by Kev Rowland | Aug 19, 2018 | Reviews
While playing this I kept thinking back to the recent release on Cadbra Records, Thomas Ligotti’s ‘The Bungalow House’. Not so much the music on the audiobook itself, but more the descriptions of the sounds within the story. There is a delicacy, a hidden emotion, an agenda that is far deeper than the few notes played can convey. This has an incredibly stripped-down approach to haunting and shadowy soundscapes, early mornings with piano and a distant trumpet, all with the fog swirling around. This is music that is incredibly visual, instantly compelling, mysterious and fragile, all at the same time. This is something ethereal, whether there are vocals involved or not as if Kate Bush has been taken to her most experimental and distant edge.
Offers Abdul-Rauf of the new record, “By way of a desolate trainyard at night, forgotten objects in an abandoned room, and other near empty spaces past and present, I bring my third offering, ‘Diminution’: the diminishing value of art forms and processes, individual expression, and even human life itself to almost nothing in this 21st Century world, is like a fading out, or death on a large scale. In spite of this, a grounded psychic core remains in the void: a sense of freedom in the renunciation of all that is concrete. Some would say this is dark and lonely music, with urban overtones, while others feel a sense of light ethereality and calm in its shimmering moods. All interpretations are valid and true.” I’m not sure I’ve come across anything quite like this before, as it is almost as of Art Zoyd have become New Age and then combined that with some of the works of both Brian and Roger Eno (I know Roger’s older brother is more well-known, but search out ‘Fragile’ to see what I mean). I honestly don’t have the words as I’m not sure what it all means to me either, but I know that my musical world is a much better place for having come across it. Possibly yours will too. Have a listen yourself and see what I mean, https://leilaabdulrauf.bandcamp.com
9/10 – Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Aug 19, 2018 | Reviews
The Dutch band is back with their fourth album, with artwork that perfectly states what the listener is going to come across, as it is atmospheric, beguiling and with beauty, but one is never quite sure what is happening between the calm surface of the water. I don’t think I’ve come across these guys before this, but they must have been doing something right as they managed to get both Jorn Cornfield (Muse) and Bruce Soord (The Pineapple Thief) to act as producers, which has given the band a mighty sound indeed, with obvious nods to both of those bands.
Maartje Meessen (vocals, flute, piano), Ingo Dassen (guitars), Eleen Bartholomeus (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Ingo Jetten (bass) and Bob Van Heumen (drums) go from delicate and almost ethereal to menacing, symphonic and powerful almost at whim, which makes for an album that is full of surprises as one is never quite sure where the music is going to go. There is a real feeling of a soundscape, of carefully layered good intentions that come together to create something that at times is really quite special indeed. They sometimes veer into the more experimental electronic, but always with strong female vocals, and even if there is a section where the listener may not be too comfortable, it soon moves into something else. It is probably fair to also call out Riverside as an influence, and while the album may not be the total success they wish it to be, it is certainly something that is intriguing and shows promise. Having not heard the previous albums I can’t say how this compares, but it will certainly be interesting to see where they go from here.
7/10 – Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Aug 19, 2018 | Reviews
Unless you are of a certain age, it is unlikely that you will have a real understanding of just how important Schenker and his Flying V was to hard rock. His first recording was with Scorpions on their debut ‘Lonesome Crow’ when he was just 16, and he was soon stolen by UFO and appeared on all of their major albums, ending his time with them with the live ‘Strangers In The Night’. At the end of the Seventies no rock disco was completed without ‘Doctor Doctor”, “Only You Can Rock Me”, “Shoot Shoot” or “Lights Out” (normally all of them). After that he recorded a brilliant solo debut with “Armed and Ready” and “Cry For The Nations” being bona fide classics, but then there was a slippery road downhill, both artistically and musically. He worked with some great musicians and singers, but even a return to UFO didn’t work.
Fast forward to 2016, and he put together Michael Schenker Fest, a tour featuring former Michael Schenker Group vocalists Gary Barden and Graham Bonnet, plus Robin McAuley of the Mcauley Schenker Group. Instrumental back-up was provided by former M.S.G. bass player Chris Glen and drummer Ted McKenna (I know that’s important in the context of the review, but for me, those guys will always be SAHB), plus guitarist/keyboard player Steve Mann, also of the Mcauley Schenker Group. The shows went so well that it seemed to make sense to record some music together, and to make it even more complete they brought in Doogie White (ex-Rainbow), who had been a singer with Schenker’s Temple Of Rock.
The result is nothing short of a major success, and if ever an album title was apt then it has to be this one. Schenker is very much back from the wilderness, with an album that is rolling back the years for all involved. Some of the songs feature all four singers, while each has their turn in taking lead. Schenker himself is way more restrained than usual, as there is a real focus on songs and the overall impact instead of the mad axeman out front crunching riffs and blazing away on solos. But, this is a hard rock album first and foremost, and most importantly this sounds like one where everyone wanted to be there and was having fun. It is early Eighties melodic hard rock with balls: there is nothing fashionable about this. Michael is now touring the album with Doogie and is even talking about having Phil Mogg and Klaus Meine on the next one.
Schenker has been in the wilderness for far too long, and I certainly never expected to hear an album like this from him again. Cast away all thoughts you may have had of his material in the last thirty odd years and give this a chance.
8/10 – Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Aug 19, 2018 | Reviews
This is the debut album from a band who were actually formed as long ago as 1983. They managed to secure some good tours and even signed a record deal in the Eighties, but by 1990 they had broken up and that was the end of it, at least until September 2013 when they reformed for a one-off gig. That has led to them supporting Aerosmith, Foreigner, UFO and Scorpions along the way and touring the UK with FM and Romeo’s Daughter. They have also performed at major festivals such as Hard Rock Hell AOR, Download, London Calling, Ramblin’ Man, Steelhouse, Rockingham and the Frontiers Rock Festival in Milan. They have now finally released their debut album, but what should be a totally joyous occasion has been dampened somewhat due to founding member, bass player and close friend Paul Boyd losing his battle with cancer in 2017. Paul appears on the album and the band is respectfully dedicating its release to his memory.
As soon as I heard this I was taken back to the Nineties, and particularly to a magazine called Frontiers. Unlike the other fanzines around at the time these guys had gone glossy and it was much more like a “proper” magazine. One of the real delights was the cover CD that came with each issue which introduced me to bands I would have never have heard of otherwise (this was pre-internet and the media hated melodic rock nearly as much as they hated prog). As soon as I started playing this I had to turn to my library as this was reminding just so much of bands like The Loveless and Be Sharp, both of whom featured on the second cover CD before the now-famous Frontiers label had emerged. NHA is melodic rockers with strong hints of Bad Company, some Foreigner, a tad of classic Journey, the melodic side of UFO and possibly even some later Whitesnake. What it doesn’t sound like at all is a band releasing their debut in 2018, but if this had come out thirty years or more ago then I am sure that we would have been hearing a great deal about it.
It is great that the guys finally seem to be getting some real recognition, and we can only hope that it keeps going in the way that it has to date. As it is, this is a melodic hard rock album that has that edge that removes it from AOR yet will still be appreciated by fans of that slightly softer genre. Strong harmonies, hooks, and a great production, this is well worth looking out for.
8/10 – Kev Rowland
by Kev Rowland | Aug 19, 2018 | Reviews
Although born in India, Noshir has been living in New York since 1995, and this exposure to Indian classical music and Bollywood has obviously fused with his love of jazz to create something that is almost timeless and seamless as it flows like a river. Here we have a sextet performing as a solid unit, each allowing the others to shine when they need to and providing the supporting role, and also more than happy to take the lead when the time is right. Mody is an incredibly fluid guitarist, capable of deft runs when he needs to or sitting there providing the direction for others to follow.
There are six tracks on the album, all originals, with just one (slightly) less than ten minutes in length, allowing the musicians to all find the groove and follow and drive when the need is right. Often the band is playing as a quartet, with Mike Mullan (saxophones) and Benjamin Hankle (trumpet, flugelhorn) coming in to add their touches when the time is right, but everyone understands that at times the biggest impact is for them not to be playing at all. There is a delicacy, and more than a hint of Latin in proceedings, with Mody, obviously influenced by early Carlos Santana and Al Di Meola, but throughout it is the innate sense of melody that really makes this such an interesting album to fall into it.
When playing this I often find myself closing my eyes and just getting into the feel, the rhythm, and soul of the album, as it truly is a beautiful piece of work. Definitely for those how to enjoy their jazz to have soul and majesty, without things being thrust into your face.
www.noshirmody.net
7/10 – Kev Rowland
