It has been 5 years since the London-based band, The Wood Demons, released their acclaimed Angels of Peckham Rye album, and 4 years since I reviewed it for the Progressive Aspect, following a refreshingly vibrant set at the first Prog For Peart festival in Abingdon, Oxfordshire. It is almost happenstance to note that their new album, In Rabbits & Corners, will be officially released the day after their Friday appearance at the fifth Prog For Peart festival. It is welcome news for sure, as I find the band’s wonderful mix of progressive rock, psychedelia, art rock, folk, classical and ambient sounds so engaging and innovative.
The Wood Demons are made up of John Silver on bass and Rick Startin on keyboards, guitar and vocals, with Simon Carbery on guitars and vocals, and Ed Kontargyris on drums. Whilst it is classically trained Naomi Belshaw’s violin playing that helps create their uniqueness of sound, it is the synergy between all these talented musicians that truly shapes the diversity and breath of their musical soundscapes.
In Rabbits and Corners consists of 5 extended tracks, including a 4-part epic, and successful captures and maintains the distinctiveness of their last album, but in my view is a more consistent and unified album that has seen the band fully mature and expand on their signature style within the variety of compositions on show. Simon tells me that the title comes from a ‘lost in translation’ Japanese review of the last album, and the words “just seemed to chime in a surreal way with the new album’s vibe.”
I Told You I Will is a strong and accessible opening track, written by Simon Carbery. A fictionalised version of a real-life rescue of a survivor of a migrant off the Italian coast. The coastguard helicopter pilot rescued and eventually adopted the young migrant woman – although in the song both have premonitions of each other, with “I told you I will’ being the coastguard’s promise. The sound of a distant helicopter leads us into some lovely, strummed guitar which reminded me of the quieter side of Porcupine Tree. Naomi’s violin adds a dreamy, swirling ambience, over the gently flowing rhythm, as Simon’s pleasing vocals recount the tale. There is a nice keyboard break midway from Rick, and the intensity picks up nicely, with John’s fretless bass and Ed’s dynamic drum patterns. The breakdown middle section builds through a repeated ‘radar’ motif into the climax and final verse, where there is a cinematic, folk-tinged edged to the finale.
John Silver’s Gentlemen It’s Time, is a multi-faceted song of doubt and unease, questioning whether in the spotlight of impending mortality the actions of humans are unreal and lacking in substance. John says he started writing this back in 1979, and was inspired by a short story, Common Time, written by the American science fiction author James Blish, and the phrase “Time the all-devouring.” It starts softly, with chiming guitar lines and probing bass, before a rich stab of organ creates an early Genesis pastoral feel. Drums and violin signal a rise in tempo and a smooth, Canterbury sound – with the vocals having an almost whimsical quality as the passing of time is considered and the catchy chorus is delivered. Rick’s keyboards are pure Caravan in feel with the violin soaring above. A dramatic, psychedelic burst of power has a Syd Barrett-like character prior to a great electric guitar solo and then a return to the main theme. A quieter, atmospheric closing section creates a feeling of unease and dread, with the mysterious vocals and Naomi’s ominous violin bowing builds up into a final crescendo. John has even managed to squeeze in a snippet of a poem by Thomas Hardy called An Ancient to Ancients. All good stuff!
Underground Rivers is another John Silver-penned track he has worked on for many years. John’s bass line is accompanied by some lovely ensemble playing of guitar, violin and keyboards, with Ed’s drumming keeping pace and rising to the challenge when needed. The main theme is accessible and the whole thing flows effortlessly, with Rick’s keyboards increasing to the fore, and Simon’s vocals have a mystical, otherworldly quality, through to Naomi’s final notes. Whilst the song was sparked off by a bereavement and shaped by the pandemic years, John’s song is optimistic in vision, with the human mind having the capacity to heal itself.
Simon Carbery’s second song on the album, Trickledown, is another based on a real news story. It considers the finding of a mysterious body on a Yorkshire Moor. No identity, known family or connection with the location – all that is known is he had just arrived from Pakistan, although he is not Pakistani. Simon takes this premise and explores his mindset and motives within the lyrics. It begins gently with some lovely, ringing guitar patterns and Simon’s lyrical vocals creating a mysterious atmosphere before a sudden violin-driven gain in intensity and urgency. The music ebbs and flows and gradually builds into an agitated 5/4 section with Bartok-like soloing from Naomi and Rick’s staccato mellotron voices. The song climaxes in 4/4 with a duet between lead guitar and violin, a slide guitar solo, and a forlorn vocal climax, before a poignant return to the mysterious feel of the start of the song. A deeply affecting composition full of intricacy, variety and complexity.
The final track is Rick Startin’s 17+ minute 4-part psychedelic/prog rock epic, called Nothing Between Us & Heaven. Yet the title comes from the last phrase uttered on air by Lt-Commander Thomas Woodrooffe before the BBC hastily faded out his commentary on the 1937 Naval Review at Spithead (imagine an early version of The Fast Show’s Rowley Birkin QC being very, very drunk at the time!) Although he kept repeating “the fleet’s lit up”, Rick thought his last phrase had a visionary quality to it and would be a good title for a song!
The song itself, lyrically-wise, is ultimately Rick’s love letter to Northern Italy and the healing power of music – although it starts in a mood of anger and self-reproach before going through a range of emotions along the way. Musically, Rick says it is essentially combined from two longstanding musical ideas had somehow fitted together – resulting in an East-meets-West feeling that chimes with his love of psychedelia – with changing dynamics and time signatures and spacey sounds aplenty.
It starts powerfully with Ed’s urgent drumming and some classic 60s psychedelic elements both musically and with Rick’s expressive vocals, and touches of Eastern-themed mysticism from Naomi’s violin and Simon’s lead guitar, before progressing hypnotically, space-rock like, with some heavy, staccato riffage thrown in to end Part 1. We then move to an upbeat acoustic guitar-led section with runs along infectiously, with cascading violin, rippling bass and drums and some soaring lead guitar from Simon. The vocals reminded me of early Wishbone Ash at times, but that is probably just me. A return to the staccato motif then takes us into Part 3. It’s all a highly enjoyable cacophony of instrumentation, changing time signatures, with sweeping keyboards, gypsy-like violin and strident guitar, fading into a more reflective Floydian interlude for Part 4, with a yearning, ethereal quality. Gentle keyboards accompany wistful vocals, before another guitar solo lights up the music, as does more melancholic violin through to its final, thoughtful conclusion. An ambitious and ever-shifting epic that runs the full gamut of emotions before finding a quiet resolution. Largely written in 11/8 time, with lots of flipping between 6 and 5 beats to the bar, and the use of the 7-note Phrygian dominant scale, it’s an epic that reveals more of its complex layers and intertwining themes with every repeat play.
The Wood Demons have produced a marvellous album with In Rabbits & Corners. It has not only built upon the quality of Angels of Peckham Rye but has raised the bar even higher. The progressive and psychedelic style of their music has been enhanced, whilst not losing their unique merging of folk, classic and art rock elements. This is a mature and coherent work of dazzling musicianship, lyrical depth, a cinematic scope and beautifully crafted songs that engage you fully in a truly holistic way. The band have really found their voice with this album – with compositions both simple and accessible, and yet wonderfully complex and challenging as well. Highly recommended!
TRACK LISTING
01. I Told You I Will (7:07)
02. Gentlemen It’s Time (10:32)
03. Underground Rivers (8:15)
04. Trickledown (9:24)
05. Nothing Between Us & Heaven (17:40)
Total Time – 52:58
MUSICIANS
Simon Carbery – Lead Vocals (1,3 & 4), Vocals (2 & 5), Electric & Acoustic Guitars, Celesta (4), Sound Effects (4)
Rick Startin – Lead Vocals (5), Vocals (1,2,3 & 4), Keyboards, Lead Guitar (5 – Part 3)
John Silver – Bass, Fretless Bass (1)
Naomi Belshaw – Violin
Ed Kontargyris – Drums, Percussion
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 19th July 2025
LINKS
The Wood Demons – Facebook | Bandcamp | YouTube | X | Instagram
