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Review:
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Mister Steve Hackett still delivers the goods, obviously
not intent to rest on his considerable laurels and releasing
another masterful work, showing that he remains predictably
unpredictable. He has found new energy on the electric scene,
not surprising as he has always come across as a consummate
musician and a fan (his list of guest appearances runs in
pages). When you have a bass/stick man of Nick Beggs' stature,
how can one not be inspired? That was a true find, Stevo!***
The greatest attribute I can think of in anointing
Hackett with special accolades is that he gives the fans
what they want: guitar innovations and solos! He is not
a musical dilettante who amuses his ego by playing sloppily
(and rarely) just to piss others off! I actually showed
some you tube vids to an unsuspecting female music fan (who
knew nothing of Hackett but knew of "Abacab") and she was
shocked how great control and technique he displayed.***
There are a few outright jewels here, from the title
track to the exhilarating "Love Song to a Vampire", an archetypical
Hackett anthem that blends a fabulous melody, choir work,
blistering guitar phrasings, a thunderous beat and a genial
structure that keeps things palpitating ! That choir blast
amid the Roger King orchestrations is insane BTW! Instant
pleasure!***
The Brits seem fascinated by the carnival, it's an
oft repeated theme in both music and film, a merry go round
of seemingly simple social pleasures that are overt on the
playful "The Wheel's Turning", mixing in the circus like
stylings with some brawny playing (Beggs and drummer O'Toole
really flex their muscles here), while Hackett tears off
some wah-wah licks to great effect. Slightly bluesy and
pure fun!***
"Corycian Fire" refers to the Corycian cave in Greece,
where the oracle began in ancient times and it depicts the
rights of wild women invoking the rebirth of Dionysus. Hackett
gives the piece a slight Mediterranean touch, with brash
percussives and almost Wagnerian chanting that explodes
mightily into the soaring sky.***
The acoustic Hackett is equally enthralling, so "Earthshine"
fulfills that function brilliantly, showcasing his ridiculous
maitrise, his picking is phenomenal, rapid and precise.
"Loving Sea" has a highly 70s resonance both musically and
lyrically, lead and backing vocals conspiring together to
create a very pastoral sound, sort of CSNY with prog tendencies.
So as such such, its nice but not memorable.***
But "Black Thunder" fixes that in a hurry, a booming
and volatile beat with the rhythm section doing some serious
heavy damage. The guitar attack is nasty, the choir backing
voluptuous and the soloing simply devastating. Lots of stop
and start themes, mood swings, hodgepodge of industrial
sounds and a wickedly tortured solo, you really see the
visceral Hackett at work here, not exactly softening up
his old age attitude. He can and does, still rock. The highlight
track must assuredly be "Dust and Dreams" , a perfect groove
laid down by the Beggs-O'Toole tandem riding on burning
coals, hot and smoldering, as Hackett drapes his Siberian
toned guitar and unleashes a solo that curdles the blood
and gooses the skin. Brrrrrr, bloody magic! The mood is
oppressive, symphonic and demented, having a similar feel
to his classic tune "In Memoriam" off the Darktown album.***
This is not his best ever but a close third after Voyage
and Spectral, a solid release by prog's resident strongman
and legend. 4 lupo lux***
(Thomas
Szirmay)
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