SELFISHNESS - SOURCE OF WAR & VIOLENCE

"Selfishness: Source of War & Violence" is the sophomore effort by Quebecois multi-instrumentalist Robert Bériau. He has shared his profession and expertise in the financial world with his own musical interests, managing a label created by him and creating music. His multitask duties on guitars, keyboards, bass and flute have now the addition of lead vocals for this "Selfishness" album. The vocal thing is not his forte, and it shows, but he decided to assume the role because of the personal nature inherent to the album's overall concept (an observation of how many forms selfishness can adopt and how much hurt these varied forms can cause on people, society and the environment), and that includes the sung tracks. The sound production is also another uneven item of the album, since in many passages it sounds too flat to successfully convey the evocative moments when the synth layers abound or the power working on the harder passages. Anyway, the material is very good in terms of composition and very well developed in terms of arrangements. The artistic result stated in the album's repertoire is quite eclectic, actually, with a notable alternation of hard-edged moments, slow reflective moods and stylish symphonic passages. 'Agoraphobia' kicks off the album with a prog-metallish vibe, where standard industrial rock and Floydian psychedelia meet in fluid fashion. I have the feeling that the track's potential is not fully developed, but it works fine as an opener. 'Terrorism: A Two Actors Play' is more developed, managing to emphasize the symphonic factor that on the previous song was just lying underneath. 'Blind Heart' bears a cosmic lyricism, stating a mixture of "Wish You Were Here"- era Pink Floyd and 70s Hackett: the soaring synth layers and eerie guitar leads build dreamy nuances over the perfectly harmonized acoustic guitars. This magic is so well accomplished that the track's 9+ minute span never gets boring. 'Last Call for a Change' is an instrumental that can mixes symphonic bombast (UK, Yes) and space-rock, with a noticeable jazz-rock cadence provided in no small degree by drummer Elad Fish. This is a very robust piece, indeed. 'The Rats Leave the Sinking Ship' has a first section that states a return to the aura of constrained power that had been traced by the opener early on; its second section is more introverted. 'Selfcontempt Behavior or Social Poverty' reminds me of Clearlight, as if it were under a refurbished treatment: spacey symphonic rock with an extra charge of fusion-oriented sensibility, with a very classicist piano and heavily cosmic synths that jointly elaborate a tight dynamics. The passage featuring pipe organ and soft, dreamy lead guitar might as well remind us of 76-79 Tangerine Dream. 'Time Fracture' is a somber ballad, Hammill-style (it might as well been from "The Silent Corner" or "Over"). The lyrics portraying a man's anger for his daughter's assassination are delivered with more discontent than sadness. Fish's drumming brings a solid jazzy foundation to the rather spacey 'Thoughts Are Not Enough', which once again reiterates the dreamy aspect of Bériau's musical vision. 'Homeless (If Only!)' starts with an ambient mood until the main body reveals another Hammill-esque ballad: its introspective mystery reminds me of the "What Now?" album, a more contemporary Hammill, that is. The closer is 'Hoping On the Next Generation', which completes a powerful amalgam of space-rock, introspective symphonic rock and jazz-rock nuances that have been prevalent throughout the album's framework. Even though I feel that the linkage of motifs doesn't get to be completely cohesive, it bears enough sonic power to close down the album efficiently. All in all, "Selfishness: Source of War & Violence" is a very interesting input for the current prog rock scene: Robert Bériau shows his enthusiasm and talent equally.