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: : Mirror : :
Mirror is a side-project by RPWL guitar player Kalle Wallner. He has
cooperated with seasoned and well known musicians on his solo project,
thereby securing the level of musicianship here.
For fans of RPWL this record may be a letdown. Whereas RPWL use a lot of
sounds in their soundscapes to create moods in addition to rhythmical
experiments and other complexities, Wallner on his own takes a rather
different approach to music here.
My opinion here is that the basis here is more in the line of lighter
hard rock/AOR or similar, which then is spiced with different elements
to create a semicomplex but still very commercial sound.
On some tracks there's explorations towards the kind of moods and
soundscapes Radiohead used to make, in others the tracks are mainly
inserted with unusual rhythmical patterns and/or guitar riffing, and
only once does he explore towards the soundscapes we're familiar hearing
in RPWL.
In addition to that, Wallner does his soloing in mostly the same manner
as in his main band, drawn out notes and mood creations being the most
important aspect of the guitar soloing on this record.
The musicianship is of
the highest quality on this release, as mentioned. Sadly, the songs
aren't. Few songs engage me above the level of being nice but generic,
no choruses or instrumental parts really get stuck after listening
through this album some times. It's well performed, nice...and not much
else. Excellent background music, but not music that will tempt me to
sit down for a really
concentrated listen.
Some tracks are better than others here, but that's more due to the
level of musicianship than strong melodies or moods.
Personal highlights: "Moon and Sun", "Open Sore", "Hollowed", "Mirror"
and the RPWL-similar longplayer "Forbidden to Remain".
Rating: 7 (out of 10)
Reviewer: Olav Björnsen
: : Visit the Artist’s Website : :
: : Discography : :
Mirror
(2007) |
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