There is nothing new in taking a classical piece and playing it in a metal version. Guitarists both before but mostly after Yngwie have taken especially composers such as J.S. Bach, Paganini and Vivaldi to their hearts and used but certainly also abused the timeless beautiful themes of these composers. But I must say that as far as I know, nobody has done it as thouroughly as guitarist
Victor Smolski of
Rage fame.
This cd is a concept album with Bach's music in the focus. Smolski has taken some of Bach's well known contertos and suites and arranged the music for orchestra and metal band. Not too much has been changed from Bach's versions, yet the musical expression is very much different. The guitar sound playing the melodies and themes is so controlled and dry, showcasing how good a guitarist Smolski actually is. And most important of all, he has his own sound. Another important thing here is the bass lines. Smolski transferred the important bass lines of Bach's music and when the bass has the melody, it is a pleasure to sit back and enjoy the beautiful and incredibly tight playing of Jürgen Knautz.
There are way too many guest musicians to mention here so I'll just mention a few. Most of the time you can hear the Inspector Symphony Orchestra (which Smolski apparently founded) and they bring the classical feeling to the album though they most of the time stay in the background. Smolski managed to get the ex-Scorpions guitarist
Uli Jon Roth to play his first guest appearence ever. He plays his usual emotional style on the second chapter of Concert for 2 Violins with orchestra. If you get your hands on this cd, take a look at the impressive list of guest musicians and listen carefully to the different solos. There are many different styles, ranging from metal to jazz but always very working well with Bach's music. Okay, Smolski's sometimes jazzy phrasing took some time to get used to when the sound was so different. Definitely not the way Yngwie would have played it. But listen to it with open ears. Yes, this is a different view on Bach's music but my ears tell me that it works, though Bach himself probably wouldn't be pleased.
Mike Terrana, who also handles the drums, has the role of Bach in the two talking parts on the cd. Talking on a cd is something that can destroy a whole cd (and often has) if it isn't done well, but here it is done ok. Nothing spectacular but at least it doesn't make me reach for the skip button. Speaking of drums, not all of Bach's music is equally well suited for double bass drumming and here, Terrana lays a low profile, sometimes just using the cymbals. In other parts we get the whole package with metal drumming as we know he can do it. On the whole album the drums are very tastefully added, often taking a big part in the music.
The sound is very good. Crisp guitars and drums. The bass sound is great and especially when it has the melody it is quite high in the production which is a pleasure to hear with the talented bass players Smolski hired. Generally the quality of the players is very high. And the music is very interpreted, not just played straight from the scores. This is an album for fans of instrumental rock, featuring both metal, rock and jazz players, each putting their special sound on the album, most of all Smolski himself, of course.
It's not easy to find somethng to criticise on this cd. The playing is flawless, the production very good. I would say that it is quite accessible, if you like classical music, especially Bach, of course, but you should notice that the music is more often than not arranged and played with a jazzy feeling. I think that my biggest problem here and the reason why I don't give it a that great a rating, is that it just doesn't grab me and just takes hold of my cd player. But I am being difficult here. I'm not sure that an interpretation of some classical music can possibly give me as much as the original classical piece. Apart from this, everything is perfect.
Written by
Tajs Friday, April 22, 2005
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