is known in show business as “more of the same”. The Beach Boys and the Ramones can be accused of this with great success. On the other hand, departing from the established sound can lead to losing the spark of charm that ignites a band’s success, as has been said of the Beatles and Devo. But as has been said of Samavayo before, their sound is so robust and versatile that they can offer incredibly diverse songs with many different tones and attitudes, yet none of them sound out of place in the larger aesthetic. Samavayo is not taking their maturity as artists for granted, and are persistently improving all of their skills. Cosmic Knockout is a strong contender for best rock album of 2011.

More on Samavayo at www.samavayo.com