I’ve always loved concept albums. From Rush and Pink Floyd’s heyday to Genesis and Yes, those bands released some classic concept albums. One of my faves of all-time though, and which I wore out on tape back in my teenage years, was Queensryche’s Operation: Mindcrime. That album rocked my world for a number of years and I’m still fond of it to this day. Concept albums seem to be less prevalent nowadays, or at least quality ones worthy of mention or deserving of a slot on our digital playlists are hard to come by. I was pleasantly surprised to come across Loot the Body’s The Barrier Peaks Songbook, a concept album absolutely worthy of a choice spot in my (and your) digital album collection.
Concept albums have to have a theme, of course, and this one, as the name of the band suggests for those familiar with it, is Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) needs no introduction but for the uninitiated, in a nutshell, it’s a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (RPG) with an extended mythology that skyrocketed to fame in the ‘80s and that is still quite popular today. As a kid growing up in the ‘80s, it was impossible not to be aware of it as it was everywhere: ads in comic books, kids playing D&D after school or on weekends, a cartoon series on Saturday mornings, and even computer and Nintendo games. It’s one of those things that I always wanted to try but never got around to. But I digress. Anyway, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks was one of the most popular D&D fantasy modules released in 1980 that also contained elements of science-fiction. Loot the Body’s The Barrier Peaks Songbook is a psych/prog rock concept album inspired by the aforementioned D&D adventure.
On to the album. This has all the foundations for a very interesting musical adventure and to my delight—and hopefully yours as well—it fulfills that potential admirably. The whole album feels very cohesive, multi-layered with a palette of musical genres while preserving a melodic sound with some catchy lyrics to boot. What’s even more impressive is that Loot the Body is a one-man band, the brainchild of multi-instrumentalist/singer Levi Nunez. His voice has a warm and comforting—for lack of a better word—quality to it that gives off a Beatlesque vibe. The overall sound of the album has a nice retro feel going for it; it could almost have been released in the ‘70s to be rediscovered some forty odd years later. It does have modern sensibilities that keep it fresh and contemporary. I can hear echoes of Peter Gabriel-era Genesis, only more accessible, with a sprinkle of Wishbone Ash (their album Argus comes to mind.) The finished product is a polished LP that is clearly a labor of love.
The opening song, “Expedition to the Barrier Peaks”, sets the tone for what follows and is definitely a stand-out track with its layered sonic arrangements. “We’re the Vegepygmies” is all kinds of spacey and a fun song. “Robot Police” is an ear-worm. Clever lyrics and a catchy chorus that’ll get stuck in your head for some time after you’re done listening to the album “cuz no one fucks with the robot police.” “The Doctor” may very well be the strongest track of the lot, musically atmospheric with its use of a vocoder and lyrically reminiscent of Floyd. “The Days Had a Number”, the lengthiest track on the album, is another good song that samples vintage ads about computers and how they are the future. “Layers of Your Mind” keeps your head bobbing throughout and has some sharp guitar licks. “Bunny on a Stump” is a dreamy little psychedelic number; you can easily picture a swirling rainbow in the sky with shining stars when you listen to this song. Next up is “Froghemoth”, a more somber tune lyrically with a fine guitar riff and thunderous drumming. Things come to a close with a more down-tempo song, “Shedu Liberation”, a lovely coda to bring forth a happy ending to this sonic journey.
The Barrier Peaks Songbook truly is a songbook; the Bandcamp download comes with a 24-page illustrated PDF with complete lyrics and chords. How cool is that! And since this is a very visual album, I encourage you to visit Loot the Body’s YouTube channel to watch some of the awesome videos he’s put together for this album and other D&D-inspired tunes. Great stuff!
If I had to use one word to sum up this album it
would be “fun.” Like any great concept album, you don’t need any prior
knowledge of the source material to fully enjoy it; the music does the talking
as the saying goes. It’s a very accessible set of songs that should appeal to
anyone who fancies psych, prog rock, and concept albums in general as well as
sci-fi/fantasy stories. Give it a spin and I promise you you’ll want to revisit
it often.
Loot the Body’s Bandcamp page: https://lootthebody.bandcamp.com/
Loot the Body’s YouTube Channel
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