AN EPHEMERAL WORLD

This might well be Rondat's best album. It consists of heavy guitar-orientated symphonic rock, fully instrumental, featuring all characteristic elements of Patrick Rondat's style. For people who are not too fond of Malmsteen shred 'n slide techniques (as many arpeggios as possible per minute) or don't like the experimental edge to Vai's or Satriani's music, Patrick Rondat offers something wonderful. And, of course, for anyone who enjoys a good instrumental guitar album from time to time, this might be interesting as well...

An Ephemeral World, released in 2004, is so far Patrick Rondat’s last studio album in his solo career. The main theme is rebellion against the fashion and the arrogant and violent society portrayed by the media. As Patrick wrote:

&quo;The music that I offer you doesn’t seem to be rebellious when compared to that traditionally considered to be ‘rebel music’, nevertheless it is a form of resistance to the current musical environment, and the further development of this ephemeral culture.(…) I have a relentless passion both for my instrument and to find a form of complexity–this creates a yearning within me to extend my creative boundaries–simplicity does not have the monopoly on emotion and sincerity.&quo;

The first song Donkey’s Island is a reference to the Land of Toys from The Adventures of Pinocchio, as depicted by John Hailes speaking against a background of circus music in the opening Welcome to the Donkey’s Island, where everyone can take advantage of everything without thinking twice. From the booklet:

&quo;A world that is frantically seeking it’s identity and evading it’s responsibilities, where the answers to it’s problems are transient at best, thus creating a society where violence and subsequently it’s suppression, arrogance, and contempt of others–especially covetous, pretentious people of dubious competence, become the values that are continually reinforced by the media! A world that makes me think of the Donkey’s Island in Pinocchio–the place where one takes advantage of everything, without constraint, without asking questions.&quo;

Donkey’s Island is one of my favorite tracks of the album, with great heavy riffs and some interesting keyboards programming, by Patrick himself. The same subject is picked up on Born to Buy?, while 614 HSO, with it’s sorrow jazz-like slowdown around the middle of the song, is dedicated to H. B. Halicki &quo;The Car Crash King&quo;. On the other hand, my second favorite track, Tethysrefers to 200 million years old sea, called after Greek titaness and aquatic sea goddess, that with passing time became a Mediterranean Sea. When the acoustic guitar enters for the second time here, it brings me a blur recollection of an old animated series The Mysterious Cities of Gold, although the actuall opening theme doesn’t sound much like what Patrick’s playing here :) Oh, and that great acoustic guitar sweep right before the distorted guitar’s yearning solo comes in–classic! Similar subject is picked up on Ispahan–this time a reference to a “talented and accomplished civilisation”–with it’s quasi-oriental acoustic arrangements, successively picked up by bass, percussion and distorted guitar, reaching Patrick’s and Markus Teske’s unison guitar+synth theme and falling to slowly pacing rhythm.

The recording is full of interesting quirks, like jazzy Twilight, a four and a half minute slow down in the middle of the album, baroque sweeps at the beginning of Avalonia or a passage later on in the song resembling–yeah, I know that only to me–the opening of Death’s Spirit Crusher, when instruments re-appear sequentially, starting from bass. Of course this would not be truly Patrick Rondat’s album if it wouldn’t include any reference to classical music, this time featuring Johann Sebastian Bach’s Partita No. 1 in B-moll for solo Violin to close the album.

Musically this CD is simply great. Lot’s of complex passages at a neck-breaking speed, interesting slow downs filled with beautiful piano sounds. Although I rarely give out five stars, this album definitely deserves them. A must have release for any neo-prog fan, and definitely interesting position for all proggers.