VOLCANO

An album now re-released as a free download on Barry Cleveland's website.

His 2010 album Hologramatron has been praised a lot around the world. Volcano is his debut album and it was released back in 2004 though. It is also a far more eclectic album too which takes in world music and jazz into a melting pot (sorry, could not find any better pun). The world music is pretty dominating on the first half with it's Middle East theme. A theme that really runs through the whole album. Lygia Ferra's vocals is being supported by percussion and Barry Cleveland's subtle guitar picking.

Subtle is the perfect word for the whole of this album. A raging infernal volcano, this album is not. Michael Manring's bass is always present and so is Barry Cleveland's subtle guitars too. Nothing on this album is overpowering. Unfortunate, there is no really outstanding music here too. The music being a bit too understated and does not really hit me.

This is a free download and it is most certainly a must-download album. The music on Volcano is not easy accessible though. That means some will regard it as the best album ever released and some will hate it. It is a love/hate album from an artist who never ever compromises. In my case, I really like this album, but it does not resonates with me beyond that point. But......

3.5 stars

Resided in the San Francisco Bay Area, Barry Cleveland has a long history as a musician and author.He released two albums of New Age/Ambient/Electronic Music during the 80's (''Mythos'', 1986 and ''Voluntary Dreaming, 1989), the best moments of which are included in the 2003 compilation ''Memory & Imagination''.During the 90's he performed with the improvisation band Cloud Chamber, they even had a CD out entitled ''Dark Matter'' (1998).In 2002 Cleveland joined the Guitar Player magazine as an editor and in 2004 he returned with the album ''Volcano'', where he is helped by many musicians he has worked in the past like bassist Michael Manring, Michael Masley on cymbals or Michael Pluznick on congas, percussion and other traditional instruments.

The album reminds me of KING CRIMSON more Ambient textures to go along with a PETER GABRIEL-esque flavor into World Music with many hypnotic textures, semi-improvised soundscapes and traditional rhythms.There are a lot of influences from African to Eastern to Caribbean Music, completing a vast pallette of ethnic inspirations with a slight rock context.Cleveland is actually responsible for all the non-traditional instruments of the album like electric and acoustic guitars, electric bass and synths, the guest musicians being the driving forces behind the ethnic orientations and vocal moments of ''Volcano''.The album offers trully exotic sounds and tropical atmospheres and many of the titles recall the region of inspiration.Of course it appears that the traditional instruments are heavily used with the mass of percussions and wind instruments eventually creating again an Ambient mood overall.The few tracks, where the guitar work is more apparent, have definitely a CRIMSON-ian feeling, albeit coming from their least succesful albums of the early-80's.

''Volcano'' has limited to no lack to be appreciated by a fan of Progressive Rock music, although some of its tastes have a nice Ethnic/Fusion touch.The album has more possibilities to be warmly received by lovers of Ethnic Music or Ambient/New Age, so it is recommended to be purchased by this kind of listeners and only.