ELEMENTS

4.5 stars. Imposing Elements indeed. Well we are graced with another steller album from Dean Watson who offers up more of that synth / guitar led music in the Jazz / Metal / Fusion style. I had the honour of getting this cd straight from the man himself as he dropped it off at my work after hours a couple of weeks ago.

"Past Present" is a top three for me. I love how this starts with the sparse piano followed by a beat as synths join in. Such a great sound here. An atmospheric calm arrives 2 1/2 minutes in then it picks up and gets heavier. Guitar too, and we get what sounds like mellotron late to end it. "16 Feet Below" has bass, a beat and keys standing out early. Some intricte guitar too. A change before 1 1/2 minutes as it turns darker. Nice. Synths wash in then it kicks in with mellotron like sounds. Keys to the fore 3 1/2 minutes in. "Underpass" has piano and cymbals to start as other sounds join in. The guitar after 2 minutes turn into riffs before 3 minutes. The keys become prominant when the riffs stop.

"Push Too" opens with vibes as synths and bass join in. The guitar starts to rip it up after a minute as contrasts continue. "Pendulum" is a top three with that relaxing intro that sounds so good. This theme will come and go. Beautiful stuff. "Depth Charge" is my final top three tune. Heavy riffs to open as background synths roll in. It does settle back. Some nice guitar before 2 1/2 minutes. It's almost euphoric before 4 1/2 minutes. Riffs are back late. "Of Age" has lots of synths with bass and a beat. The guitar replaces the synths. "New Resolution" is the longest track and the closer. It's laid back with crisp drums and spacey synths. It does pick up before 2 minutes.

I do prefer his debut but I wouldn't be surprised if most will claim this is Dean's best. Regardless of opinion we get another killer instrumental album to enjoy.

If this isn't a masterpiece then I don't know what is. After discovering the music of Dean Watson through the forums only a very short time ago, I went to his bandcamp and checked out some of the samples. I bought the album after about 5 minutes, and I was not disappointed. This is listed as jazz fusion, but there is a ton of variety here, ranging from tracks that recall classic progressive rock to music that borders on instrumental prog metal. A lot of music classified as fusion has left me rather cold in the past, but this release certainly doesn't. This is an album I've been listening to obsessively since I got it and I have a feeling it will stay that way for a while.

Solo keyboard begins the album before percussion kicks in and "Past Present" really hits its stride. Bass and a lot of great synth textures add to the somewhat moody, melancholic feel of this first part of the track. The notes on the artist's bandcamp state that the music was inspired by the painting that serves as the album cover, and I can definitely hear that. About midway through the tempo picks up and the playing gets a little faster and a little more technical, finally arriving at something that truly is a fusion of jazz and progressive rock, incorporating sounds of both to create an exceedingly well composed, well performed piece of music. I can actually hear shades of resemblance to Neal Morse's songwriting, strange though that comparison may sound. A really excellent opening track, this is emotive, technical, and progressive all in one: everything that good fusion should be.

"16 Feet Below" has a tough job following this amazing opener, but it's certainly up to the task. Beginning with a much more "typical jazz" sound mixing percussion and piano, the track quickly switches it up and launches into a much darker section with tons of synth and electronics that really has a lot of "prog" feel to it: difficult rhythms are the name of the game. After this the track gets a bit more languid and I can actually hear faint (very faint) shades of Henry Cow, though this is much less avant than HC. The track closes with a reprise of an earlier theme before one final knotty rhythmic section before moving on to the next track.

"Underpass" begins on a cheerier note, with percussion and keyboard setting a nice, sunny uptempo progression to begin the track. This leads into a great synth solo that sounds a bit to me like a jazzier Yes, and even more like the somewhat more obscure band Babylon. After a while of this the track drops into a heavier motif that almost pushes the track into metal territory. That same great synth soloing continues nonetheless and Underpass ends up being one of my favorite tracks on the album. I can hear traces of just about every big prog band you can think of, but at the same time the track is still decidedly jazz, which makes the whole thing feel wildly original and very enjoyable for any prog fan.

"Push Too" starts off a bit more minimally, with some marimba (or something of the like) leading the way into a languid, jazzy groove. A great guitar solo features prominently towards the beginning of the track, and really the guitar remains the star for most of the rest of the song. Endlessly riffing and jamming over the drum groove, I can hear some classic rock influence in the myriad of solos here, but it's never "needlessly retro" or anything like that. Best of all, it never feels like the instrumentals are noodling or shamelessly technical for no reason: everything fits in perfectly and it's a blast to listen to.

"Pendulum" returns to a more melancholic sound, with the opening section simply oozing despair. Then, in one of my favorite moments from the album, a guitar bursts forth like a ray of light, inspiring a twinge of hope but still shaded with sorrow. After a little bit of playing the mood of the piece picks up a bit, with the piano and drums playing at a slightly faster tempo while synth and guitar create a great atmosphere behind them. Another melodic line, this time with a bit of an eastern feel, introduces itself towards the end of the track and plays for a little bit before the track fades out in a grand wash of organ.

"Depth Charge" comes next, starting off with some jazzy chords and quirky synth that quickly goes off on an equally quirky solo. I have to say, I really love the synth textures used on this album, as they're incredibly varied and recall the sweet sounds of synth-drenched 70s prog quite nicely. Not to be outdone, the guitar makes another excellent return on this track as well, soloing quite nicely over the very slightly atonal piano chords in the background. In the middle of the track the theme changes a little bit, with the piece getting a bit heavier and the guitar taking on even more of a prominent role. As weird as I feel making the comparison I can hear the similarity to Babylon here again- I don't know what it is, but something about the textures or the melodies or something just really reminds me of that band.

"Of Age" begins with a totally different sound: heavy, riffing guitars appear as soon as the track begins, to the extent that this basically sounds like a prog-metal track. To Mr. Watson's credit, it doesn't sound out of place at all but fits in perfectly to the rest of the album as a whole. At about 2 minutes in a bit of that heaviness drops away and yet another amazing guitar solo kicks off, very much sounding like it could have come straight out of the psychedelic 60s or 70s. It's a stellar solo that leads into a bit of a calmer moment as what sound like wind chimes briefly appear before the bass locks into new groove. After hardly a moment the guitar appears again, and hot on its heels comes the synth as well. Solo after solo is the name of the game here, and they're all fantastic, right up until the heavy guitar riffing returns and the track fades out.

And at last we've reached the last track. It's been quite a journey up until this point, but "New Resolution" doesn't rush things, beginning with a fairly chilled out keyboard part that's augmented by some nice percussion. This goes on for a little bit before the track kicks into high gear, launching into a guitar and synth duet that to me sounds a lot like Yes. A jazzier section follows, with piano leading the way and several more synth solos as well. Eventually the track comes full circle and reprises one of its first themes before kicking up the intensity in the last minute and finally fading out.

I will freely admit that jazz fusion is not an area I have a lot of experience with. I've heard "the big names," Miles Davis, Weather Report, Mahavishnu Orchestra, but not a whole lot outside of those. I'm not going to try to compare this release to those objectively (because quite frankly it's silly to talk objectively about music) but I will say that I enjoy this release more than anything I've heard from the groups above. This is an amazing album, and one that I'll be listening to for a long, long time. Every note is perfect, every track seeming both fresh and original and also intimately familiar. Progheads of all shapes and sizes should find lots to love here, and I truly believe that you're doing yourself a disservice if you pass this up. This is 51 minutes of music that you can't afford to miss.

5/5

Dean Watson is a revelation in more ways than one, a rare opportunity to witness a one man fusion entity (you mean you can play all those instruments?.... Like that?) and cluck in amazement. Plus he is a Canadian, go figure! As a rule, I feel more comfortable with bass fueled jazz-rock, so as to follow the groove wherever the artist wishes to lead and get my jollies that way! Good guitar and keys is important but only as long as the bass conductor is willing and able to carve the correct rut.

"Past and Present" has an ominous tone throughout, due to thundering bass lightning, moody mellotron, swirly synths and wired guitar, while the drums keep things tight and taut. A slice of fusion at its best. There is no instrument more associable to fusion than electric piano (Fender Rhodes , for example) and Dean lays down some never before heard e-piano sounds that collide, coalesce and conspire slyly with the remaining instruments in a joyous escapade of style and substance. The use of mellotron is rare in jazz-rock but Watson uses it often and always within context.

"Underpass" is more obviously in a pure jazz form with piano, cymbals and vibraphone merging into a broad avenue of sound, piloted by a sweet synthesizer romp. Harsh rhythm guitar invades with impunity, slashing through the jazz rain forest like a machete in the Burmese heartland.

The spirit of Pierre Moerlen's Gong pervades the next piece "Push Too", as the vibes, synths , bass and drums forge ahead. That being now settled, Watson does a fair interpretation of what Allan Holdsworth would do on such a bed of sounds, basically an oblique and stupendous solo that corkscrews wildly and initiates some serious goosebumps. This is a phenomenal track, highly buzzed and constantly contrasting, alive and kicking.

"Pendulum" swings back and forth (really?) with charming precision, the restraint is laudable and the ensuing guitar solo is simply brilliant, in the true sense of the term. The pace seems endlessly at ease, no hurried need to explode 60 thousand notes in 3 seconds, preferring instead all kinds of little details that prickle the ears, a delicate piano mid section 'par exemple'. Adding a bed of mellotron only proves the genius behind the concept, I had always wondered when someone would think about combining jazz-rock with symphonic. Well here you have it in shining pan audio! Tremendous music!

After such a delightful zephyr of sound, Watson comes back with a scorcher, a heavy metal/fusion power ballad that highlights deep inner turmoil, like submariners being attacked by destroyers. I guess that is why the track is called "Depth Charge"! The main tortured axe solo is what keeps this baby running silent, buoying bass bubbling to the surface, yet with a pervading sense of underwater confinement. Fantastic imagery as the crunching guitars and breakwater synths come howling through the jetty! Prog Das Boot!

"Of Age" is experimental, or just experienced mental, a palette of obscure sounds on an uncomplicated cradle of bass and piano splashes, giving the green light for the guitar to light up again. Half way through, the arrangement shifts into gear, as if some turbo charge had kicked subtly in, mutating the piece with some angrier commentary (electronic synth poundings, unforgiving guitar tone) that just gives so much pace to this music which can easily bog down into chopzilla when left unchecked.

The final blow by blow (sorry Jeff!) is also the lengthiest piece, a sort of recap of what this astounding multi-instrumentalist is capable of. Redolent soundscapes with lush ornamentations abound, stamping his guitar to travel deep into multi-hued frontiers of aural conquest.

To master so many instruments in such a challenging subgenre is proof positive that Dean Watson is a gifted artist of the highest order. It would seem unpatriotic as a progman to not wish him well. The material is well thought out, inspirational jazz-rock fusion with massive doses of originality and impeccable execution. A star is born.

5 daunting factors

Dean Watson's 'Imposing Elements' is a jazz prog odyssey of scintillating music.

Dean's followup to "Unsettled" is another jazz feast with touches of metal and symphonic prog that is rather relaxing and a great album to put on after a hard day at work. It is soothing and features accomplished musicianship enough to satiate the appetite of any music lover who is into keyboard driven heavy prog with jazz nuances.

The keyboard wizardry on such tracks as '16 Feet Below' is tremendous, with strong bass embellishments and interchanging time sigs. The music is definitely uplifting and features dynamic arrangements, the drumming being a key feature. This track is my favourite on the album, I love the jazz threads merging with prog elements and superb keyboard work throughout.

'Past Present' opens preceedings with minimalist keyboard and spacey atmospheres. The dissonant tones create an ethereal soundscape like Pink Floyd. Keyboards dominate but the layer of rhythmic percussion and bass is a nice foundation to build upon. There are ambient key pads beneath and the tempo changes soon in to a faster cadence and a variation of tones as a synth and lead guitar trade off solos.

Another highlight is found on 'Underpass' with cymbals, vibraphone and piano dominating until a lead guitar takes over. Then a distorted riffing guitar breaks through the light weight music. The jazz fusion sound is terrific with odd time shifts and space for each instrument to breathe, all played virtuoso by Dean Watson.

'Push Too' has some quirky vibes and a funky bassline as a synth swells along a disjointed melody. I like the way the dirtier guitar riff drowns out the synths, and then a vibrant lead solo soars over it all in the style of Andy Latimer.

'Pendulum' has a symphonic edge with music that drifts along as though swinging back and forth, hence the title. The lead guitar sings sweetly as the music builds along a graceful keyboard motif. Swathes of mellotron and jazz piano permeate the atmosphere and it seems to be ascending higher until it breaks into a passage of piano fortissimo. A beautiful piece of music to wrap your ears around.

After all the melancholy tranquillity, 'Depth Charge' submerges into a jazzy ominous piano motif. The darker sounds are portentous that something will explode. It does as the paroxysm of metal guitar lead thunder and synth lightning takes over. The lead work is fiery and follows a complex bass and synth. The drums are sporadic at this point and full of emotive power, with hi hat work and cymbal splashes like waves crashing up on the boat. The imagery is conjured by the arrangements carefully amalgamated with the tension and release of light and dark shades, slow and fast tempos.

'Of Age' has a metal distortion riff and is blended well with colourful mellotron ambience. It locks into some odd time sigs, and progressive building blocks of synth lines and guitar phrases. The guitar riff is simple but effective. The next section is a layered keyboard break and it settles into a rhythmic section as a lead guitar howls over. The acoustic flourishes are effective and the chimes as the sig changes again into a faster more urgent pattern. Guitar blazes away with finesse sounding again like Latimer. One more time change and a return to the main riff bookends this sensational track in a blaze of glory.

The album ends on the longest track, 'New Resolution', beginning with impactive jazz piano reminding me of Miles Davis 'Freddie Freeloader' from 'A Kind of Blue'. As with that track, this feels like walking down a rain soaked street at night with the neon lights dancing off the soaked roads. It is up tempo and entrancing with powerful keyboards including a delightful shimmering Hammond sound. The strong jazz tones are augmented with off eat patterns and lead guitar phrases.

Thus the journey ends on a high note and this album is as good if not better than Watson's debut. The music is always compelling and moves in many directions enough to maintain interest. Watson plays well on all instruments and is a fine arranger. The album is well produced, with high quality sound and is certainly an instrumental album well worth seeking out.

In one word: Flawless

With second album named Imposing elements released couple of month before in february 2012 - Dean Watson really done it big time. If the first album was great, this sophomore release is flawless in everyway. This is one of the best musicians in last years in jazz fusion world, what he done on these two albums released so far is absolutly essential to have, both fans of jazz fusion and progressive rock will have plenty of memorable passages here. I thing that must be pointed aut is that all the music from Imposing elements was created/produced/mastered by Dean Watson himself, this is not an easy task, but in the end he succeded 100%. Complex progressive jazz fusion with some spectacular moments like on opening track Past present who really sets the mood for entire album. Another highlight for me is Feet below with some brilliant chorus at the end of the piece, fantastic and the more progressive jazz metal tune Of Age with some progressive metal mood but combined very efficient with the jazz fusion elements, in the end a spectacular piece. No weak moments here only highlights, balanced album, DEan Watson really shine on every piece. I don't know if is better then his first who was already a great release, but for sure is in same league, that means in Premier League for sure. 4 stars easy and recommended one of the better albums in last years in this field. This type of jazz fusion is right down on my alley and for that I can only recommend to get it from cdbaby in digital format, no CD this time.

Amazing, just amazing...

This album made the same impression for me as the last one. It's just unbelievable that a single musician can play that many instruments as good as him, and do it with taste, sense, and soul. Just like the first, this is a flawless album with all the elements to be tasted by jazz, prog metal and regular music fans.

Dean Watson has amazing skills, but also infuse magic into his compositions. When you stare at the painting that inspired the music, you could hardly come with that much amount of ideas, all well balanced with beautiful melodies, great riffs, wonderful drums and some interesting bass lines. Really, it all sounds like a complete band with many years of understanding.

You have to close eyes and enjoy this musical ride. I won't describe each song. You have to listen to it as a whole piece and just taste the music. The mix and production is wonderful. This is how all the albums should sound, with space for every instrument to develop a feeling. It's just perfect

I give a 5 star review because I don't find anything weak to point at. I really hope that all the lovers of Jazz fusion and prog metal fans could come with open mind and try this amazing album. This one will blow your mind away for sure.

I'm really excited by this album. He really reach magic with these Imposing Elements...

It's not my prerogative to start my reviews with a title but if I would have done that with this album it would have been "perfect fusion" or something like that. Because that's what we are talking about with Dean Watsons second release. Right now the album has the status of "essential: masterpiece of progressive rock" and quite rightly so I would say. After first listening I was already convinced of a rating minimal 4,5 stars but after 5 spins it has even gone up towards 4,5-5 indeed some 4,75.

Dean has increased the measure of fusion grade compared with his debut and is now on the same level as with his previous project WHERE'S THE NINE. In fact this release is largely comparable with Desensitized... with the remark that Imposing Elements is more accessible. And added to that one could say that the accessibility shouldn't be confused with simplicity here because the compositions are complex enough but somehow they are so neately done that it becomes extremely pleasant for the ear. Composition to perfection is another title that comes to mind for this album.

My admiration for Dean's accomplishments were already very high but of his efforts last few years I rank this one highest, by far even. Desensitized was already around the 4,5 mark and Unsettled somewhere around 4,25-4,5 stars for me. I don't know how he does it but he managed to turn it up a notch with Imposing Elements which can only mean the perfect score as far as I'm concerned. I'm getting curious what his next release will be like. Beware !

'Imposing Elements' - Dean Watson (8/10)

A couple of years ago, I was introduced to the music of Dean Watson through a promo of his debut, the impressive 'Unsettled'. Although the jazzier side of progressive rock had rarely been something I was really engaged with, there was something about Dean's highly composition-based style of jazz guitar that kept me coming back to 'Unsettled', an album I still think upon fondly today. Although there may have been scarcely a sound out of media in anticipation for Dean Watson's second record, it was something I was quite excited for. As a successful sophomore is prone to do, his 2012 effort 'Imposing Elements' develops upon the themes offered by the debut, fleshing out the ambition and providing an even more stirring experience than the first. Dean Watson has fashioned another highly emotional and captivating piece of music with 'Imposing Elements'.

For the many who may not have yet heard Dean Watson's music, the 'prog fusion' label his work has received does it a fundamental justice, although it does not get across the sort of dreamlike emotions his music is filled with. Dean is a guitarist first and foremost, and it may not be out of place to liken him to a more composition-oriented Joe Satriani, or Steve Vai-type player. I have rarely personally been a fan of the 'guitar virtuoso' albums, often finding them to be expressions of the artist's ego rather than their soul. It's refreshing that Watson is such a laid player, only occasionally letting his guitar rip through the rest of the sound, but most often sitting back while the rest of his instrumentation does the work.

Composition really is the heart, soul, blood, liver, and gastrointestinal tract of 'Imposing Elements'. The song structures have a preference for exploring many different ideas in a single song, but very little in a given composition feels as if it could be rightfully amputated from the rest. Whether Dean Watson is leading the music through his guitar or synthesizer, the melodies are each unique and powerful, even sounding a tad weird over the jazzy chord structures. The greatest evidence to Watson's excellence as a composer is that each song manages to sound unique from the others, each leaving its own impression on the listener before it's done. '16 Feet Below' is a particularly engaging track, opening with an only slightly unsettling jazz line before diving into a darkly surreal mesh of melodic tenderness and King Crimson-like dissonance. 'Of Age' is another of my favourite cuts from the record, fusing progressive metal with some of his most beautiful guitar leads.

Dean Watson is a master of rock composition with 'Imposing Elements', although- as was also true for the debut- the execution is not quite as brilliant. As a musician, Watson is a fantastic guitarist with a real ear for merging melody and technical flair effortlessly. The piano and synth tracks are also executed admirably. The rest of the sound however- with particular regards to the programmed drums- sounds like a backing track that you might find in a guitar exercise booklet. For such inspiring writing, it feels like something of a letdown to hear the dull thud of a drum machine, convenience and budgetary concerns regardless. To his credit, the drum machine is programmed very well, with plenty of intriguing switches and fills to lift it above mere pacemaking duty. Even so, Watson bears the brunt of the natural setbacks of home recording; the sound feels inconsistent and dulled in parts, although Dean cannot be held to blame for this.

As I was expecting, 'Imposing Elements' is an impressive album that finds an easy recommendation from me to fans of instrumental rock. Although a few unfortunate limitations keep the album from resonating as an 'essential' prog fusion album, Watson's talent for composition is nothing short of excellent. 'Imposing Elements' overshadows his previous work with 'Unsettled', and rightfully takes its place as one of the most acclaimed progressive releases of the year.

"Imposing Elements" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Canadian jazz/fusion artist Dean Watson. The album is a self-released affair, created, produced and mastered by Dean Watson. "Imposing Elements" is a music/art collaboration between Dean Watson and artist Ron Eady. The latter´s painting (which has the same title as the album and has inspired Dean Watson to write the music) graces the album cover. This method was also the case with "Unsettled (2010)", which also features a cover artwork with a painting by Ron Eady.

The music on the album is what I´d call adventurous jazz/fusion with edgy rythm work and keyboards and guitars providing lead themes and solos. Dean Watson is a regular one-man army delivering tight performances on all instruments. The music can be both dark and atmospheric (at times even ambient) and more edgy and powerful too (there are even some chunky metallic sounding riffs on the album although they are not dominant). One of the great assets of the music (at least to my ears) are the memorable themes. While there are plenty of soloing for those who enjoy that, the fact that Watson always returns to something relatively hook laden is something I much appreciate. I think the music on "Imposing Elements" features a good balance between accessibility and challenging it´s audience.

"Imposing Elements" is another great release by Dean Watson and while there are a few sections I find a bit too "new age" sounding for my personal taste, the album overall comes off very intriguing. A 3.5 - 4 star (75%) rating is warranted.

Wonderful music, full of beautiful melodies and catchy hooks, twists and turns, from this talented multi-instrumentalist. I think what brings me in the most about this album is the way that it deftly crosses and fuses the prog/jazz line. What turns me slightly off is the not quite top-notch engineering, mixing, and production. There is a kind of lack of bleed and background with regards to shifts and changes within songs that, to me, denotes multi-track single artist. There are several artists out there right now doing self-produced self-performed multi-instrumental music (Trurl, David Minasian, The Psychedelic Ensemble, Domina Catrina Lee, Stephen Desbiens, and Pat Metheny and Steven Wilson, [kind of], come to mind immediately) . Dean is good but not yet great on the production side of things. A really excellent listen, start to finish, so long as you don't put the headphones on and give it your 100%.

Favorite songs: "Past Present" (6:47) (9/10); Pendulum" (6:31) (8/10), and; "New Resolution" (8:38) (8/10).

This Dean Watson album, Imposing Elements (2012) is a weird one to me.

The album itself is an instrumental effort, and usually, instrumental music doesn't have any appeal to me. But here on this album we have some strong compositions.

Anyway, even if it's a strong album it doesn't go beyond the realms of the averageness. It doesn't really go anywhere. I like the Jazz Rock feel you have on the album, but for my personal taste the album doesn't go that far away to be called a masterpiece as many here are claiming.

Imposing Elements (2012) is a good album with Jazz Rock feeling and it's nice to hear it, but after some time, nothing really stands out here.

On Imposing Elements multi-instrumentalist Dean Watson brings back fusion as though it had never left us! Updating the stylistic approach of 1970s fusioneers with fresh compositions, modern equipment, and a dazzling range of different moods from the intense to the whimsical (there's a "meowing cat" effect at parts on 16 Feet Below which is quite fun), it's like the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Caravan and mid-1970s King Crimson got together to jam.

Apparently, Dean gets the inspiration for his albums from the artwork of his collaborator Ron Eady, and here Watson certainly captures the unnerving atmosphere of the industrial landscape Eady has captured on the cover but also the sunniness of that charming blue sky up the top there. Fusion fans take note: one of the best practitioners of the form we have today is selling his work on Bandcamp for an absolute steal.