Author: Rok Klemše
Artist: GHB (Grega Habič Band)
Label: Nostromo Records
Released: 2008
Rating: 4/5
The Slovenian alternative scene is full of surprises and has seriously good music to offer, as long as you switch off the radio or TV, which feeds us garbage anyway, the kind that is more than satisfied with a chord or two, an accordion and a buxom singer, enough for the average Slovenian rube, as Ms. Makarovič likes to call us. Pointless intro, since even Don Quixote fought those windmills in vain… Anyway, thank God there are also people who don’t have a sado-maso relationship with their own ears and can tell the wheat from the chaff. One of those magic beans is definitely Jesenice guitarist Grega Habič, who recently released his debut record, Catharsis.
Grega really couldn’t have picked a better title for his first album. After all, he poured a huge amount of work into it: he played or programmed all the instruments, wrote all the music, and on top of that produced and recorded it himself. The Jesenice native is proof that this Gorenjska town up in the hills breeds nothing but excellent musicians, and you could even say that together with Negligence and Game Over he makes up the holy trinity of Gorenjska rock/metal. Grega is first and foremost a guitarist, and every guitarist or fan of guitar music who spins this record will get their own personal catharsis out of it. Yes, Catharsis really is that good! The album is bursting with countless good, original ideas that show what an excellent and versatile guitarist Grega is, whether he’s venturing into progressive metal, hard rock, jazz, fusion, classical, or any other genre you can think of, he steps in boldly, confidently and without compromise. Instrumental albums can sometimes be hard to listen to, but the forty minutes of Catharsis fly by, because the album is varied and dynamic enough to never get boring. The opener Through the Gates of the Unknown is a nice example of that variety: it starts with an almost classical acoustic guitar, which quickly explodes into insane staccato riffing and slick sweep solos that might at moments remind you of sweep master Jeff Loomis (Nevermore). It’s really great to hear that Grega isn’t just about over-the-top technique, because he often serves up a melodic passage or line that lodges itself in your head right away. In Devil Planted the Seed, Grega cynically mocks the first American piglet, Dubya, while in Alyx he wades into fusion and jazz waters, close to guitarists like Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai or Tony MacAlpine. The foundation is mostly a funky, groovy bass guitar, with keyboard lines adding atmosphere here and there. Grega also builds some superb ambient moods with the guitar, easily blasting us with epic riffs that can be swapped in the next moment for dreamy, mystical lines.
Catharsis is a record that took the best from guitar giants like Petrucci, Vai, Satriani, Hendrix and the like, and added a heaping helping of uniqueness and individuality to the masters’ lessons. With this release Grega Habič has without a doubt vaulted into the cream of the Slovenian guitar crowd, and we can hope he keeps going in this daring, bold style. Sadly, uncritical listeners will most likely overlook Catharsis, but maybe it’s all the nicer that the connoisseurs know how to appreciate releases this good, especially on the Slovenian market! You can listen to Catharsis in full at http://www.myspace.com/gregahabic or at www.gregahabic.com.
Line-up
Grega Habič – guitar, bass guitar, programming
Production
Grega Habič
Tracklist
1. Through the Gates of the Unknown
2. Catharsis
3. Devil Planted the Seed
4. Alyx
5. Io
6. From Point A to Point B
7. Angel
8. Crying Out Loud
9. Say What You Want
10. Sun Over the Clouds
