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: : Steve Unruh - Out
of the Ashes : : |
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Band/Artist
Steve Unruh
Title:
Out of the Ashes
Released
2004
Label
Self Release |
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Track List:
1. Out of the Ashes (40:39)
I. Miracle Mile / II. Battle/Aftermath / III. Breaking Free
2. Slowly as the Lights Go Down (5:06)
3. Violin/Drumkit solo (6:21) |
: : The Players : :
Steve Unruh: Plays all instruments. All pieces composed, recorded, mixed
and mastered by Steve Unruh. |
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: : Out of the Ashes : :
 To
borrow from Steve’s own web site, the music he creates he likes to call
“progressive folk rock”. As he continues, “Progressive folk rock is an
attempt to mesh progressive rock with the acoustic textures of folk
music”. And to this listener he has succeeded perfectly.
You have a strong blend of what we would all easily agree was
“progressive rock” and at the same time would concur that the folk”
elements were also there.
There is a good bit of political comment in this CD. If that turns you
off, then so be it. We have a musician here that is deeply disturbed by
the world we live in, by militants that fly airplanes into buildings, by
the fact that we celebrate the non-violent vision of Martin Luther King
Jr. all the while discarding the concept in practice.
The opening song is over 40 minutes long but is divided up into three
parts. Miracle Mile opens this epic and finds “us” once again preparing
for war. A cacophony of rallying cries supporting this position or that.
As the lyrics state “déjà vu is daunting, taunting us to war”. This is a
powerful 10 minute section that leaves no doubt where Mr. Unruh’s heart
and mind is at this writing.
Sandwiched between Miracle Mile and Aftermath is a long instrument song
called Battle. This is a wonderful piece that is both discordant and
melodic all at the same time. While it sounds nothing like Yes’s Gates
of Delirium you get the exact feel in this song. You sense the battle,
the body bags, the mourning families, and the smell of death. Wow!
Following the Battle is of course the Aftermath. Soft acoustic guitar
start the song leading to the first lyrics “What have we done but once
again prove we’re the bigger gun”. Folks this CD speaks volumes to me
and I love what I’m hearing.
I came away from listening to this CD knowing I had to do more in my
life to live it like the Christian that I am. No, this is not what
anyone might call a Christian CD, in fact one might take it to be a slap
at organized religions for its endorsement of all things war rather than
peace.
For a CD where one person plays every instrument and records all the
parts, the sound is great, the production is great, the quality of the
sound is great, heck it never comes across as pieced together or patchy.
A great CD to my ears
Rating: 8 of 10
Reviewed By: Stephen Ellis
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Believe - 1997
The Beginning Of A New Day - 1998
Two Little Awakenings - 2001
Out Of The Ashes - 2004
Song To The Sky - 2005 |
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