Member:
Dragonflame713
(Profile)
(All Album Reviews by Dragonflame713)
Date:
1/27/2004
Format:
CD (Album)
This is my first exposure to the music of Greg Rapaport. The music is described as “progressive metal, dark fusion”, and that description itself sounds intriguing. Greg plays and or programs all of the instruments himself on this album, in addition to producing, recording, engineering. In other words he does it all here, and I must say I am more than impressed with the results.
The recording of this album is incredible, and if he wished he could probably do some producing and engineering in addition to his musical career. This album’s sound quality is better than many bands that I hear that are signed to labels! He says he has worked on Azrael Block for 2 years, and it has been time well spent. This album is a very well thought out, and very well executed work.
The title track of the album, is also the basis of the album’s cover art. According to the CD’s liner notes, “Azrael Block” is the name of a specific method of memory control, which he found the concept about in a book by Dean Koontz called “Strangers”. The liner notes inside the CD, really give the listener some good insight on what the songs are about and if you listen, with these thoughts in mind, the songs become more alive! In a sense he is what I would call in some cases a musical storyteller.
Wait a minute; this is supposed to be an instrumental album, right? Don’t stories usually involve words?
Well music is a form of language, and the instruments can be the voice. In “Skitzophraniac”, with his instruments you can hear all of the different personalities of the mentally disturbed character the song is about! Some dark humor is present in the song “Dinner And Dancing” which depicts a typical date for Hannibal Lector. Well let’s just say, his date becomes a main course. Give the song a listen, and read the comments and you will see what I mean here. “Flatline" is about someone’s last moments of life in the hospital, and “Uncle Knucklez” is a bumbling old schoolman with an attitude. Progressive music fans, love music that opens the mind and the way Rapaport brings these stories to life with his music is amazing! Just listen carefully, and you can envision the scenarios he is creating with his music!
To the music itself, the album certainly has a dark metallic edge in much of the guitar work. There are jazz fusion influences throughout the album as well, and he does a masterful job of stringing musical ideas together throughout the entire album. For example on "Difunckt", he laces jazz, progressive metal, and funk ideas together effortlessly and on “No Solace” (the album’s closer) progressive thrash is blended with ambient folk. To those who give this CD a listen, will find it’s a CD robust with ideas and atmosphere, not to mention some serious musicianship and shredding!
As I said in the beginning of this review, this is my first exposure to Greg’s work. After hearing this incredible album, it surely won’t be my last. Stay tuned, I have no doubt in my mind I will be writing a review for his previous album Wyrd in the days to come!
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