Phideaux
„AutoMoto Animus“
Prog-Pop. Progressive Rock. Art Pop.

• LP, Blue Vinyl. 2026
• Original
• Bloodfish Music
• zyz-1111
• new

How long have I waited for a Phideaux vinyl album? 20 years! Except for one CD, ironically their best and most progressive album,"'Doomsday Afternoon", I own all their physical albums. After 2018's "Infernal", there was almost complete silence, and now, eight years later, finally a new album. With "Doomsday Afternoon", "The Great Leap", "Chupacabras", and "Number Seven", Phideaux have already set the bar incredibly high. So, how does "AutoMoto Animus" fare as a new phase for Phideaux?

The album cover and design are certainly beautiful. The blue disc needed a run through the record cleaning machine, after which the sound improved significantly. Although the soundstage could be a bit better. That covers the technical aspects, and now we come to what really matters: the music.

I don't usually try to refer to an artist's earlier albums. However, anyone hoping for a work like "Doomsday Afternoon" will be disappointed. Although Phideaux's style is immediately recognizable, the album leans quite heavily towards pop in parts. Nevertheless, it does possess prog elements, and that's a good thing. Unfortunately, it doesn't reach the creative heights of "Fiendish" and "313". Those two albums, in particular, with their distinct styles and genres, were difficult to categorize.

"Do What You Will" is a typical, melodic pop song. And really good pop is rare. But Phideaux can do it. "Hey Humanity" is a more typical Phideaux song, and here prog-rock finally comes into play. A really good track. "Driving To Destruction" actually leans towards prog; it's too contradictory for pop. "Stay With Me" is a song that somehow reminds me of the album "Doomsday Afternoon". And this ballad also suits Phideaux. Not the best track, but nothing that pulls me away from the album either. "Charlie Knew" relies more on the lyrics; the music is just okay.

Side B more than makes up for it with the first song, boasting a fantastic prog feel and folky undertones. I particularly like "Siren In The Storm". Xavier Phideaux is generally very lyrically driven. He has a real feel for how individual words can come together to create a graceful rhythm. "Enigmatic Terminus" doesn't really fit into the pop genre either, but thankfully it's anything but bland. Prog is definitely in the air. Phideaux fuses different genres on this album, and he does it quite well. The final track, "Legend Of Mary J" is the long track I've been longing for, clocking in at over 14 minutes. It's special to me precisely because it sounds like Phideaux, yet bears so little resemblance to his earlier long tracks. For me, it's the heart of the album.

Conclusion

Unmistakably Phideaux, yet not a "Doomsday Afternoon" and that's a good thing. We already have that excellent work; anything else would just be a pale imitation. In that sense, Phideaux has successfully bridged the gap between his past and present. His lyrics, in particular, which range from sublime to absurd, from mystical to surreal, from realistic to brutally honest, are what make this album so appealing.

On first listen, I wasn't convinced. It didn't sound cohesive. Neither new nor old. So I slept on it for a night. At least the long track appealed to me. So I listened to "AutoMoto Animus" several times, and then it sank into my mind and my heart. It's typical Phideaux, yet I can feel the evolution. An album that needs time and then unfolds its magic.

Bass – Johnny Unicorn
Vocals – Phideaux Xavier, Ariel Farber, Naomi Adele Smith, Johnny Unicorn
Guitar – Phideaux Xavier, Rich Mouser, Fernando Perdomo
Keys – Phideaux Xavier, Pail Roessler, Mark Sherflus, Naomi Adele Smith
Drums – Joe Berardi
Other – Armanda Lynne, Johnny Unicorn (flutes), Vince Meghrouni (saxophone), Angus Weir (trumpet)

Fiendish 2003
Ghost Story 2004
Chupacabras 2005
313 2006
The Great Leap 2006
Doomsday Afternoon 2007
Number Seven 2009
Snowtorch 2011
Infernal 2018
AutoMoto Animus 2026

The photos are all from my LP. The rights to all designs, logos, texts and fonts that can be seen in the photos are of course owned by the copyright holder.

TheProgThief
©30.07.2026
Mk 2