Archive - 'Live At The Zenith' (Hangman) Released 08/10/07

Cynical UK music fans might well cringe at the thought of a band that have a massive following in Poland, Germany and Greece; the musical bastions and safe havens for the likes of the mighty Hoff that they are. But South Londoners Archive are a group whose electronically influenced psychedelic prog rock has a far-reaching appeal. Marking ten years since their first long-player, their latest release, ‘Live At The Zenith’, is just that; a live recording of their sold out concert at the Zenith Arena in Paris of January this year. It’s not an album to be taken lightly nor is it one that you can casually dip in and out of but it is unquestionably a must have for all established Archive fans.

Archive don’t do neatly packaged three minute songs and testament to that is the opening track ‘Lights’. At over fifteen minutes long (yes that’s right, fifteen minutes) it’s space-age feel, fuzzy drum beats, floating guitars, brooding, isolated synths and lack of vocal until nine minutes in, gives you an idea not only of what you’re letting yourself in for, but how much of your day you’ll have to give up in order to listen to the album from beginning to end. At just shy of ninety minutes, that’s a game of football or three episodes of Judge Judy, whatever you prefer.

Just like Judith Sheindlin’s court, with ‘Live At The Zenith’ the people are real and judging by their reactions, this was one hell of a gig to be at. Unannounced big building guitar driven rock with smatterings of electronica run riot in an all out relentless frenzy that makes you feel like you’ve been trapped in an early 1990’s Vietnam film through ‘Bridge Scene’ and ‘You Make Me Feel’ and when ‘**** U’ is unleashed, well, **** me. It’s a passionate crowd pleaser of a sing-along if ever you heard one and instead of lighters in the air, it’s a steadfast one fingered salute.