SHADOWS UNBOUND

Guy Le Blanc´s outfit...better known as Nathan Mahl..are really an outfit to be noticed!! Guy being the master of keyboards mostly in Nathan mahl...(but also in Camel...the ever present UK progband...now residing in the US!) This is their latest outing..and what an album it is.....everything a progalbum could wish for....its here....songs well arranged.. music wonderfully crafted.....just listen to the first track " Without words" and you´ll know what i mean. That said, guitarplayer Mark Spenard are absolutely splendid..not to say wonderful!! His approach to each song is...well wonderful....he has an extremly sound way to meet the architecture of the themes!! Guy Le Blanc....has a manner on the the keyboards....which even Mr.Wakemann would envy!!Is this prog? Well...almost.... the driving force of the drummer and the bass player.....the unique style of Le Blanc.. the ever present and prominent guitarstyle of Spenard..really gives this record a superb edge on what...should be called ...progmusic...these guys are really exceptional !!! This is fresh...this is modern prog..this is a MUST HAVE in any serious progcollectors- garden!! Hey while you´re at it...check out their other records...i promise..they´re ...ahem...just as great as this one!! Yeah i know.....some people might disagree....but hey....you cant argue with a deaf ear! ENJOY!!!

Guy LeBlanc IS Nathan Mahl, just as Ian Anderson IS Jethro Tull. The main man fronting a band with a revolving cast of supporting musicians. Although this is my first exposure to Nathan Mahl, it surely won't be the last. To put it briefly, the vocals aren't great, but there are very few lyrics. Nathan Mahl is more progressive fusion (jazz-rock) than symphonic. Secondly, the drums are electronic and can lack depth of an acoustic set, especially in the snare department. Those points aside, Nathan Mahl has a lot for prog lovers to enjoy; intricate melodies, multi-suite movements, virtuousic improvisations and humour.

Shadows Unbound is a re-recording of an earlier Nathan Mahl release: Clever Use of Shadows that is no longer available. A couple of extra tracks were recorded to flesh this album out.

Eight tracks in all, only two feature vocals. The voice of Jean Pierre Ranger reminds me of Greg Rollie (Santana, Journey) a little bit. The processing used on the voice masks the quality. The lyrics seem to have something do do with being tied down by contractual obligations and a long ended relationship that would be better left forgotten, but the character is unable to forget and entertains some less than noble ideations.

Musically, Nathan Mahl calls to mind Dave Stewarts work with National Health and Bruford. The jazz rock qualites are strong, but the rythms are much more simple than either of those bands. The band slowly builds the first track from Hammond chording to a full on guitar solo with the first track, Without Words. Guitarist Mark Spenard really rips it up on Beyond the Rims of Despair and Scumsucking Parasites. LeBlanc's Fender Rhodes on Scumsucking Parasites is jumpy and frenetic. Is this the Canadian answer to the Dregs Scumsucking Leeches? Actually, Nathan Mahl has some Dregs influences too. Bassist Don Prince does a great job of giving LeBlanc and Spenard room to improvise and build some intriguing solos. Funkface offers some space for Prince to lay down a funky fretless slap that Bootsy would appreciate. LeBlanc jams with Hammond before capping it all off with a moog solo and a transition to guitar. A Call to Arms lets each band member take center stage and brings the album to a close.

Guy LeBlanc has toured with Camel and recorded two solo albums, the first of which, Subversia, is even more jazz-rock fueled with guitarist Scott McGill taking a very Holdsworthy approach to ripping out his solos. Keep an eye out for that one.

I will recommend this disc to fans of National Health, Bruford, Camel and jazz-rock fusion.