BREEZE

But Musical Murk Muddied Things

Germany's BREEZE, a self-described 'symphonic progressive rock trio', has released their sixth full-length album, "Caligo". What or who is Caligo? Here's one definition I found: "English words for caligo include darkness, mist, dark, fog, gloom, vapour, vapor, mental fogginess, obtuseness and distressful situation."

And another: "Caligo is the Greek Primordial Goddess of the Void, the Abyss and Darkness who has some relation with Khaos."

And Who is BREEZE?

"A German rock outfit BREEZE were founded in Hannover by two promising players Hansi ARNOLD (drums, voices) and Ottfried MIETZKE (guitars, bass, keyboards) in 2000, as a recording project at first." They've had several members in and out, most recently vocalist Lea DIEKMAN. (Thus, 'trio').

So, NOT rookies, nor beginners, nor wet behind their ears.

Maybe a Concept Album?

Not sure. Lyrics were not readily available, and I'm not usually of a mood to track these down. It seems to me if a band uses lyrics, they must have some importance; therefore, how is it that often one can hardly find them?

"Caligo" is Really Long

Well, total playing time is 61 minutes and change. It may well seem longer though, because listening to this album is like wading through a swampy, soupy mush of murk. BREEZE needs an assertive producer. To these ears, giving this album a hearing is exhausting and irritating.

There MAY be some great music being made here, but it's pretty hard to tell. The keyboards and orchestrations are usually uppermost in the mix, and sometimes the (probably pretty good) voices of Lea and Hansi were nearly buried. The guitar tones, especially the progressive metal/heavy metal powerchords and distorted lead guitar tones were messy and undisciplined.

Furthermore

I thought the compositions were meandering and sometimes needlessly drawn out. It seemed to me that things could have been tautened and tightened up. I heard repetitious lines and silly noodling back-and-forth between synthesized strings and guitars.

Hansi's drumming seemed fine, although I think drummers might have wanted to take time to get the sounds differentiated, fuller, and crisper than what to me sounded trebly and flat.

Was that an actual bass guitar? I sort of doubt it, but maybe. It too needed clarifying and deepening. It became oddly relieving when most of the murky keyboard and guitar mush would drop out, and cleaner, non-distorted guitar picking and arpeggios could be heard. Thus the least objectionable track was "Stargazer"; I think it opens with acoustic guitar, and there are some nice acoustic piano passages too.

"Caligo"

So "Caligo" may be apropos after all: "...darkness, mist, dark, fog, gloom, vapor, mental fogginess, obtuseness and distressful" sort of sum up my experience listening to this. I think there might be good musicianship here, just not good taste in sound and arrangement- thus, the need for an assertive producer to help sort things out.

My Rating

Poor. Only for completionists. (Also posted with pix and links in my blog "Progressive Rock Fanatics" at https://wordpress.com/view/progressiverockfanatics.wordpress.com)

1. "Portrait" (8:36) great song with amazing keyboard work and orchestral arrangements, a stunning guitar solo, but weak vocals. (18/20)

2. "Circus in Town" (4:55) a very odd musical mix--almost as if part of it came from the 1990s and was trying to be mixed into the . The vocalist is a little better at staying on key than the one on the opening song, but he's not a great lead singer (lacking experience or polish?) It's as if they're trying to be RUSH with a hint of 80s metal. (8.75/10)

3. "Moth in a Flame" (7:48) a fairly pleasant STYX-like song in which several individual instruments feel as if they are working within their own different universes. Are they aware of each other? The way they use keys, space, and melody would lend credence to the possibility that they aren't--including and especially the vocalist. Weird. (13/15)

4. "The Eternal Spinning (6:52) the MIREK GIL-imitating guitarist is going non-stop from the previous song! Forcing everyone else to conform to his key, pace, and melodic sensibility. I think the keyboardist and drummer are both fighting to play louder than the guitarist--to drown him out! And, once again, it just feels as if the vocalist has no clue as to where or what or how to sing with, much less within, this music. He just sings over anything he wants, often butchering the music below. A wild deviation in pace and style at 3:26 forces me to recognize that part of the problem is probably in the over-heavy use of delay and reverb on the keys and guitar. And the fact that the two "matching" vocalists have no regard or respect for the other's style and timing. They will be no COLLAGE. I keep wondering what the music would be like were the band members all on the same page. And what's with the orchestral arrangement? Was it composed for this song--or just mistakenly mixed into it? (11/15)

5. "The Siren's Song" (6:49) two dueling guitars with straightforward prog metal open this beofre dropping away to allow the piano-based, strings-supported soft vocal. The vocalist's voice actually sounds pretty good so long as he stays in the range of his speaking voice--but as soon as he deviates from that octave, things go wonky. Still, without so many divergent ideas coming from each individual band member the song almost works. Almost. It's just too dull--and marred by the flawed vocal. (12.25/15)

6. "Secret of the Sea" (3:58) don't know where they're trying to go with this hand-panned guitar-arpeggio--to which is added a pseudo-classical tenor vocal performance. In the chorus he decays into a kind of Jamee Young (STYX) tone and style. Guitar, 1990s keyboard winds, and orchestral sthrings each seem to be operating in their own isolated vacuum--which is too bad cuz in isolation they each sound pretty awesome; they just don't work together. It's as if you tried to weave together flourescent orange yarn, warm chocolate syrup, and spaghetti (8.25/10)

7. "Boat to Utopia" (7:55) Again! How can they not listen to these master tapes and see/feel the same clash of incongruities that I do? Am I starting to lose it? (11.5/15)

8. "A Drone's Plight" (4:37) trying to overcome their issues with organ and djenty power chords. At least it's all working in the same universe. Could be an outtake from one of COLLAGE's lost unreleased albums from the 1990s. (8.5/10)

9. "The Eye of the Storm (5:52) multiple keys battling for attention with insidious BLACK SABBATH guitar and voice somewhere in there until the keys mysteriously and suddenly just disappear at the end of the first minute. Weird vocal in the soft section in the third and fourth minutes followed by over-acted narration part. Push repeat and then superimpose an over-the-top two-guitar (or guitar and synth) duel in the final minute and you've got it. (or, can anyone every really get this stuff?) (7.75/10)

10. "Lullaby (5:23) more akin to one of STEVE HACKETT's nightmare songs. Again, the soloing guitar track must have been created/recorded in one decade (the 1980s) while the keys and bass were done in the 1990s, the drums and psychedelic vocals in the 1970s, while the orchestra parts could've been done anytime. Who are these guys and why can't they get on the same page? Another collection of very pretty tracks in the vein of 1990s COLLAGE that somehow went awry. (8.25/10)

Total Time 62:45

Despite it's wonderful sound palette and amazing talents of guitarist Ottfried Mietzke and keyboardist Gunnar Sletta, the vocals and at-times too-predictable musical flows diminish an otherwise very enjoyable and often- impressive listening journey. Most of the songs are very odd soundscapes in which it feels as if two or three very different song ideas are being forced together. While this results in unusual and, therefore, "new" sounding musics, the differing instrumental tracks often remain very much at odds with one another throughout the song. What really hurts, and why I chose to write and publish this review--is because there are some truly wonderful sounds and ideas here . . . they're just all jumbled up and spit out in some randomly mixed jumble like vomit.

C/three stars; an unfortunate case of wonderful ideas never coming to common consensual finish.