REVELATIONS ADRIFT

Eric Baule is the vocalist and guitarist of his own band in Barcelona, Spain. Contributing to his music are Eric Rovira on drums, Dani Soto on the bass guitar, and Isam Alegre on the keyboards, with all performing backing vocals. His music definitely falls into the progressive rock and metal genres, and reminds me of a mix of harder Porcupine Tree/Steven Wilson songs and softer Dream Theater songs. That just goes to show how well developed his sound is, and how talented of musicians the band is. I immediately fell in love with his first release 'Revelations Adrift,' and I think you all will too.

With so many famous guitarists and bands that come to mind when listening to this album, I cannot help but play up the brilliance of Eric Baule in this post. There are many instances in 'Revelations Adrift' that show Baule's ability to switch guitar styles and influences, ranging from the technicality of Steve Hackett, the elusiveness of David Gilmour, the precision of Steven Wilson, and the speed of Joe Satriani. This man can truly play it all. His voice even reminds me of Aviv Geffen of Blackfield, another shout out to Wilson-related projects and another bonus to the listener. The sound effects are plentiful, especially in the multiple solos in the songs 'Flying High' and 'Circle of Dead Eyes.' Almost every song contains a solo of some sort, whether a speed-picking metal riff or an atmospheric and groovy note-bending jive. Even the rhythm guitar he plays is super catchy, reminding me of albums like 'Deadwing' and 'Fear of a Blank Planet.' Using strumming patterns in minor scales, each song feels darker, but is made light again by the loud guitar solos. Providing all the guitar on this album, Baule's ability is truly astonishing.

Despite the name of the band coming from the central band member, the rest of the band plays on par with the star. The bass lines by Soto are deep and groovy, dominating in the song 'Release From Duality.' I love to sit back and enjoy the thudding on my chest as I feel those bass grooves hitting me during my commute. The atmosphere that Alegre provides on the keys are necessary for the flow of this album. In songs like 'Spring Disease,' the keyboards are pulled into focus despite Baule's presence on guitar, while songs like 'Touching the Earth' use the keyboard as a way to continue a thought introduced by the other instruments.

It'd be too clich' to say that Baule is the best attribute of 'Revelations Adrift.' Of course he is; his name is on the title. So I will say instead that I really enjoyed Rovira and his drumming on this album. Using a combination of powerful and deep tom hits to erratic crashes of the cymbals, Rovira provides life to this album. I love the technical fills he provides between sections of the songs, reminding me of drummers like Tim Burgess of Eden Shadow, and even Marco Minnemann and Gavin Harrison from Steven Wilson-related projects (Again with the reference. Basically, you'll love this album if you love Steven Wilson, period). One of the best drum songs is 'Redemption,' especially the complementing drum solo Rovira provides alongside Baule's guitar solo halfway in the song. I can easily picture Gavin Harrison in my mind as he uses the double bass pedal with tremendous force, only to slow things down with a jazzy ride cymbal-dominated beat afterwards. The technique he uses is flawless, and is reason alone to listen to this album.

I definitely give this album a 4 out of 5 stars,

Taken from Crash And Ride Music,