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We are sorting through the many
reviews we've had.
Here are a few for now.
"...the incorporation of some very tasty and trippy middle
eastern soundscapes gives this Toronto via Ottawa group
a unique edge."
-Vendetta (USA)
"World influences fuse with a new wave foundation throughout,
most notably on the psychedelic instrumental "Turmeric"
and the Urdu protest song "Tumharay Liyeh". A positive step
forward...
-Liisa Ladouceur, Eye Weekly (Toronto, CANADA)
"Ariel evoke haunting mirages through their latest collection
of songs, "Big to the Sky". Propulsive eastern grooves-defined
by sitar and world percussion instruments-along with dynamic,
ornate arrangements shape the group's textured (mostly)
guitar based pop. And thought they retain the moody drama
that often gets the five-piece tagged, erroneously, as goth,
Ariel is as focused on what they say as how they present
it."
-Karen LaRocca, Capital City (Ottawa, CANADA)
"With
Ali Jafri's mournful vocals and the sombre arrangements
of guitar/keyboards, Big To The Sky goes heavy on
the candle-lit, crypt-like atmosphere without going overboard.
The load is lightened by the inherent psychedelia of droning
sitars on tracks like "Turmeric."....
-Steve Smith, Ottawa X Press (Ottawa, CANADA)
"Ottawa's
Ariel use drums, a variety of string instruments including
sitar, and keyboards to create their sensual attack, and
the Cure's Robert Smith would kill to have the voice of
Ariel's lead singer."
-Matt Mernagh,
Exclaim (Toronto, CANADA)
"-the
five-piece has left behind its beginnings as competent yet
decidedly Cure-ish dirge-rockers and taken on a more ambitious,
artfully grand Eastern-Flavoured sound."
-Ben Rayner, The Ottawa Sun (Ottawa, CANADA)
"I
guess
these
guys were originally from Toronto and then moved to Ottawa,
but now they're back in T.O. doing shows and promoting their
CD. They're a talented bunch of guys playing laid back songs;
well written lyrics and some middle eastern influences that
includes keyboards, djembe nd bongos as well as guitars
and drums. Their moody stylings may get them comparisons
with The Cure, but that doesn't last very long, as their
own independant style comes out when they let it. They deserve
good attention and should be well received by Toronto audiences.
Worth checking out live."
-Michael Tymochko, Bedridden (Toronto, CANADA)
"With
atmospheric keyboards and crunching, anthemic guitars in
the best 80's tradition-plus the fact that lead singer Ali
Jafri sounds distinctly like Robert Smith on "If Only
You Knew" and "Vanilla"-it is tempting to
call Ariel retro. The fact that they are not afraid to sing
in Urdu or play the djembe takes them very much into the
90's. Withdrawn is a well orchestrated album with
atmosphere, power, strength and strong musicianship. The
vast and expansive instrumentation mixes well with the Jafri's
vocals to demonstrate that Ariel is a band to watch for..."
-Sean Smith, Ottawa X Press (Ottawa, CANADA)
Live
Reviews
Check
out this
link or read below.
Reverb, Toronto. July 23rd 2002 featuring:
Ed Hanley on tablas and Yakudo Taiko Drummers.
Incense wafts off the stage and Ariel begins playing in
the candelabra glow. Layers of drums, guitars, keyboards,
and, more interestingly, tablas, a djembe and a sitar blend
uniquely, while frontman Ali Jafri sings, mostly in English,
with an occasional song in Urdu. I've been following Ariel
since the band began performing in the mid 90's and it's
one of my favorite local live acts. Experts at creating
the perfect measure of gothic ambiance in any venue without
devolving into camp, the band continues to finesse its sound
adding new dynamics, and to my enchantment, more drums.
This is Ariel's second live performance with Yakudo, Japanese
Taiko drummers who jump into the fray about halfway through
the set and take the sound into an even more satisfyingly
eclectic dimension. Dramatically synchronized, the Taiko
drummers are mesmerizing. The addition of traditional Japanese
drums to Ariel's already unusual goth/industrial/South-East
Asian combination builds into this huge tableau of sound.
. . and suddenly stops - leaving me disappointed in the
subdued Tuesday night crowd when there's no encore. With
new keyboardist Glenn Love clearly adding new energy to
the tight-knit group and work on a new album underway, watch
for more from Ariel later this year.
-Review by Suzanne
(Freelance Writer)
Live at the Rivoli, Toronto '98
"The highlight of the evening without question was Ariel.
Throw ambient gothic, electro-industrial, Middle-Eastern
and West African styles into a pot, add a generous dash
of The Cure, and you have Ariel. You never know where this
band will take you.
Ariel's second piece of the evening, an accoustic which
the band had reworked to include sitar, was simply mind-blowing.
It was a shame that time restrictions forced Ariel to cut
their set short."
-Kieran Green-Imprint (CANADA)
"Along
with the lamp, the band lights candles to make the live
experience an even better one. To truly get the feel for
a band you would have to see them live. However, sitting
in your basement and lighting candles among other things
could create a good enough atmosphere for Ariel to enter
the sound waves."
-Dan Morreale, The Secondary Press (Hamilton, CANADA)
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