Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Blind Ego
Label: Inside Out Records
Released: 2007
Rating: 4/5
Blind Ego is a side project from RPWL guitarist Kalle Wallner, and it has everything it needs to become a kind of new progressive supergroup, since it’s made up of some seriously big names in today’s (neo) progressive rock. Besides Kalle, the album features John Mitchell (Arena, It Bites, Kino, The Urbane, John Wetton, ex-Frost*) on vocals, John Jowitt (IQ, Jadis, ex-Arena) on bass, Tommy Eberhardt (Legazy, Beatfreaks) on drums, and a big comeback: the unforgettable singer Paul Wrightson (ex-Arena), who we’ve missed for years and wondered what became of his career after he left Arena and after their magnum opus “The Visitor” (1998). I somehow managed to dig up what happened: one of the best prog rock singers of the 90s (someone whose vocal approach meant for that decade what Peter Gabriel did in the 70s and Fish in the 80s) worked with two renowned keyboardists, Oliver Wakeman and Clive Nolan (the latter shows up here as a backing vocalist), on the album “The Hound Of Baskervilles”, and then sank into complete obscurity, wasting his talent (I’d rather not have found this out) as the singer of a Deep Purple tribute band! Paul is back in excellent form, even though he only sings half of the tracks, because he and his former bandmate John Mitchell, who this time only serves as a vocalist, have clearly (and successfully) divided up the vocal duties.
So what can a fan of the bands listed above expect from such an ambitious project? Pure professionalism and more than enough well-conceived, intelligently structured and deeply expressive (neo) progressive rock, ranging from space rock waves to rhythms sharpened up with prog metal edge. The end result is more than thrilling. Throughout the album you can clearly feel the influence of all the bands these musicians have worked with over their careers, above all Kalle’s home band RPWL. You hear it especially in his spacey guitar solos in the best tradition of David Gilmour (Pink Floyd), which he doesn’t hold back on this time either. On the other hand, Wrightson’s vocal contribution and the structure of the songs he sings on make sure there are plenty of elements typical of Arena here too. According to Kalle, “Mirror” is a deeply personal album, with lyrical themes that often revolve around unrequited love and life’s disappointments.
“Obsession” is one of the heaviest pieces on the album with its uncompromising approach. John’s versatile vocals, which always carry a bit of pop charm, are full of emotion and prove that he has made a noticeable step forward as a singer, which will also please all the It Bites fans. On “Moon And Sun” Paul Wrightson’s unmistakable, mysterious and mighty voice makes its first appearance on the album, backed by a groovy rhythm line and plenty of interesting guitar effects. The best parts only come later, though. The subtle ballad “Black Despair” starts with a calm, acoustic intro and then, in the second half, tips over into a great showcase of Kalle’s solos, as subtle as ever. The biggest contrast to the familiar RPWL sound comes from the excellent instrumentals “Open Sore” and “Moorland”, as well as the multilayered “Break You”, where the band’s heavy and subtle sides come together very successfully. RPWL’s musical fingerprint shines through a bit more strongly again on the short but ominous instrumental “Hollowed”, which is slightly reminiscent of a part of the Pink Floyd classic “Welcome To The Machine”. The title track “Mirror”, on the other hand, will thrill every Arena fan, since of everything on the album it’s closest to what they were doing in the “The Visitor” era, and Kalle’s guitar work here is astonishingly similar to Mitchell’s. The excellent “Don’t Ask Me Why” is sung with incredibly passionate vocals, full of unspeakable pathos, which is the most Peter Gabriel-like moment on the album and marks Mitchell’s vocal peak here. The closing “weeping” guitar solo is simply finger-licking good. The majestic epic “Forbidden to Remain” could easily be an Arena song, as it’s packed with recognizable elements typical of that band. Maybe even the highlight of the album. Still, the excellent bonus track “Artist Manque” shouldn’t be overlooked either, with a structure that’s a bit like a mix of Yes and Saga (especially thanks to the guitar riffs). It’s basically a newly arranged version of a song Kalle wrote back for his first band Violent District, which RPWL later grew out of. That was when he decided to become a professional musician, which (as I’m increasingly finding, especially after this release) turned out to be a very wise decision.
“Mirror” is without a doubt one of the prog highlights of the year, a great project that carries tremendous potential and leaves the door open for a creative future. We’ll also find out soon enough whether it’s just the debut of a new band for which, in a lineup like this one, nothing is really impossible. Kalle clearly understands that artfully constructed compositions are the most important element in making good prog rock, and he also knew exactly how to make the most of the talents of all these exceptional musicians. “Mirror” is stuffed with a string of excellent pieces that reflect both professionalism and boundless musical talent, the two main reasons it will thrill all fans of modern progressive rock.
Lineup
Kalle Wallner – guitar (RPWL)
Tommy Eberhardt – drums (Legazy, Beatfreaks)
John Jowitt – bass (IQ, Jadis, ex-Arena)
John Mitchell – vocals (It Bites, Kino, The Urbane, Arena, ex-Frost*)
Paul Wrightson – vocals (ex-Arena)
GUEST MUSICIANS:
Yogi Lang – keyboards, sound design (RPWL)
Clive Nolan – backing vocals (Pendragon, Arena, ex-Shadowland)
Mischa Schleypen – backing vocals
Stefan Obermaier – additional sound design
Production
Yogi Lang
Tracklist
1. Obsession (4:25)
2. Moon and Sun (5:09)
3. Break You (6:19)
4. Black Despair (6:48)
5. Open Sore (3:16)
6. Hollowed (1:27)
7. Mirror (4:26)
8. Don’t ask me why (8:12)
9. Moorland (4:14)
10. Forbidden to remain (10:02)
12. Artist Manqué (6:43)
Album length:61:07
