ON THE EDGE

French guitarist of Jean Michel JARRE is back with the follow up to his magnificent "Amphibia" album from 1996. This one has equally complex compositions as its processor. He has got a well-known drummer in Tommy Aldridge, known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and WHITESNAKE among others. On this one he also got two guest jazz musicians, Didier Lockwood and the late Michel Petrucciani.

The music is instrumental progressive hard rock / heavy metal. Patrick is a very skilful guitarist with a great technique, and his inspirations are Ritchie Blackmore, Ronnie Montrose, Eddie Van Halen, and Al Di Meola among others. His guitar playing is also reminiscent to Tony McAlpine, Gary Moore, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai. The highlights are "On The Edge", "Burn Out (acoustic version)", "Why Do You Do Things Like That?" and "Cloudy Mountain".

This is an incredible album from a talented guitar virtuoso, and probably one of the best guitar albums to come out this year.

My love for Patrick Rondat’s work begun with his third solo album On the Edge. Although it took me some time (over half a year constantly searching) to get my hands on the CD itself, I love this album ever since I downloaded it from the ‘net in the first place. Come to think about it, if I wouldn’t listen to the mp3 version at first I probably wouldn’t be the proud owner of any of his albums, so maybe mp3s ain’t so bad after all?

Although this is a guitarists’ solo album, it’s pretty good listening for a rhythm section pervert like me as it contains well articulated Patrice Guers‘ work on the bass guitar–more distinct than on Amphibia–and Tommy Aldrige’s again interesting drumming. On the other hand, the role of Phil Woindrich’s keyboard seems to be reduced to some backing synths for the most part, coming out of shades only for couple of piano passages. But then again, this is a guitarists solo album after all.

Out of the whole recording my personally favorite song is Duality, the very first thing I’ve heard from Patrick Rondat. The song is split into three parts plus an introduction and bears some resemblance to Patrick’s grand composition Amphibia, where style changes symbolized water and land and the metamorphosis needed to be able to move between the two, whereas here it’s a duality of things, as every subject may have twofold meaning. Two heavy parts of the song (first and third) are separated with slow guitar musing laid upon quiet keyboard synths.

You can also find here Patrick’s well known track Burn out from Rape of the Earth this time arranged for piano and acoustic guitar–similarly to Amphibia part V–playing in unison for the most part, complementing each other. I don’t think this recording contains any bad songs at all. Some are simply good, like Into the Wild, some are outstanding, like Why do you do things like that resembling at first somewhat Magic Elf’s style until Didier Lockwood and Michel Petrucciani kicks in with their solos, followed by Phil’s and Patrick’s.

Given how much I like listening to this recording and how much pain it was to actually get the CD, this is definitely one of the shining pearls of my collection. It’s a really interesting progressive rock/metal album written and performed by a very talented guitarist; well produced, with juicy, rich sound. The album is very consistent, but because it is instrumental it requires listener’s concentration or otherwise it may all get blured. Nonetheless, like all Patrick Rondat’s albums, I recommend it to anyone who’s looking for a modern, heavy progressive sound and/or inspiration.

Patrick Rondat is a french guitarist who has by now 5 albums in his pocket. He is a very talented musicians who worked with many bands over the years from diffrent musical styles. He was an important member in Jean Michele Jarre band, now he is not working with him anymore, and concentrate his playing with the power metal band Elegy and has aswell a solo career. This album is the forth one named On the edge and is among his best albums he ever done. Very skillfull musician , but not exagerated with that gift manage to creat realy something special with this album. I was realy impressed when I first listen to On the edge , realeased in 1999. The music is very fresh and very variated, not like on other albums, specially on guitar orientated albums, the arrangements are fantastic. From prog metal to some influences from Dixie Dregs, mainly because he has two invited guest, apart from the main musicians whom is working with - the well known jazz players Michel Petrucciani and Didier Lockwood who are playing violin and ocasionaly keys. Now, as Rondat said in the booklet of the CD this album is dedicated to his dear friend and colaborator who just passed away before the album was done - Michel Petrucciani - but his contribution to this album is a real solid one.. The other invited guest, Didier Lockwood, was a member of Magma between 75-77. On drums is one of the best drumers around Tommy Aldridge, the rest of the musicians are not so known, but excellent musicians aswell. As I said the music is very fluid, with stunning arrangements, from fast to mellow pieces, intristing and itelligent shifting moments made from this forth album a 4 star to me. The musicianship is brilliant, not very often you can hear a so variated album, specialy when is guitarist album. He is concentrated not only on skills, how good I am, and specially on compositions, the result is very enjoyble and well done album. A big surprise for me, in agood way, because this album was so good, I've ordered without question his previous work Amphibia from 1997, who is considered his best shot since now. Recommended, one of the best guitarist in last 15 years, both solo and with Elegy. Not very known musician worldwide but with an unmatch attitude and aproach to guitar. Excellent addition to any prog music collection, 4 stars easely.

Definitly a very nice surprise for me. Jean Michel Jarre´s former guitarrist (also playing with dutch heavy metal veterans Elegy) proves he is one of the few cases where a skillfull and technical guitarrist plays for the music. Most virtuoso guitarrists are content to use solo albums as a showcase fo their habilities rather them produce fine music. Rondat does the opposite and I loved the album for that. The guy can actually write fine pieces of instrumental rock, with a metal edge on most of them, but also with great melodies and arrangements.

He also chose very well his back up band: Phil Woindrich is a fantastic keyboards player (also does some interesting solos here and there), the rhythm section of Patrice Guers (bass) and Tommy Aldridge (yes, the same man behind Ozzy Osborne and Whitesnake) is very strong. Production is also top notch. If you´re looking for some great guitar instrumental work try On The Edge, and maybe you´ll be as delightfully surprised as I was. Four stars.