Twilight Cinema is the 3rd album from the Norwegian post / progressive rock outfit, a follow up to their Songs from a Solitary Home album from 2011. Their final album before a new line up, Twilight Cinema is an 8 song portrait of a dark planet, a more produced offering than previous albums, but the overall effect is a symphonic masterpiece that is more Bruckner than Beethoven, which somehow combines dark rock and a seaside puppet show act, and which is mesmerizing from start to finish.
As always, Major Parkinson cram in more ideas to each song then many artists would in an album. The opening track Skeleton Sangria is a playful waltz, with strings at the fore, but with teasing discordant keyboards, whilst Impermanence, their single release is an easy listening delight. But its with 'Black River' that the album explodes into life, beginining with haunting female vocals before singer Jon Iver Kolibotn throws his weight into a monster of a song.
To me 'Heart Machine' is the track that sees Major Parkinson at their imperious best, multiple ideas layered upon each other before the most extraordinary cacophony of noise half way through that brilliantly paints a dark portrayal of the earth, and our role within it. And the title track 'Twilight Cinema' once again uses the female vocals effectively, and is a fine end to the album.
Maybe 'Twilight Cinema' doesnt have some of the instantly loveable tracks such as Heart of Hickory from their last album 'Songs from a Solitary Home', but as a complete album its more coherent and polished, and its full of brilliant ideas. At their best when they dont try and conform to a genre, Major Parkinson should continue to plough their own unique furrow, ever born and ever bright, and we love them just the way they are.
Nordic Music Review 9/10