Cales
is the epic side project of Root guitar player Peter ‘Blackie’ Hosek.
He started with Cales in 1997 and the debut ‘Bonds of
togetherness’ was released that year, consecrated to Celtic mythology and
druids. I’ve often experienced that people with that kind of interest put
more depth into their creations, both musically and lyrically. The
result of this second journey ‘The pass in time’ is an adventurous trip
with many faces. Our fantasy
world is stimulated by listening to it so that I can understand that Blackie
himself doesn’t prefer to tell some detailed stories and explanations
about his work; just listen to it and create your own visions in the
meantime ! He also didn’t want to give some group references Cales can be
compared to; fans and press will do in his place. Yes, that’s inevitable.
Because of the presence of many singers we as dutch people think
about the projects of Arjen Lucassen and his Ayreon, but because of the
different moods in 1 song the music has also an obvious Opeth character.
Above all, let me be clear : this product is as good and fantastic as every
Anglo-American production we ever heard of. The
multilateral person of Peter shines from the depth of his song-writing,
feeling at ease in a ‘civil’ environment as a town called Brno as well
as the green nature that surrounds it (a feeling every fellow-townsman will
recognize). The food for thought and growing of the spirit can be found only
in the purity of nature and some contemplative thoughts. As
for the voices he got some help from DeSed (Dark Gamballe), Skuny (Sad
Harmony) and Zuzka (Silent Stream of Godless Elegy).
After the recordings in Shaark Studio all was mastered in Magicminds
Studios (Hannover) with Jan Nemec (Celtic Frost, Running Wild). Breathing
nature flows into melodic guitar playing.
‘Wandering phantom’ has some folky influences, harmony singing as
a rough sketch, against a smooth black background. The guitar leads us to a steady destination, making clear
that this song has been made by a guitarist.
There’s plural vocal input with many nuances : sometimes sounding
clean and sometimes roaring eruptions. ‘Pagan
nostalgia’ is the subtitle from the third song ‘Along paths of
return’. A dreamy mood is created. Open
notes accompany some sacral voices. Rather
rough sounding, this song takes possession of you the more you listen to it.
Bright guitar waves, slightly escorted by flute and synths are the
base of the mysterious sounding ‘From the bosom to oblivion’. In this
part I hear some early Anathema influences, as we speak from melancholy with
incidental outbursts. Keyboards
dominate the beginning of ‘Faces in the wall’ where DeSed did some
singing. A dark voice, a guitar
invasion, energy is collected and the song rises to unknown heights by
pressured song- and guitar technical virtuosity. The guitar wins at last and takes the triumph in a very nice
solo. By the way, I like this
kind of constipated singing, somewhat like Graham Bonnet did in former
times. Speaking about the
glorious role of the guitar, it’s a summit we can enjoy a lot during this
song and the whole CD. And
the feast continues, with the majestic ‘Sacrifice to fire’, humbly born
in nature with whistling birds, a clattering brook and acoustic guitar.
This plucking gets some strength by swelling keyboards.
This song takes you on a journey to the woods and offers you at last
to the power of the fire. The
remarkable voice of Zuzka has an adjured influence, but my preference goes
to the vocal sensitivity in the second part of this long track.
After six minutes the atmosphere suddenly changes, and it seems as if
I hear the voice of Dan Swanö (the voice he uses on his CD’s with
Nightingale) against a strongly created wall of musical support.
The most innovative chorus of it all is the repeat of the part
‘Depths of night’ with dignified rhythms in the direction of the wind
blowing strongly. A pure
melodic guitar solo comes, everybody will love this !
The horsemen ride away from the smouldering fire into the black
night, the traces of their gathering are just transformed in some ashes. But
here they come again, riding up the hillside, like ghosts on the endless
horizon, slightly unsure and careful entering the new world, in the solemn
opus ‘Burn my blood’ Red
drops are falling through cosmos ! With
‘The last winter dance’ we are stranded in the last season of the
mythological creation, the season when retrospective thoughts precede the
coming farewell. It’s a calm
and beautiful track with
melancholy as a central healing, through all battles of life.
But also here the little ornaments are an experience at themselves,
so many moods and changes become one melting-pot of Celtic emotional art. After
the instrumental ‘The rebirth’ follows the settler ‘On the way’
lyrically based on life and tribal essence and we all see a ball of fire
splitting the dark hazes of the universe. (to explain myself a little more
earthy : this is a campsite song with acoustic guitar and storytelling
voice, all freaks join’ in singing as one).
This should be a hit in Celtic clubs !!!
Reviewed by: Vera "Gothica" |
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