TOUCH THE MYSTERY

I was aware that in this project participated 2 musicians whose music I already know well: Anton Kalugin (Karfagen and Sunchild) and Max Velichko (Inside the Sound and Karfagen) therefore I was expecting to hear similar music on this CD. In the end of the day Touch the Mystery by Modern-Rock Ensemble happened to be very different from what I expected. Great surprise! I like both Kalugin's projects and I like Inside the Sound furious compositions but this album is very different and it penetrated over me on the level of heart feelings. At first I was captured by "Meditations". Even very specific vocal of Vladimir has not frightened me off. Certain hints of Indian music are not dominating in the piece, but just adding some atmosphere and propose to the listener to meditate together with the author. It works. So the beginning looks like tibetian monks chant and then the piece slowly develops in music and in passion according to the lyrics of the poem. One of the key roles in this piece is played by cello varying from electrical sound to a clean chamber sound. 12 string and lead guitars have done well. Bass and drum players added jazz and rock flavour to the track. The second piece to draw my attention happened to be "Swamp". Great synergy of "fusion" and "sympho-rock". Electric violin slightly reminds me Jean-Luc Ponty. Two keyboard players are exchanging solos supported by guitar. Yes, I forgot to say that a fretless bass plays mostly melodic rather than a rythm section role. Great job for a live concert! I am not a big fan of long epics, quite often they are dull and boring. But once in a right mood at night I listened to the "Touch the Mystery" ? and it knocked me down. Such a unique, organic and distinctive fusion of the prog-rock, jazz-rock and art-rock!!! The main theme is permanently developing composition-wise and sound-wise. 20 minutes've passed very fast and the only question was ? why Vladimir hasn't done it an album long? Listening to this composition I found myself in the mood to listen some more and more variations of the charming main theme. So many beautiful melodies and cleverly arranged culminations. Inclusions of the saxophone in the counter points all over the piece are very beautiful. Though in two parts saxophone sounds very aggressively and is even fighting with a synthesizer. Lead guitar as well changes many moods through the piece. It looks like "Mystery" is one of my favorite epics now. My first idea was to propose Vladimir to extend variations in "Touch the Mystery" finally to at least 35 min. But finally I came to idea that this composition looks like great art-rock masterpiece and what one can do to the masterpiece is not to touch it and let it live with its own life! There are two short keyboard pieces on the CD - they are nice and melodic, however they are intended to give us a break in-between the epics. I've read certain comments on the forum that Vladimir is using many styles in his music. For sure. "Meditations" has elements of ethnic-oriental music (1986), "Swamp" (1989) is a jazz-rock/ fusion piece and "Touch the Mystery (2016) is a sympho-rock piece, however each and all of them have for sure a distinctive composition style and ensemble sound of the Modern-Rock Ensemble - that's the main point. "Touch the Mystery" by Modern-Rock Ensemble is a wonderful album. Yes, you can hardly digest it "on the run" or during the party, but one dark night it will creep into your room and will get you unarmed. Beware!