HACKBERRY

I received another top-secret intelligence report from my trusted UK source, agent Steve Lazenby, code org name Lazland who once, long ago, had a namesake named George somewhat briefly related to 007. The For Your Ears Only file was a rather in-depth analysis of a clandestine cell operating out of the Netherlands that had found a way to infiltrate a once famed smartphone company, hence the operational code name Hackberry. Once decrypted and thoroughly investigated, I realized that the latest dispatch Breathing Space, was not yet cleared censors, so I took the liberty of perusing their initial self-titled dispatch. No disinformation here, the subversive quintet is a covert group of expert instrumentalists, who have mastered their tools of the trade to an elite level, licensed to kill and showing little mercy. The shadowy duo of Francesco Bonardi and Marijn De Boer wield the Q sponsored lethal guitars, with reptilian bassist Simon Venema equally adept at garrotting strings, while the electronic keyboards manned by Tim Hidskes add camouflage, sabotage, and the odd disguise. The getaway drum kits are driven by Chris Bechtum, the propulsive force behind the commando hit squad. Their cloak and dagger mission never seems impossible throughout their infiltration.

The onslaught detonates with a 17 minute + tectonic epic (that is my definition of confidence and courage) where the interaction between the musicians is presented with brute precision and vibrant determination, and once the initial tempo is in motion, the interwoven axes conspire mightily as riffs and licks combine to set the stage for a curling cobra bass line to lead the rhythm into overdrive. First overt observation: these guys can play along the very best out there, where inspiration meets method, with complete mastery of mood, drive, and atmosphere. The technical fans will admire the chops and the passionate ones slain by the killer manipulation of the melodies. The moody mid-section even dares to venture into silent lucidity, surely a decoy snare to entrap the unsuspecting listener, coercing them into submission with another powerful sound rampage that takes musical adventure to another level, aided by loads of detailed electronic musings from Hidskes. Very striking sonic penetration.

The mercifully shorter "Miraggio" takes one initially to the other extreme, an elegant and solitary piano solo that exudes classicist tendencies that soothe the senses, before it plummets into a provisional flourishing guitar assault, decelerating into a fleeting lead guitar flurry and then, booting up to a turbo-charged fury. Just like a Saharan mirage, is the blurry image real or imagined? Water, water. The agony of hope for salvation is expressed by colossal choir mellotron dunes. The segue onto "Aboard" is like a last second impromptu caravan of deliverance, a sweltering journey under torrid conditions, sandstorm guitar stings prickling the skin like a million needles. Swirling eddies of dynamic sound urges the dramatic venture forward, reaching nearly hysteria and pandemonium.

The finale is their classic initial piece "Desert Orchid", a 13-minute master stroke of mood and effect, as an arid guitar interplay sets the oppressive tone, then ramping up the intensity with effortless glide, swerving straight into the wilderness of where zero vegetation can grow. The quest for that lonely floral exception is the exhilarating ride the band takes us on, ferried by a masterful synthesized e-piano in the background, recalling Zep's No Quarter. Bonardi's guitar crisses, as De Boer's crosses, the two gunslingers in perfect harmony with each other and devoted to accomplishing the mission at all costs. Hetfield/Hammett (Metallica) move over, Powell/Wisefield (Wishbone Ash) sit down. These two are top notch aces. I as a rule, am not always fond of endless shredding because it can be so darn predictable at times but I found the opposite here, as its always perfectly dosed and mathematically diverse. The finale, as they eventually find the lone blossom in the barren expanse, is one of unrestricted jubilation.

The silence at the conclusion is deafening. What a sensational debut album! This tape will self destruct in 5 seconds. Good luck Jim! The Breathing Space file is being cleared by M, should be arriving soon. The secretary will disavow any knowledge of your actions.

5 Crypto currants