Boston composer Marc Soucy has arrived with a sonic time capsule with the release of his track, “Mayhem In Antartica.” Recorded live in 1983 and restored in 2023 and 2025, “Mayhem In Antartica” encompasses the total, unmediated power that Marc Soucy’s former progressive rock trio, antartica, possessed. The song encapsulates blistering keyboard work, sophisticated rhythms and untempered energy, all while summoning the prideful epochs of the genre and providing a momentous snapshot in the band’s history.
Drawing inspiration from Emerson, Lake & Palmer and the other contemporaries of the time, Marc Soucy, drummer Ray Lavigne and bassist Jeff Carano made a sound that was simultaneously thrilling and audacious. The thrilling organ solos, multisectional structure and relentless drive of the song’s music clearly justifies the claim a fan made in remembering a time they told the band, "You guys make ELP sound like Lionel Richie!"
What distinguishes the track “Mayhem In Antartica” is its raw, unpolished recording. Recorded live in a stone farmhouse cellar in Dracut, Massachusetts with only three room mics, and no overdubs or identifiable mixing, represents progressive rock in its purest form. Soucy’s restorative work will ensure that this long lost track gets its much deserved attention but still sounds old and gritty.
“Mayhem In Antartica” is the first of five archival releases from Antartica. While it is a song, it is ultimately a representation of a time, a band, and a sincere dedication to crafting music. If you are a progressive rock enthusiast, you should give this release a listen. The song showcases older musicians who took the limitations of their time as musicians and emancipated their sound.
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