RAPE OF THE EARTH

Rape of the Earth is Patrick Rondat’s second solo album. Compared to his most recent work this is not a marvelous recording. Still, it’s pretty decent and quite interesting from a historical perspective as it shows a transition from heavy to prog metal, introducing Patrick’s individual style that will remain on his successive albums while his riffs will undergo a major evolution.

Rape of the Earth is 1980’s heavy metal influenced album so similar to other guitarists’ work of that times. If I were to compare it with someone else’s work, I’d describe it as a mixture of Marty Friedman’s (Mindscape) and Gary Moore’s (Barbarians at the Gates, The Last Whale) finest.

My personally favorite tracks here are Barbarians at the Gates–having nothing in common with Niacin’s song–a very good heavy metal composition with Gary Moore-ish beginning; and The Last Whale with it’s jazz-like guitar theme resembling once again Gary Moore’s finest–The Loner. Of course the song you’re going to recognize immediately from Patrick’s successive recordings is Burn Out, an uptempo neo-classical composition, which acoustic version made it’s way into Patrick’s On the Edge. The album closes acoustic track World of Silence.

All in all, this is an interesting album. Not essential, but good nonetheless. Worth listening to when you’re in a mood for good old–though fast and complex–hard rockin’.

Patrick Rondat's second album from 1991 entitled Rape of the earth. An clear inprovement over the first but a little far from his later releases in terme of compact and choesive compositions, Rape of the earth is a good album for sure but doesn't shine like for ex On the edge. All instrumental album , Rondat has the enough space to show us what is capable in his domain, guitar orientated ralbums. It was a real surprise for me, really, because I found it more acceptable in musaical terms and more inventive than many well known guitarist like , Vai or Moore, in fact I like Rondat 100 time more than Vai, that doesn't mean I don't appreciate Vai's work. So this second album is a pleasent and wellwritten, some pieces are real killer like:Mindscape ,Barbarians At The Gates and the final one World Of Silence ( an acustic piece full of great guitar chops), the rest are great also. So this album desearves for sure 3 stars, a good one but the perfection will be done only on On the edge album from 1999.