Lun, by Destiny Potato
Suggested by Dylan Smith
There’s an old Steven Merchant / Ricky Gervais bit, from back in their post-Office stint on XFM, when they discusses band names. One of the litmus tests for a band’s success, they suggest, is whether or not the band’s name sounds good when being announced to an expectant crowd at a sell-out venue.
“And now, playing at Wembley Arena, it’s… REM!”
“And now, playing at Wembley Arena, it’s… Metallica!”
“And now, playing at Wembley Arena, it’s… One Direction!”
See? No matter the genre, some band names just work.
“And now, playing at Wembley Arena, it’s… Destiny Potato!”
Aaand some band names sound absolutely ridiculous.
I mean, what on earth were they thinking? It must be an in-joke, right? I’ve had a quick Google and I can find nothing. Either way, that’s gotta be the worst band name in my 253 albums so far, and I reviewed an album by a band called Hands Like Houses.
So their name is a dud. How about their music?
Destiny Potato are a Serbian progressive metal duo made up of multi-instrumentalist David Maxim Micic and two female singers Aleksandra Radosavljevic and Aleksandra Djelmash. Radosavljevic is a former Serbian Idol runner up, and is clearly at home with the emotive Cowell-esque sound. This is not a criticism, because when set against this exciting and intriguing backdrop, it’s something else.
Musically, this prog metal is intensely melodic, and not overpowering or schizophrenic as the more twiddlesome practitioners in the genre are happy to be. Sure, the guitars are most intricate, and the drums are scattershot and intense, and yes, there are some jarring changes in tempo and tone, but largely it works, and largely it’s excellent.
One of the more engaging aspects of Lun is the traditional Eastern European sound it has, sliced into snippets that litter the musical narrative. There’s also a fantastic willingness to experiment with genre and sound, from the exciting smooth yet frenetic jazzy Indifferent to the ass-kicking Take A Picture, which incorporates alt metal and hip hop in grand style. Machine is a melancholy and soulful affair, and my standout House of Lies is a diva-esque chart song that builds to an exultant crescendo.
As for flies in the ointment, there’s surprisingly few. One of the vocalists, presumably the non-Idol contestant, does bring her rasping growl to the buffet, and as you know I’m likely to flip the whole table when that happens. This time, however, I find it inoffensive at the shallow end, and even enjoyable at the deep. Maybe it’s the project finally getting to me, but this growl is emotive, well placed and entirely unobtrusive. It’s more than welcome here, another crouton in this tasty bowl of soup.
Lun is the finest prog metal I’ve encountered on my journey thus far, and scores a surprising 8/10. It might be a little light for the genre’s purists, but it has made me a fan of the band. That name, though. Apparently, Destiny Potato are now defunct, as the group have rebranded as Sordid Pink.
“And now, playing at Wembley Arena, it’s… Sordid Pink!”
Nope. Still terrible.