DARK IN LIGHT

The debut album from a vocalist with a lot of experience from the scene. I refer to the interview.

This album has been kindly provided through his own website and I am not the one to say no thanx to a free album.

Han Uil is a very good vocalist and he is demonstrating that on a wide variety of music styles here. From twisted metal with some post metal vibes to straight progressive metal. Then we have Han Uil the ballad singer. And let's forget; Han Uil the symp prog rocker, the rocker, the blues singer and the funky jazz vocalist. In other words, lack of versatility is not a problem Han Uil is suffering from.

I guess I am starting to get reputation as the reviewer you will not encounter if you are releasing your debut album. But I am pointing out that most solo albums is a marketing ploy, a CV no less, where you show off all your positive sides in hope something will happen at the end of this process. For that is what this album is. A proof that Han Uil is a very good vocalist.

The quality of the songs ? As a song writer, and I presume this is his songs, the material is lacking in cohesion between the various songs here is not great. This is a very varied album in other words and it has some very good songs inbetween some rather uninteresting songs. But as a solo album, this is a very good album. Some truly great songs would be kind on his next album. But keep an eye on Han Uil. He may just pull of a great second album, my crystal ball is telling me.

3.5 stars

Dutch composer and guitarist Han UIL has been an active musician since the late 1990's. He's been a member of a good handful of band and projects so far, of which Seven Day Hunt is the most recent. He made his debut as a solo artist in 2006 with "Alone". "Dark in Light" is his second solo album and was self-released in 2010.

Blending elements from progressive rock with relatively easygoing moods and melodies appears to be something of a forte for Han Uil, and he's not afraid to incorporate the occasional challenging feature either. And while his sophomore effort "Dark in Light" isn't one that will get a high place on my list of 2010 productions, it is a disc those who have a wide and liberal taste in music inside and outside of the art-rock universe might want to check out anyhow. Tastes differ after all, and my personal perceptions are just that, a subjective opinion from one single person.