Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Sebastian Hardie
Label: Import
Release: 2012
Rating: 4/5
Australian symphonic prog rock heroes Sebastian Hardie came back from the dead in 2012, just when nobody expected it, with a new studio album, »Blueprint«. This cult band, known to only a handful of people even among progressive rock fans, reunited in the classic lineup that created two albums highly prized by symphonic prog worshippers in the mid-seventies, »Sebastian Hardie« (1975) and »Windchase« (1976). That means guitarist/vocalist Mario Millo and keyboardist Toivo Pilt buried the hatchet with the Plavsic brothers, bassist Peter and drummer Alex. Back in the late seventies they ended up in a legal fight over the right to use the name Sebastian Hardie, which forced them to go by Windchase for a short while. In the mid-nineties they did have a brief live reunion and put out the live album »Live In LA« (1997), but then it went quiet again from their camp for a very long time, so »Blueprint« is the first album from the cult Aussies in 36 years that contains completely new compositions.
»Blueprint« shows that their songwriting approach hasn’t changed much over all these years, which is definitely good news, because on that front the new album doesn’t disappoint in the least. Sebastian Hardie have ‘updated’ their sound a bit with modern production and the absence of the mellotron, which once played a very important role in their music. They’ve always been loyal students of the British prog pioneers led by Yes, Genesis and Camel, and you can hear it in every single composition on the album. They still swear by atmospherically rich symphonic prog rock with a strong melodic backbone and lavish arrangements, which is instantly accessible and at the same time rhythmically complex enough that you never get bored while listening.
The nostalgic »I Wish« opens with a long instrumental section full of time changes, fiery organ passages and a quality offering of guitar phrases, which immediately conjure up a mysterious and slightly ethereal atmosphere. Millo’s vocals have aged well and kept their recognizable timbre, while his knack for bold guitar improvisation has stayed completely intact.
»Vuja de«, a not-so-witty pun on the term déjà vu, also has some jazz-fusion rhythmic nuances, while the retro sound of Hammond organs paired with slide guitar is a bit reminiscent of classic Santana, another important influence on the Sebastian Hardie sound. Over the last three decades Millo has become better known to Australian audiences as a successful solo musician and film composer, but he’s still a brilliant guitarist, as yet another gorgeous solo in the middle section proves. It’s great to hear that the band members haven’t forgotten how to play their instruments and are still technical and atmospheric heavyweights.
»Art of Life«, an acoustic-leaning cross between a symphonic prog epic and a power ballad, is the first track on the album that sounds a little more ‘modernist’ and even slightly commercial, especially when it comes to the production and the layered vocal melodies, although in every other respect it’s pure ‘old-school’ symphonic prog. Here Sebastian Hardie once again prove that, besides a refined feel for building grand symphonic arrangements and developing virtuosic improvisations, they still have an outstanding ear for melody, so there’s no doubt that if they’d still been on the scene in the eighties, they would surely have gone through a (temporary) transformation into a very interesting AOR band.
»I Remember« is marked by a bluesy guitar phrase, while mighty waves of synthesizer build a majestic atmosphere that wraps around the listener in an instant with its nostalgic energy. The ambitious »Another String…« features some very interesting and complex bass lines, while the high vocal harmonies are a first-rate surprise. The instrumental section is a chapter of its own, with a superb improvisational interplay between guitar and organ. The short closing piece, »Shame«, has melancholic guitar passages and a majestic symphonic backdrop, which in harmonious combination make for a fitting finish to this thoroughly engaging studio effort.
»Blueprint« is modern enough to keep Sebastian Hardie relevant symphonic prog masters in the 21st century, while the band has held on to the eclecticism and sophistication they’ve always been known for, so it’s great to have Sebastian Hardie back on the scene after far too long away. For a band that hasn’t put out a single new composition in more than thirty-five years, around 40 minutes of music is admittedly a little on the short side, but even that proves Sebastian Hardie have stayed ‘old-school fighters’.
Lineup
Mario Millo – guitar, mandolin, vocals
Toivo Pilt – keyboards
Peter Plavsic – bass guitar
Alex Plavsic – drums, percussion
Production
Sebastian Hardie
Track List
1. I Wish
2. Vuja de
3. Art of Life
4. I Remember
5. Another String…
6. Shame
