'Kalle Wallner' is the guitarist of the German band 'RPWL' but also from the band 'Blind Ego' under the name of which he released his first solo album 'Voices'. Being, with his friend from 'RPWL', 'Yogi Lang', the manager of 'Gentle Art Of Music', that's it naturally that this first baby comes out under this label and, for the occasion, he called on his relatives including 'Yogi Lang' as keyboardist, singer 'Arno Menses' who participated in the album 'Liquid' from 'Blind Ego' released in 2016, 'Tanyc' for backing vocals and session drummer 'Marco Minnemann' who has participated in various projects including 'Legacy Pilots' in 2021 but also other projects like 'The Sea Within'.
Almost entirely instrumental, since 'Arno Menses' only sings on 'Three', we find the style of 'RPWL' made of long neo-progressive tracks with catchy melodic lines and with 'Floydian' guitar solos that we delight to listen to. 'One' puts forward electro sounds of synthesizers à la 'Jean-Michel Jarre' on which the guitar of 'Kalle Wallner' comes to integrate perfectly to bring this binder to the whole, then 'Two' shows everything first a more rock facet with a saturated guitar that leads the dance, then it's a much calmer section with a remarkable fluidity in this guitar playing which then returns to the more muscular initial atmosphere for the end of the title with a magnificent final runaway. With 'Three' (see the video above), we are full of 'RPWL' and this title reminds me of the magnificent 'Breathe In, Breathe Out' from the album 'The Rpwl Experience' dating from 2013, then, 'Four' continues with a composition alternating different intensities and rhythms and which, accompanied by electronic sounds, gives a good place to the guitar, whether electric or acoustic. Follows 'Five' which continues in a lively atmosphere with the guitar which offers us very catchy melodic lines with a mixture of neo-progressive with Latin influences, then, the long title 'Six' deploys a new progressive saga which develops parts instrumentals which gives me the impression of listening to a remarkable mix between film music à la 'Enio Morricone' with the choirs of 'Tanyc' and a sort of cross between 'Pink Floyd' and 'Dire Straits'. And it is with the longest composition 'Seven, Out' that the album ends magnificently in a aerian and melancholy atmosphere whose multiple guitar sections make us rise warm on a small 'Floydian' cloud showing all the feeling of guitarist of 'Kalle Wallner'.
In summary, 'Kalle Wallner' releases an album highlighting his talent as a guitarist with accessible compositions that offer immediate listening pleasure which should satisfy an entire public who love a subtle and refined progressive in the image of the different bands mentioned throughout this review... | |
