This review is on a release that
I probably would not have unearthed on my own, so yet again I have to be
thankful that I do a review slot. The album is The Chandrasekhar
Limit and is release number three from the Italian speaking Swiss band,
Zenit. Originally founded back in 1998, they released their debut
album,Pavritti, in 2001 and their follow-up, Surrender, in
2006. Currently a 5 piece band, Zenit still have two of the original members
from 1998, the keyboard player and the bass player. The full breakdown of the
band is - Lorenzo Sonognini (acoustic guitar and vocals), Luigi Biamino (guitar
and backing vocals), Ivo Bernasconi (keyboards), Andy Thommen (bass and backing
vocals) and Gabrielle Schira (drums and percussion).
Founder and bass player
Andy Thommen says, “We've chosen The Chandrasekhar Limit as the title
because this mathematical threshold defines if a white dwarf star remains a star
or becomes a black hole... So, as a band we feel that we are passing a
crossroads without knowing where this track leads to. We do not know if we are
above or below the Chandrasekhar limit.”
Unusually for me, I will state at the
outset that this is one of those releases that hit the “sweet spot.” There have
been some amazing albums released recently, but this is one of the “head and
shoulders” above the majority, and that was a decision made after only one
hearing.
The Chandrasekhar
Limit is a 6 track
album with a total running time just under 70 minutes, with track 2, “Cub Lady”,
the shortest at 2:42 minutes and the final track, “The Daydream Suite”, the
longest at 24:35 minutes.
Now we can get down to business
explaining why this is such an awesome album to have reviewed. I will admit that
I enjoy all the tracks on the album and in the 10 days I have had the album to
review, two tracks have already been featured on my radio program.
The opening track on The
Chandrasekhar Limit is all that the first track on any release should be,
and that is, instantly accessible and with killer riffs, passages and vocals.
“Awaken,” (12:05) certainly ticks all of these boxes when after around 15
seconds of acoustic guitar with vocals, the track launches into a superbly
memorable soaring guitar and keyboard riff which continues to weave in and out
over the length of the track. There is an amazing passage from around 4 minutes
(until just short of the 8 minute mark) where, over the terrific drumming by
Gabrielle and bass work by Andy, the soaring guitar of Luigi lays a tremendous
passage over the top, with the keyboards of Ivo weaving here and there in the
background. This passage is very reminiscent of early Pink Floyd material. The
track then breaks into a plaintive piano passage which fits so well and this is
then joined by the superb acoustic guitar work of Lorenzo. Around the 9 minute
point, we have rejoined the recurrent theme from earlier and the track builds
and drives along to 12 minutes with stunning guitar and keyboard effects during
the last minute.
“Matrimandir” (17:08), is the other
track I have featured and has a very Indian orientated sound to it with some of
the ensuing vocals in Sanskrit and English. A sitar and a very ethnic sounding
background show the versatility of the band prior to the electric guitar picking
up and carrying the sitar riff onwards. Slight changes in tempo are used to
accentuate sections and Luigi (on guitar) certainly shows he can play the
instrument. Lorenzo’s vocals are extremely clear, even when they might not be
understandable as they are in Sanskrit. At around the 4:40 minute point, there
is a very distinct shift to a more jazz fusion passage with electric piano,
guitar and simple crisp drumming before the keyboards briefly enter and leave
again. Andy, on bass, also gets the opportunity to push the bass guitar to the
fore in this passage. About halfway through the track, it morphs into a simple
acoustic guitar passage with an almost choral vocal over it before the bass
again adds more depth to the proceedings. There is more of the magnificent piano
around 11:30 minutes which takes the track into another beautiful acoustic area
which builds to the whole band in full flow again. The track then moves into its
final phases where the initial theme reappears and the track plays out as it
started over 17 minutes before.
The other four tracks on The
Chandrasekhar Limit are no less interesting, leading to another 5 star
award earner. “Cub Lady” is a short acoustic based track and “PiGreco” is a
keyboard driven up-tempo track with powerful vocals and superb drum/bass playing
and ”Pulsar” is an instrumental and probably nearer a jazz fusion track than the
others. The long last track, “The Daydream Suite,” certainly has its dreamy
passages interspersed with more magnificent individual performances to end the
album on a “huge high.”
At the outset, I indicated that this
was to be an extremely positive review and I repeat, that even with all the
tremendous recent releases, this is certainly close to being the best CD I have
had to review (Well, at least in the Top 3).
Another of my special double-sized,
full color “One To Buy” stickers on the front, and I might have to get more
printed if releases continue to be superb, and a plea to every prog follower to
beg or borrow (we don’t advocate the stealing) this CD and then do the “right
thing” and buy it. I do not think that anyone would find The Chandrasekhar
Limit anything but stunning.
Key Tracks: Awaken,
Matrimander.
Jim “The Ancient One”
Lawson-MuzikReviews.com Staff
March 22, 2013
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