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Steve Hackett - Surrender of Silence CD (album) cover

SURRENDER OF SILENCE

Steve Hackett

 

Eclectic Prog

3.98 | 136 ratings

From Progarchives.com, the ultimate progressive rock music website

rdtprog
Special Collaborator
Heavy, RPI, Symph, JR/F Canterbury Teams
5 stars After the peaceful acoustic release "Under a Mediterranean Sky", Steve Hackett is back on his electric formula mode. He is with long-time musicians, Roger King on keys, and orchestral arrangements, and Rob Townsend on sax. The drum parts are split up between 3 drummers. Jonas Reingold is on most of the tracks on bass.

The first track is instrumental and sounds like a movie score for an action hero film. The song "Natalia" is Russian music with some well-known passages done in collaboration with his wife. Steve is singing with some opera singing and orchestral arrangements. Again you can hear an action movie in the instrumental section. Then it has some tasty and authentic violin playing. "Relaxation Music For Sharks" has some intriguing special effect intro before the drums of Nick D'Virgilio kick-off to bring the song to a faster pace. Steve is getting loose on his guitar playing. Not too relaxing, but it's for sharks!

"Wingbeats" has some African beats and singing that is not too far from what Peter Gabriel made with his band. There are some tribal drums but adding the guitar, it's done in a Hackett style. "The Devil's Cathedral" has a horror atmosphere with the dark organ playing of Roger King all this embellished with some orchestral arrangements. "Held in the Shadows is a love song dedicated to Steve's wife. It's romantic but with a kick of Rock! I enjoy the heavy parts that are in contrast to the beginning.

"Shanghai To Samarkand" put us now in the oriental part of the world where classical music meets world music, the music doing most of the talking here. When the Kansas drummer arrives, we are in a more familiar Hackett style before going back to the world music beat. "Fox Tango" Steve is getting loose again with his Gibson guitar which reminds me in some specific passages of Brian May.

"Day of the Dead" is another horror-inspired movie now a Mexican one. "Scorched Earth" is a warning song to save the earth from destruction. It's a beautiful song that has a clear and intentional lighter mood. I enjoyed the orchestral arrangements here. It ends with a short and peaceful song with some lovely guitar parts of Steve showing his love for classical music.

As much as I still rave for Steve Hackett's first albums, He has improved a lot in his songwriting style surpassing the Genesis influence with some fusion music that brings more variety and textures to his music.

rdtprog | 5/5 |

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