Niacin - "Organik" Review

Artist/ Band: Niacin
Title: Organik
Label: Magna Carta
Year of Release: 2005
Artist/ Band Link (click for details/ ordering)

The Review:

This is my first exposure to the band Niacin, even though I heard so many good things about the band. Their latest effort through, Magna Carta, is called Organik. Wow this is a monster of a album that combines the best elements of funk, blues, jazz, fusion, prog, and hard rock. With the emphasis on the fusion and progressive genres. The album is chock full of great instrumental based music that doesn’t get reduced to a wank-fest yet still contains an intensity to each arrangement. This is something arrived at by Billy Sheehan (bass), John Novello (keyboardist), and drummer Dennis Chambers. They bring new meaning to the “power trio” format.

There are so many elements here in the music for example on "Barbarian @ The Gate" which sounds like a “what if” ELP took an excursion within the fusion genre. There’s just so much going on, on Organik, that it requires many listens to fully appreciate it’s intense beauty. With each song, these three amazing players come up with memorable, melodic yet complex compositions. It blows me away every time I listen to Organik. Recently I acquired another album by the band called Time Crunch. They rocked then but Organik is so far my favorite but I’ll definitely have to get the rest of the band’s catalog to form a better opinion.

Fusion and instrumental rock fans really need to hear this album A.S.A.P. It just doesn’t get any better than this. Bottom line is, you really need to hear this for yourself. Niacin has set the new standard for themselves as well as the genre. This gets the highest recommendation from me!

Reviewed by Ron Fuchs on January 10th, 2006

Tracks:

1. Barbarian @ The Gate

2. Nemesis

3. Blisterine

4. King Kong

5. Super Grande

6. Magnetic Mood

7. Hair of the Dog

8. 4'53

9. Stumble on the Truth

10. Club Soda

11. No Shame

12. Clean House

Extra special bonus track

13. Footprints in the Sand