EURO-ROCK/CONTEMPORARY:
JASUN MARTZ: The Pillory - Original Edition - Expanded CD
Preamble:
OK - this is where things get complicated. What you have here is the whole of the original 'Pillory' album, unbroken, performed by Jasun Martz & The Neoteric Orchestra, over forty minutes of absolute genius, which I'll come onto in a moment. But also, as a bonus, you get the full twenty minutes of 'In Light In Dark In Between', a track originally in three movements performed by just Martz on grand piano, Eddie Jobson on electric violin and John Lutrelle on clarinet, originally only available on cassette on the Eurock label, but now presented here for the first time on CD, complete with a previously unreleased fourth movement - got all that? Onwards, then…………
Review:
The main track is the whole of 'The Pillory', a track of calm and chaos. It starts with the sound of distant strings and mellotrons that gradually well up in "orchestra-tuning-up" fashion as the piece begin to build and you hear the serenity turning slowly into seeming chaos as the sound of clanking percussion, almost discordant choral voices, rumbling drums, the intensity of strings, a hint of squealing reeds, brief bursts of brass and more , all begin the ascent into what you think is going to b the eruption from hell - it builds and flares - then out of nowhere a Magma-esque choir and drumming starts to march, the accompaniment from thundering bass and bursts of reeds as it all slowly fades unexpectedly, but then as you think it's going a flute takes up the march, the intensity regroups as the choirs gather force and the clarinet (I think) and more circle overhead like vultures, as first a sinuous violin lead weaves a spell overhead as the mix of Stravinsky, Phillip Glass and Magma continues unabated, to extraordinary, spine-tingling effect. This takes you to twelve and a half minutes whereupon it all dies down and what happens next, you just won't believe as in comes a solo mellotron and proceeds to pour out and weave this gloriously seventies sounding, trademark mellotron solo for the final ten minutes of the segment. As this fades, you hear the sound of disparate tinkling and cosmically crashing percussion, accompanied by a drone backdrop as the next segment of the piece ensues in engaging avant-garde fashion. This then leads into an almost Ligeti-esque slice of strings, percussion and a whole symphony orchestra of reeds, wind and brass as structured chaos takes over and the feeling is like being in the middle of Hades itself, positively scary, almost overwhelming but rabbit-in-the-headlights fascination keeping you hooked, as the racket dies away to leave the sound of church-like bells in the distance, as an organ-led sea of drones and strings rises up in Cathedral fashion, slowly adding glorious heavenly choirs, deep mellotron textures all of which unite to end the composition on a slowly fading sea of delicious splendour, a forty-four minute piece the likes of which no-one else has ever dared do and which, twenty years on, remains both unique, refreshing and brilliantly composed, played and executed to this day, music of the past, present and future more than most other modern day compositions of the last thirty years.
The twenty minutes of music that flows could not be more of a contrast, although you feel with the same spirit still present, as a flowing slice of classical sounding melodic and improvised music ensues, the three musicians on just piano, clarinet and violin, creating passages of beauty, passages that are complex and passages that surprise - from relaxed to avant-garde, it's inspired and sometimes challenging - but always engaging, from three consummate musicians for whom improvisation becomes almost the natural order of things for the whole of their twenty minutes.

GENERAL:
ISIS: Alright CDEP
Dundee's finest trio that put the rock into singer-songwriter come up with a brand new studio recorded EP and it showcases what makes this band so hot. Opening with the lead track, we're immediately attacked by some serious guitar riffing from lead guitarist, vocalist and chief writer, Zara, as Cath on drums and Martin on bass crash in and deliver a solid rhythmic foundation that propels the track, as Zara' s lead vocal soars into life, as anthemic as you could wish, on a track that has you moving and just sounds so expansive - the sort of track that makes you just want to turn it right up and leap about the place with a broad grin on your face. Zara's vocal delivery is so powerful and she has one of the most unique and enjoyable vocals around, really letting go on the choruses as the track ends in a multi-tracked vocal anthemic finale with the rhythm section roaring away underneath - so addictive, you just want to play it all over again. But, for now, carry on and you'll find 'My Race', a track that opens as a tender ballad with just guitar and vocal before the drums and bass well up and turn the track into a swaying, lighters-in-the-air type of anthemic ballad that melts the heart while at the same time, once again, proves irresistible to standing still. With yearning lyrics that are delivered with passion, it's a two and a half minute slice of inspirational playing and singing. For the third track, they resurrect a track from their original demos, this time a version of the jaunty 'Harder By The Day', this featuring Cath on drums, bongos and percussion a chief driving force while Martin underpins it with strong bass lines that wander up and down the mix, and even let loose on top, mid-song. A solid track, it tells its own tale of life after love has left, once more sung with passion as Zara lets you know she means every word, that voice so strong and addictive, as chiming rhythm guitar fills the background. 'Never Change' is the newest track on here, a composition with socially aware lyrics delivered on an almost funky staccato arrangement, if you can imagine that, as the whole band fires your imagination and inspiration with a strong yet quite simple set of melodies, chiming guitar backdrop and almost lurching rhythms that hit the spot as Zara's vocal has you hypnotised and sounds so impassioned. For the final track, Freak It', the intensity of the previous trio is replaced by a wholly more optimistic and happy feel as the choppy rhythm guitar leads the way propelled by solid drumming and bass work that's upfront and running up and down the mix.

LINDISFARNE: Run For Home CD
Legendary band with an album of two halves - the first 10 tracks concentrates mostly on the best studio tracks from their two late seventies comeback albums 'Back & Forth' and 'The News' with a clutch of excellent songs including the hit title track, plus classic Lindisfarne songs that are every bit as good as the early seventies ones for which they are still more respected, but listening to tunes such as 'Warm Feeling', 'Juke Box Gypsy', 'Roll On That Day' and more, makes you realise that these could have been from that time frame too. However, if you're still feeling nostalgic for that period, the band make it up to you with live renditions, from the later seventies also, presumably, of anthem such as 'Clear White Light', 'Lady Eleanor', 'Fog On The Tyne' and more, for the final 6 tracks on the album and excellent sound quality. Overall, at this price, you just can't get better from this band.

RA: Duality - Specially Remastered Version CD
Imagine a mix of The Police, King's X & The Outfield - bingo!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's all I need to say - a classic - a bona-fide, stone cold stunner of a classic at that!!!

GUITAR MUSIC/GREAT GUITARISTS:
HEAT FROM A DEADSTAR: Lighten Our Minds MINI-CD
The second offering from this instrumental indie band, and it's even better than the first, and that was original and good enough. This time increasing the length to 6 tracks and twenty four minutes, they've come up with a winner. The first couple of tracks last just three minutes a-piece, but in the capable hands of this instrumental trio, there's more in them than on many similar sounding band's albums. 'Dyslexics' features echoed guitar lead above rivers of bass and crunchy drumming as the guitars chime and then change shape as the track progresses, from ringing riffing to sky-high leads, all set within an indie status and production that gives it the necessary more garagey identity as it almost rages along only, just after two minutes, to decelerate and gather intensity as the guitars and feedback mount one final assault - then it stops. 'Scarlet Eagles' virtually continues where the last one left off, again more chiming, searing, laser-kissed electric guitar leads and riffs while the rhythm section twists and turns through a variety of directions, always hard and strong as the guitars sheer off and fly - superb. 'Black Swans', at six minutes, the longest track on the album, is also one of the slower tracks, heavy without being metallic, almost reminiscent of something like Earth only more intelligent and varied, here with showers of grungy guitars and feedback reigning down above this wickedly thunderous slow bass and cascading, crunching drum work. Just after two minutes it all subsides, only to return with a distinctly '90's King Crimson hue as the Fripp-esque leads chime and chorus over the rolling rhythm section, then the guitar drops back to reveal this sea of chiming guitar and phased effects over the inexorably rolling rhythm section. Then the rhythm drops back to a hard lurch as the guitars chime and the bass takes centre stage - a totally awesome track that just leaves you wanting to play it again. 'Being Less Than Being' is probably the most "upbeat" track on the album with a more expansive, less oppressive feel, and a sea of chiming, ringing, soaring lead guitars and guitar backdrops before the thoroughly amazing grungy guitar riff and equally thunderous bass take on a coat of Magma-meets-Crimso colours as the drums lurch and roll and the searing guitar figures become cut and echoed to amazing effect. A similarly four minute 'Downhearted' is more intense but also features the most melodic lead so far as even this twists and turns, full of chiming, riffing, soloing guitars and driving rhythms that also travel in unexpected directions, but the overall ensemble playing is just awesome as the band drives into the darkness fuelled by resonant heavy bass, Can/Neu-like drumming and searing, seething guitars. The album ends with the six minutes of 'From Nowhere To Nowhere', beginning with staccato bursts of riffing grungy guitars, above a slow but solid bass line and the sound of thunderous slow drums and crashing cymbals, all initially taken at slow but ultra heavy pace to the three minute mark when it all dies away to leave this lone lead of echoed electric guitar that slowly becomes louder against the lightest of percussive backgrounds, as the drums then emerge and boom out slowly, then more layers are added - the river of bass, the buzz-saw guitar in the distance, the closing intensity of droning guitar textures and the ever rising rhythm section, all gradually intensifying but never erupting, seeing you out to the end and leaving you wanting more - much more. As triumphal a twenty four minutes of instrumental indie-esque guitar-led music as they come, and things continue to rise - can't wait to see what they turn up with next!!

ADAM MOORE: Curious Liquid CD
Using no les than 8 electric guitars (count 'em!!) and with all the bass and drum parts played by the guy, not to mention the fact that he produced, wrote and arranged everything on here, and it's clear that we're dealing with a right clever bloke - I'm so jealous I stopped turning red three hours ago. You see, not only is he immensely talented at playing, he can compose a mean tune, too. The result being this assemblage of 12 instrumental tracks that are firmly in the "rock guitar" mould, but without anything bombastic or overly widdly or overly fast - in fact anything that would make you want to turn away from it. It's wonderful stuff as the average length track totals around four minutes or so, just right to allow the main melodies to shine as the electric guitar work steps forward to centre stage and just takes off, sometimes soaring like a bird in flight, sometimes flying overhead like a waiting vulture, other times taking off like a rocket. From solid and powerful to heartfelt and expansive, There's the obligatory acoustic track but even that's superb in the context of the album as a whole, while many of the tracks are more powerful arrangements, none of them what you'd call particularly "metallic", and all of them far too melodic to be called "fusion". Instead, it's rock solid, rocking guitar-led music with a sea of sizzling solos from start to finish, a series of tracks based around crisply produced and strong rhythms, and an album to which you warm quite happily, as its immediate charms become more long-lasting with every play.

VISUAL CLIFF: Lyrics For The Living CD
American instrumental trio of electric guitars, keyboards/synth, bass and drums, with a debut album that's as much fiery fusion as it is progressive. As a result you get structured, flowing compositions that range from progressive melodic to on-fire fusion, the guitars tending to take the lion's share of the lead duties, with a sort of Holdsworth-Metheny-Satriani mesh to the proceedings over eight tracks. Melody is paramount, while the band are unafraid to let rip all over the show, and the album comes across as incredibly forceful - at many times almost rock-metal in the guitar department - but it is that range of moods and movements that makes it such a thoroughly entertaining album, not really capable of being bracketed as "just prog" or "just fusion", etc. Hanging together excellently, similarly well produced, played and delivered, this is a very strong debut release.

VISUAL CLIFF: Key To Eternity CD
Second studio album from the instrumental prog quartet, and this is a whole lot more "mature" in every way, with some gorgeous and strong music throughout. There are 9 tracks over just short of forty-five minutes and the line-up of electric and acoustic guitars, keys/synths, drums and electric bass deliver a solid set of melodic, flowing, warm-sounding compositions that are definitely "prog" with touches of "fusion" in there too, ranging from some outstandingly languid tunes to which you can curl up, to some seriously red hot power, as the electric guitar work spirals on wards and upwards over driving, complex rhythms and duels with the keys/synth along the way. But it always stays on a melodic path, never overdoing anything, and a mark of the sheer quality of playing and composing that this band is producing. This really is a strong instrumental prog album, with the guitar taking the main share of the lead work, the band playing as a cohesive unit, superbly sounding, and a fine, fine second album.

VISUAL CLIFF: Freedom Within CD
Not exactly the world's longest album at just over thirty four minutes, but what it lacks in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality. 8 tracks, 3 of them with vocals, and a much tighter, heavier sound than we've witnessed so far from this excellent and highly underrated USA band. It opens with a massive grungy guitar chord as the thundering bass and crunching drums steam in, the vocals soar on top and the whole thing sounds more like classic King's X without the harmonies and intricacies. Superb! Then a couple of instrumentals of which 'Electric Soul' is in a similar vein to what you've just heard, but then there's the addition of brief bursts of synth that gives it a more "prog" feel, the majority still conforming to rock guitar status, but with muscle and melody, making it sound more "prog" than it really is. The intensity slows for 'Future Imapact', another guitar-led instrumental, this time with more of a bluesy flow to it, although still a strong and strident performance from the band as a whole. A minute in, the addition of a piano melody, sitar backdrop and synth background, gives the track a huge, expansive sound that adds to the already eyes-wide-open playing from guitarist and rhythm section. 'Let It Ring' is the next song, again, with grungy bass and guitar riff, searing lead guitar, multi-tracked vocals and even more of a King's X feel to it than before. 'Beneath The Sand' is a song in a similar vein only here they accelerate the pace to provide a supercharged slice of hard-rocking action with some wicked riffs and red hot leads pouring from the guitar as the vocals are more anthemic than ever. A trio of equally strong instrumentals then closes the album, leaving you absolutely overjoyed and overawed at what you've been hearing, wondering why on earth this band isn't a much more well-known commodity. Well, after an album of this rock quality and tight playing, brilliant arranging and vocalising, with its feet in rock and prog camps, and some stunning guitar work throughout, if the band don't hit the recognition heights, there's just no justice.

ALAN WILLIAMSON: Across Angry Skies CDR
A solo electric guitar-based album with a difference - take the first track - it shares its stage with synthesizers - loads of the things - as huge waves of analogue strings, synth choirs and rich sounding electronic textures, provide a musical setting that's almost as heavily featured as the guitar. Then, for the six minute 'Emania' it begins with Celtic sounding pipes, before this huge storm of orchestral synth strings comes raging in as the drums fire up, the bass river flows and then this soaring and electrifying guitar melody flies in on top to complete the huge-sounding picture. The strings then proceed to share the limelight once more before the guitar disappears and leave the strings and the pipes, bursts of guitar riffs crashing in as it goes, before the whole thing fires up once more and rages onwards. The five minute 'Human Nature' is more sedate with acoustic guitars, strings, choirs, droning pipes, ethnic sounding percussion, deep bass and a solid orchestral feel - almost Oldfield-esque in its construction and use of melodies and layers, as the whole intense mass builds and climbs. The eight minute title track refklects its theme with roaring electric guitar riffs that power up and burn, but still the synths are there in the background as orchestral sounding strings and choirs, the rhythm section now on fire as the guitar leads and solos soar skywards with some typically dextrous rock fretwork. The track builds and builds, slows towards the middle before firing up on a wave of electro-orchestral rock guitar and rhythm section to take you to the end in a huge-sounding blaze of strings, guitars, choirs and rock rhythms. The four minute 'Gate To The Kingdom', as you might expect, calms things down after that, but here the strings and synth brass, pipes and drums, positively swamp the acoustic guitar, as the piece becomes a mostly orchestral sounding one with choral female voice taking centre stage - bizarre!! Without going into detail - because I think you get the flavour of the album right now - there are a further five tracks that reflect the stuff that's gone before, so nothing out of the ordinary (for this album) comes along and surprises you. So, is it a guitar album with synths or a synth album with rock guitar? Who can really say - all I know is that it's going to be a devil of a job to get either audience to take it on board - god bless all who sail in her!! - which is a shame, because it is a good instrumental album.

INDUSTRIAL:
FRACTURED: Only Human Remains CD
Unashamed EBM album but brilliantly assembled and played so that every aspect of the pummelling electronic and electro-percussive beats and rhythms sound heavy, sharp and yet crystal clear. On top of this, the band layer synths, electronics, vocals, samples, electronic bass and more to come up with a set of songs that will blow the wax out of your ears while at the same time mesmerising you into listening to the whole thing as you are inexorably drawn in to its wild and thunderous world of music and lyrical imagery.

JAZZ-ROCK/FUSION:
MATS/MORGAN: Thank You For Flying With Us CD£13.99
16 tracks and seventy four minutes of instrumental fusion music, the likes of which you won't have heard elsewhere. Why? Simply because of the extraordinary breadth of styles, influences and arrangements that occur on the album. Even though a core quintet featuring two synth/keys players, bassist, drummer/keys man Morgan Agren and electric guitar wizard Jimmy Agren, the result is far from what you'd call "trad fusion" as the music wanders through every style from National Health to Frank Zappa, Magma to Mahavishnu and much more along the way. The more powerful ensemble played tracks take the roof off, the rhythm section one of the most powerful this side of Magma, and often not a million miles away, while the more languid and flowing keys/synths work recalls that of Hatfield & Health. But then you'll hear a lead synth melody that suddenly puts you more in mind of something like PFM, and the whole issue becomes ever more cloudy. Then you get tracks where the whole pace and shape of the instrumental (it's all instrumental) suddenly does an abrupt turn mid-track and changes direction completely, albeit to even greater heights. The occasional track pops up revolving around organ and synth, with either guest wordless vocal chorus to put you more in mind of a cross between sedate Magma and Hatfield & The North ('Please Remain Seated') or accompanying harmonica (Adat Dropouts I Love You'), an idea which may sound bizarre on paper, but the reality is sheer gorgeousness. But mostly it's tracks founded on beds of solid electronic and acoustic drums, deep, resonant bass and plenty of flowing, soaring keyboards and synths layers on top, the guitar for once, fulfilling a largely backing role throughout most of the album. The sheer range of moods and paces and atmospheres on this album is part of what makes it so spectacular - in anyone else's hands this would have been a right dog's dinner, but in the hand of this Scandinavian crew, it's one amazing album from start to finish.

Continued……

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