I discovered 'David Judson Clemmons' quite late with the release of his album 'Lights For The Living' (Qobuz link, Spotify link) and yet, the American of origin who now lives in Germany already has a long career behind him solo but also with his projects 'Damn The Machine', 'Jud' and 'The Fullbliss'. This last album didn't really grab me, but in this latest opus, 'Everything A War,' I found everything I love about progressive rock, with parallels to a certain 'Roger Waters,' the themes addressed and the atmospheres created being in the same style as the American. We find a recurring theme in our uncertain times, 'David Judson Clemmons' urging us to escape this modern society that turns us into docile sheep, by emphasizing the capacity of human beings to build a future full of hope.
Classified as progressive metal, I must say that this latest album tends more towards progressive rock, alternating tensions and relaxations that create a sense of urgency throughout 'Everything A War,' amplified by the touching, even poignant vocals of 'David Judson Clemmons.' From the opener 'Learn To Resist', after an introduction highlighting the melancholic strings of 'Anne de Wolff', I already make this parallel with the atmospheres of 'Roger Waters' in a first pathetic crescendo already giving off a beautiful emotional intensity (see the video above), then, 'Drones & Satellites' begins acoustically and then gains momentum with rhythmic changes adding to this feeling of urgency. Lighter with its acoustic guitar accompaniment, 'No Fear, No Love, No Lie' is nonetheless a magnificent composition that exudes a melancholic feeling while maintaining a positive side. It incorporates two stripped-down passages in which 'Maisha' places her angelic voice, as if her father wanted to demonstrate all the hope he places in this new generation to take over and continue fighting for a better world.
We continue with 'The Caves Below', which is yet another plea to resist the sirens of this society that forces you into a straitjacket from which you cannot escape. Musically, we find this emotionally charged atmosphere in a crescendo that begins at a slow tempo and, in the second part, accelerates the pace and becomes intense, notably thanks to the pathetic singing of 'David Judson Clemmons', to finally release all this accumulated tension on a few guitar notes. Same observation with 'Truce' which takes us for almost eight minutes during which several crescendos follow one another which bring me back to the atmospheres made of tensions and relaxations of 'Roger Waters', the only difference being the positive side of the lyrics, 'David Judson Clemmons' showing us how to find our way by making peace with ourselves and putting an end to our inner struggles. 'Songs In The Key Of You', which is the second single from the album (see the video here) then adds another composition that shows alternating intensities and rhythms and, even if the melodic theme remains quite repetitive, the emotional intensity always remains at its peak. And finally, 'The Old World Is Gone' takes us on a slow procession, allowing ourselves to be carried away by its imposing side, and the long central instrumental section takes us back to the beginning of progressive rock, recalling the early 'Pink Floyds' with instrumental sounds found, for example, in the live performance of 'Pompei', which has just been remastered by 'Steven Wilson' and is a pure marvel.
In summary, 'David Judson Clemmons' releases a marvelous album showcasing all the American's talent for offering us compositions of beautiful emotional intensity, with the cherry on top being remarkable vocal performances on strong and touching lyrics. This means that 'Everything A War' should undoubtedly be one of the best progressive rock releases of 2025... | |
