Album Review: POOR GENETIC MATERIAL – One Day In June

July 1st, 2013 by alanjones

QuiXote Music [Release date 31.05.13]

In the last couple of years or so the number of progressive rock concept albums released has been going through the roof.

Always known as a genre that spawned over-indulgence on an epic scale – eventually rent asunder by the coming of punk – there is a real possibility of a re-spawning being underway.

Back in 2011, I reviewed Poor Genetic Material’s previous outing ‘Island Noises’, a sprawling double concept album based on William Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ to which I gave a four-star rating as it was a top effort.

So can you have too much of a good thing? Well, yes you can actually.

‘One Day In June’ is a concept album based on one of literature’s more impenetrable works – James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’ – and in their attempt to adapt the novel musically the band have fallen into one of music’s great elephant traps where the story is so complex to tell that the vocals totally dominate the work.

In order to achieve the band’s vision they recruited Phil Griffiths’ (PGM’s singer) father Martin, erstwhile vocalist from early ‘70s proggers, Beggar’s Opera, to share the vocal duties.

The trouble is they sound very similar and, truth be told, a wee bit lightweight for the subject matter. This, together with the over-use of vocals (rather in the way that Meatloaf does – albeit in a totally different genre) makes the whole thing sound like a project rather than a cohesive album.

This is a great shame as when the instrumentation does get a chance to breathe it is very good – after all these guys are no amateurs, they’re top musicians. But this happens far too infrequently and the album suffers as a consequence.

For the record, eight tracks in total and things get off to a really promising start with ‘Martello Morning’, an almost classic progressive rock track replete with soaring guitar solo and a myriad of time signature changes.

From here on though things go downhill, the so-so ‘Wisdom And Menace’ is followed by the faintly insipid ‘Bloom’ where the crooned vocals make their presence felt and it continues in this vein to the album’s (ironically) instrumental coda ‘Yes’.

A great shame this as Poor Genetic Material are known as one of the top progressive rock bands in Europe but, hey, even the greatest of bands have an off day now and again and this is theirs.

They’ll be back.

**1/2

Review by Alan Jones

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions,

Check out radio stream repeat on Tuesday 8th (16:00 GMT) and Thursday 10th April (21:00 GMT)
Next Session: Sunday 4 May

Check out videos here: https://www.facebook.com/getreadytorockradio

David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 2 March 2025.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast on 4 March 2025

How to Listen Live?

Click the programming image at the top of the page (top right of page if using desktop)

Get Ready to ROCK! Radio is also in iTunes under Internet Radio/Classic Rock
Listen in via the Tunein app and search for “Get Ready to ROCK!” and save as favourite.

More information and links at our radio website where you can listen live or listen again to shows via the presenter pages: getreadytorockradio.com

Power Plays w/c 7 April 2025

SEVEN BLOOD To The Unknown (indie)
FROM FALL TO SPRING Incomplete (Arising Empire)
POP EVIL Side Effects (MNRK Heavy)
ERJA LYYTINEN Abyss (Tuohi Records)
SKY VALLEY MISTRESS Too Many Ghosts (New Heavy Sounds)
RED GIANT Free Me (indie)

Featured Albums w/c 7 April 2025

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003 – 2024 (Singer Songwriter)

Our occasional Newsletter signposts latest additions to the website(s). We also include a selection of recent top albums, based on GRTR! reviewer ratings. The newsletter is sent out a few times a year.

If you’d like to register to receive this occasional mailing please complete the form:

If using a smartphone/tablet please tap here or re-orientate your device

(Note that this registration is separate from site registration which allows you to leave comments and receive daily emails about new content. If you wish to register for this – in addition or separately – please click or tap here – for more information – the form is at the foot of each page. Please read our privacy policy when opting-in to receive emails.