THE SHADOW - VOL 2

This along with "The Shadow- Vol.I" were recorded live in studio over a four day period late in December of 2019 at Ocean Sound Recordings in Oslo, Norway. Sadly the band's founder, leader and man composer Per Ottesen came down with a serious illness shortly after these sessions and eventually passed early in 2022 causing them to hold off it's release until after he was gone. They are a four piece with Per on bass but some slide guitar as well. We also get drums, guitar and sax. A couple of them add electronics. This is mostly powerful sax driven music but the guitar does lead at times.

My favourite track on here is the 12 1/2 minute "The Shadow Of The New Praetorian" and I need to mention that Per knows how to compose some incredible music. I like the atmosphere to open as bass, drum rolls and other sounds come and go. An experimental soundscape then it kicks into gear and moves after 2 minutes. Sax is leading but 5 minutes in it's the guitar's turn to show it's stuff. And there's lots to show, check it out after 7 1/2 minutes. It all relents but it rises up again with the sax leading late.

"Beehive" has this repeated sax melody to open and close it with the guitar in the middle and I'm over simplifying it as this is 8 1/2 minutes long. "Chiaroscuro" is laid back with some lap steel and really except for the brief sax 3 minutes in this lacks the energy of that most of this album has. Other exceptions are the 23 second spacey opener and the 3 minute closer both quiet tracks.

Thankyou Apollon Records for sending me both volumes and as I said in reviewing "Vol. I" when you put the two cd covers together they form one bigger piece of art which is cool. And more importantly the music is high quality instrumental music and a fitting legacy for our departed bass player.