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One of 2007's best albums was the solo debut from RPWL
guitarist Kalle Wallner's Blind Ego Mirror. Featuring Paul
Wrightson,John Mitchell and John Jowitt (and some Germans)
the band were soon harsly dubbed the German Arena and the
album contained many of that bands theatrical touches.***
Now the bands second, or sophomore if you work for
Classic Rock Magazine, release Numb is here. On the first
listen it seemed that Kalle had eschewed that progressive
approach and settled on a more straight forward heavy metal
style rocker, but after a few listens the album's depth
starts to shine through.***
The band has seen some personnel changes: most noticeably
there's no Mitchell so there's none of his bolt-on guitar
solos, which in turn leaves more space for Kalle's excellent
guitar work, shining on tracks such as Death. It also means
a whole album for the unkempt Wrightson to stretch his vocal
chords around, and that's no bad thing!***
The album starts off with "Lost", a 6 minute rocker
driven along by Kalle's guitar work. Slow then fast at the
chorus. A decent start to the album! This is followed by
the atmospheric opening to "Guilt", before it flips into
a chunky riffed little number.***
The title track "Numb" is next, sounding the most like
a track from the previous album (Mirror). As befitting a
title track, this is filled with more excellent guitar work
as well as a thumping beat from the rhythm section which
features either Jowitt or Sebastian Harnack on bass and
Michael Schwager on the drums. On top of all that there
is a menacing vocal from Wrightson. "Leave" comes next with
more soaring guitar work combined with quieter atmospheric
sections.***
A short burst of guitar ushers in "Death", a melodic
10 minutes masterpiece which is quite possibly the best
track on the album. Here and there, understated guitars
weave their magic over and under the rhythm section's excellent
work, occasionally soaring. This is topped off by another
excellent vocal performance from Wrightson, with evocative
lyrics such as "I've seen the end, there's no light, you
close the door and that's where it ends". It all ends up
with a scorching solo from Herr Wallner!***
A funky groove heralds the start of "Change", which
then rips off into heavy territory. But hang on, hold them
horses. No sooner have they started galloping, than they're
reigned in for a spot of dressage or something - a quiet
passage to you and me - before getting let loose again!***
The mildly melodic "Seek" is the albums only low point
for me. Nothing particularly wrong with it - solid guitars,
sound bass and percussion, interesting vocals, but never
hanging together as I would have liked. If I had any talent,
of course. This passes thru quickly though and in comes
the gentleness of "Risk", vocals and guitars, a bar stools
on stage kinda song. It serves as a good interlude, a short
musical breather for the rest of the band before they come
back into the maelstrom of "Torn", five minutes
of frantic drumming / bassing / guitaring letting the band
rock out in the only way they know how.***
The penultimate track is the the Queensryche-esque
"Vow", heavy riffing, gruff vocals, pacey and to the point
in the beginning before slowing to a more sedate groove,
before building and building back into itself, before ending
like an album ender should do.***
Which leaves the final track, "Change Reprise", sounding
a little tagged on, which I suppose it is. A different version
of the track Change, mixed differently, and with the ex-Sepultura
drummer Iggor Cavalera adding his own brand of thumping
drums. It's a good track but I'm not a great fan of "bonus
tracks" on albums - they should have a "start", a "middle"
and an "end". Anything after the "end" seems to dilute it
to me. Less is more, as they say.***
Overall then, this is a real grower of an album, which
is far heavier overall than the first one was. And quite
far removed from the excellent RPWL too, which is the whole
point of a solo album.***
Charlie
O'Mara of "Silhobbit"
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