PAINTER

I deeply enjoyed the debut "Life is A Killer" as well as the follow-up "Icy Skies" by German musician and producer Georg Hahn, both highly rated by the community, but the reviews have been lukewarm. Why, may you ask? We are all fully aware that the progressive panorama spans pretty much every other form of music, incorporating every sound known to the ear and the brain. We all look for deep musicality, technical proficiency, lyrical and melodic beyond any norm, passionate atmospheres, clever originality as well as adhering to respectful orthodoxy in some cases. The most controversial style remains the neo/crossover pigeonhole because of its apparent closeness to accessible, lighter material, which can open a pandora's box of potential negatives. Let's name a few, just for fun: cliched structures, unimaginative playing, predictable flow, limited surprises and most of all, the big #1: boring. This causes a problem for artists in that genre, as they have a much higher bar of expectations to meet and even surpass. We all clearly can understand the difference between a song and a piece of music. In other words, they are compelled to write songs as well as great music. Not an easy task at all. The most successful ones are those who have managed to create timeless tracks that stand the test of time, even if they may be considered way less exuberant than, say Tarkus or Red. Thankfully, we have had a plethora throughout the decades of such luminaries, so we certainly can offer a bit of latitude. Essay done and over with!

Now (FINALLY GEORG!), I am eagerly enthused to write my first review of this supremely talented artist. I fell in love with 7-minute gems tracks such as "She", "Remember Me", "I'll Be There", and "Life is A Killer" off that delicious first album, astounded by the massive melodic content, profoundly drenched in melancholic reflection, the impeccable vocals and the first-rate instrumental backing, obviously an undeniable sense of Genesis, a dab of Supertramp , as well as recent sonic offerings by Drifting Sun, Believe, Riversea, Mystery, RPWL, Sylvan, etc? With "Painter", we just might have found the effort that will silence even the harshest detractors. Among the usual collaborators, Todd Sucherman of Styx has been a perennial member on the drum kit since day one, a solid rhythmic propeller. Johnny Beck (Violent Jasper, Sylvan, Single Celled Organism, and Marco Gluhmann) takes care of the guitar chores and does a sterling job on a few selected tracks.

The longest piece is the opening title track, clocking in at 7 and a half minutes and really setting the tone for the entire opus, as it's a microcosm of what was expressed earlier in my rant. Intensely melodic, creatively intricate, garnished by an Erlend Krauser lead guitar solo, both luminous, fluid and artistic and backed with stupendous choir work (Billy King), reminiscent of the intoxicating "She" finale. Achingly crushing vocals wrapped in melancholic splendour, "Something New" proves that Georg can sing like the wind, flourishing orchestrations abound as both Beck and Krauser intertwine their fretboards, a romantic journey into peaceful introspection that seeks a very much needed and better vision of the future. "Why" upholds the dream , eerily close to Steven Wilson-like balladry, highlighted by meaningful self-analysis and asking the questions that defy logical or cliched responses, the trumpet in second section shatters whatever confusion that may have settled into comfortably numbness, with a harsh Beck/Sucherman onslaught that lasts long enough to slap one back to reality. Beck's solo is particularly efficient. "What Kind of Place" continues the inquisitive temperament, not far from recent Peter Gabriel attitudes, the orchestral constituent up front and center, daring one to envision a gentler and kinder universe, perhaps reverting to ancient virtues (the positive ones) that may be on the verge of extinction. A perfect segue into the more elaborate "Listen", the listener is led into a solemn affair, that gradually elevates into a hymn-like resolution, with impossible bass undertow, sparkling piano infusions, and a sublime vocal, hitting the higher notes with impunity. The neo-classical instrumental section preserves the angelic request to ingest feelings instead of spewing dribble. The melody lingers on, haunting and echo-laden with a sense of eternal quest, the Beck guitar flinging the outro into the stars.

A rotund bass line greets the redolent "Sunrise", as with every single melody crafted on this list of songs, that seem to have been written by the voices of the perennial beyond, 'something deep inside' comes across as a thoroughly earnest emotion that yearns to be expressed, the piano being the prefect companion and lover. The choir is an added detail that works in ideal tandem with the orchestral inserts, a trait that is indicative of this artist style. With violin stressing even more the romantic idyll on "My Way to You", the classical orchestration finds a heightened evolution, a brief, warm and graceful torch song that hits the starry-eyed listener in the heart with passionate zeal. Detlef Boesche's Hammond provides the cathedral-like feel, the horns from Boris Havkin neatly adding pomp and circumstance.

With all this ongoing (and soothing) melancholic onslaught, there comes a time when the pressure needs to explode into chain-busting liberation, and "Child of the Universe" perfectly exemplifies the urge for resolution, kicking off with a ringing guitar riff in order 'to open your eyes', Sucherman in full bodied support, throttling unapologetically into a groove that eventually reaches majestic and grandiose proportions, the symphonics present yet delicately subdued. The mellotron cascade comes as an impeccable boost amid the crushing rapid-fire exonerations. Pretty close to Porcupine tree's classic "Anesthetize" in many ways. As mentioned many times in my long writing career, when the PAM (Passion, Atmosphere and Melody) is this overt, how can one not resist? Perhaps a final warning to all the gentler animals out there, the ephemeral "Wolves" seals the deal on the meaning of that 'love' thingy, a notion that remains elusive in dissection and comprehension, since the dawn of time. And so be it.

With the abundance of endlessly nihilistic, doomsday-inspired verbal self-immolation, revering the web preacher that espouses constant kneeling at the shrine of negativity, relief can only come with hope. And no hope is more effective that the ideal of love. As an unrepentant romantic, I certainly found immense comfort in this artist and this album, which will finish high on the 2025 totem pole.

5 water-colourists

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