Izvajalec: Barry Cleveland
Založba: ElevenEleven Music
Izid: year
Trajanje: 64:42
Ocena: 4/5
Prava redkost je najti protestna besedila v progresivni glasbi, zato so dela, ki slednje vsebuje, toliko bolj cenjena. Največ tem v prog rocku je fantastično obarvanih, z ljubezenskimi in filozofskimi primesmi, kakršnakoli neposredna kritična lirika pa je le malokrat prisotna. Vsi seveda poznamo “The Wall”, življensko delo “Floyda” Rogerja Watersa, potem moramo pa že močno pomisliti, če dejansko obstaja kakšno odmevnejše podobno delo. Barry Cleveland s “Hologramatron” tako stopi ob bok kritiku Watersu, vsaj kar se tiče učinkovitosti sporočila – slave “The Walla” najverjetneje ne bo dosegel.
Album žal ne vsebuje knjižice z besedili, vendar so ta z izredno agresivnim vokalom Amy X Neuburg dovolj razločno podana, večina pa seveda usmerjena proti današnji denarja lačni kapitalistični družbi. Tematsko je tako zelo podobna “The Wallu”, kot ga Waters predstavlja danes, torej aktualizirani različici. Najmočnejši skladbi z družbeno-kritičnim besedilom sta kar začetni, “Lake of Fire” in “Money Speaks”. Uvodna “Lake of Fire” je ogromno presenečenje, resnično nepričakovan pričetek Barryja Clevelanda, ki je poznan kot jazz fusion kitarist, saj nas udari z vso notranjo agresijo Clevelandove ideje, z udarnimi vokali, nekompromisnim besedilom in malodane avant-gardno inštrumentalno eksplozijo. In ko se na albumu skorajda prehitro zamenja lepo število glasbenih stilov, smo puščeni z odpihnjenimi možgani. Cleveland namreč že z “Money Talks” prikaže jazzovske in funkovske vplive, ki delujejo v močnem kontrastu s prvotno metalskim in avant-gardnim zvokom. Celoten album je torej eno velika norija čez najrazličnejše dimenzije glasbe. Ko se naposled srečamo z ljudskimi ritmi in melodijami ter svetovno glasbo, si res ne vemo, kaj naj si mislimo. Vendar je potrebno priznati, da se največkrat vsi inštrumentalni deli popolnoma skladajo z besedili, kar je velik uspeh.
Poleg neizpodbitni Clevelandovi kitarski mojstrskosti je treba dvigniti palce tudi ritem sekciji, bobnarju Celsu Albertiju in basistu Michaelu Manningu. Sposobnost ustvarjanja popolnoma ujemajočih se disonanc in menjavanja neritmičnih nepravilnih “groovov” ne sme ostati prezrta. Sledenje norim Clevelandovim idejam ju naredi tako v popolno ritem sekcijo, ki ima večkrat tudi prostor za oba glasbenika, da si data duška. Predvsem peta basovska struna je večkrat pod funkovsko udarjena in hkrati nadgrajena z lepim številom efektov, kar ponovno kaže na to noro fuzijo in eklektično naravo Clevelandove glasbe.
Skladbe si večkrat postavijo cilj, da poslušalcu zbežijo. To počnejo z vsemi možnimi avant-gardnimi prijemi, s tečnimi zvoki, s spotikajočimi menjavami ritma, z vsiljivim in udarjajočim vokalom. Včasih to počnejo izključno zato, da nam ubežijo in ne več zaradi glasbe same. To sčasoma postane težava in album sam ter tja izgubi svojo identiteto. Kljub vsemu ne gre odrekati kvalitete in glasbenih sposobnosti vseh glasbenikov, ki so sposobni neverjetne raznolikosti v najkrajšem možnem času.
“Hologramatron” je album, ki gre stežka v ušesa. Prvič, drugič, tretjič … pri večini bo še kakšen -ič več. Vendar ko le najde svojo pot do desne možganske poloble in kasneje po žilah do srca, je vsak tak poslušalec nagrajen z zvokom razsvetljenja. “Hologramatron” je moderni “The Wall”, nekompromisen in inovativen norec, ki meša žanre in melodije, ki so si popolnoma nasprotne. Vendar vse to počne premišljeno, izkušeno, vedoč, kaj dela. In končni izdelek je eklektika najvišjega reda.
It is quite rare to find any kind of protest lyrics in progressive music and the works with them are therefore highly valued. Themes in prog rock are mostly about philosophic ideals, love, fantasy etc., but any form of direct criticism is hardly ever there. Of course we all know “The Wall”, lifework of Roger Waters of Pink Floyd, but that is mostly that. Thus Barry Cleveland is thrown together with the great critic Roger Waters, at least when the effectiveness of “Hologramatron’s” message is concerned – “The Wall’s” fame will probably not be reached.
Album is unfortunately without a booklet with lyrics, but the latter are given strongly enough, thanks to Amy X Neuburg’s aggressive voice. Most of them are, of course, directed against today’s money-hungry capitalist society. The main theme is therefore very similar to the one of “The Wall”, at least as it is presented today by Waters, so the “revised” version. The strongest tracks with socially-critical lyrics are the opening ones, “Lake of Fire” and “Money Speaks”. “Lake of Fire” is a big surprise, truly unexpected start of Barry Cleveland, who is renowned as a jazz fusion guitarist. The track strikes us with the whole aggression of Cleveland’s concept, with powerful vocals, uncompromising lyrics and an almost avant-garde instrumental explosion. And when the crazy switches of musical genres are done, we are left with our minds blown away. “Money Talks” is, for instance, full of jazz and funk elements, which are in contrast with the elements of “Lake of Fire”, avant-garde metal song. The whole record is one big madness, full of various music dimensions. When we are finally faced with folk rhythms and melodies and world music, our mind goes blank and we are left speechless. However, this exactly is the beauty of “Hologramatron” – that music genres perfectly comply with the lyrics.
Not only Cleveland’s masterful guitaring, the rhythm section, Alberti on the drums and Manning on the bass guitar, also deserves big “thumbs up”. The ability to create perfectly matching dissonances and to change those odd time signatures so often so quickly must not be and cannot be ignored. Following Cleveland’s wacked ideas makes them a perfect rhythm section, which has its own room for its own creativeness.
Often, the goal of the tracks is to escape the listener’s ears. They do this with all kinds of avant-garde approaches, with annoying sounds, with tripping rhythm changes, with violating vocals. Sometimes they do this only for the escape and for the music’s sake anymore. This gets troublesome with time, as the album occasionally loses its identity. Despite all this, the quality and skills are not to be disputed, as they are able to perform the most unbelievable changes in as little time as possible.
“Hologramatron” is therefore a record our ears will only gradually accept. But when the acceptance is done, when the album finds its way from the right brain’s hemisphere and through the veins to the heart, then every single listener is awarded with the sound of revelation. “Hologramatron” is the new “The Wall”, an uncompromising and innovative madman that mixes genres and melodies, which are the opposite in their entirety. But “Hologramatron” does that deliberately, with experience, knowing its work. And the final product is eclecticism of the highest order.
Zasedba
Barry Cleveland – električna in akustična kitara, zvočni vzorci
Robert Powell / pedal-steel in lap-steel kitara
Michael Manring – bas kitara
Celso Alberti – bobni, tolkala
Amy X Neuburg – vokal
Gostujoči glasbeniki:
Harry Manx – vokal
Deborah Holland – vokal
Artist General – glas
Erdem Helvacioglu – elektro-akustična kitara
Rick Walker – tolkala, čajnik, dumbec
Gino Robair – dumbec, kendang
Produkcija
Barry Cleveland
Seznam skladb
1. Lake of Fire (4:22)
2. Money Speaks (4:40)
3. You’ll Just Have to See It to Believe (5:22)
4. Stars of Sayulita (6:12)
5. Warning (4:20)
6. What Have They Done to the Rain (4:56)
7. Abandoned Mines (5:45)
8. Suicide Train (4:23)
9. Telstar (3:55)
10. Dateless Oblivion & Divine Repose (1:54)
Bonus skladbe:
11. Abandoned Mines Forest Fang Remix (8:26)
12. You’ll Just Have to See It to Believe Alternate Mix (5:48)
13. Lake of Fire Evan Schiller Remix (4:21)
