Author: Peter Podbrežnik
Artist: Sebastian Hardie
Label: Musea
Release date: 01.01.1976
Length: 36:57
Rating: 4/5
»Windchase« was the second, and for a long time the last, studio album from Australian symphonic prog rock enthusiasts Sebastian Hardie, who first made people sit up and take notice with their excellent debut »Four Moments« (1975). In the mid-seventies Sebastian Hardie were the big, rather lonely hope of Australia’s obscure prog scene. After the positive response from home audiences and music journalists to that debut, it looked like a bright future was waiting for them. Sadly, those rosy prospects soon fizzled out, but not before the band managed to pull off one more brilliant studio effort, almost on par with the cult debut. Most of the credit for putting »Windchase« among the better achievements in the story of seventies symphonic prog goes to singer/guitar virtuoso Mario Millo and versatile keyboardist Toivo Pilt, the band’s main songwriters, while the rhythm section of the Plavsic brothers, Peter (bass) and Alex (drums), provided superb backing with loads of jazz-leaning rhythmic variations.
Thanks in part to the Plavsic brothers, the jazz elements bloomed a bit more on »Windchase« than on the debut, although Sebastian Hardie kept on making melodic symphonic prog rock with pompous arrangements and melodramatic lyrical messages. Of all the famous names on the British prog scene, Camel probably influenced their songwriting approach the most, since you can spot plenty of similarities in individual sections and arrangements. This band never lacked ambition, which they prove with the 20-minute opening epic »Windchase«, which in places recalls some epics by far more famous prog rock heavyweights. The pompous, almost ceremonial opening section will go down well with all fans of Camel and Santana, especially Millo’s sprawling, complex approach to guitar playing, where blues and jazz influences mingle.
His virtuoso guitar passages are accompanied by lavish symphonic curtains and perfectly timed drum fills. By laying down mighty Mellotron curtains, Pilt effortlessly conjures up a romantic atmosphere, while Millo is just as much at home on acoustic guitar as on electric. This is followed by a melodic section where Mario, especially during the chorus, shows off his undeniable vocal talents. There are fewer vocals on »Windchase« than on the debut, but in those rare moments he did the job well. His voice has always sounded a bit like John Wetton’s (Asia, ex-King Crimson).
The four shorter tracks rounding out the album are no slouches either, even if the title epic really is a quality, atmospheric chapter of its own, on a level with some of the best creations of the British and European prog rock scene of the seventies. The ethereal instrumental »At The End« is marked by Mellotron richness and jazzy bass lines, while Millo delights with subtle steel guitar passages, and together it all conjures up a distinctly nostalgic mood. »Life, Love And Music«, which also came out as a single, swears by thick bass lines and a prominent melodic guitar phrase, while an orchestrally spiced synth layer nicely supports and steers Mario’s subtle singing.
The fast-paced instrumental »Hello Phimistar« is an interesting, rhythmically fairly complex hybrid of jazz rock fusion and symphonic prog, and it’s quite reminiscent of the style Millo and Pilt would push even further on their next studio project, »Symphinity«. The orchestral instrumental »Peaceful« is marked by sacred-sounding organ arrangements that quickly melt into gorgeous symphonic waves of piano and Mellotron, once again recalling Camel’s golden era, while Mario once more delights with his guitar versatility, especially when forging subtle, nostalgic-sounding passages.
»Windchase« is still a great pick for anyone who loves a melodic take on symphonic prog rock, and it’s an important milestone for the Australian prog scene too, even though Sebastian Hardie didn’t even try to hide the strong influence of related but far better-known British bands. In 1976 Sebastian Hardie enjoyed the last big peak of their career, when they supported Santana on the Australian leg of their tour. In 1977, after a rather bizarre court ruling, Millo and Pilt lost the right to use the name Sebastian Hardie, so with a new rhythm section they put out their third studio project under the new name Windchase. »Symphinity«, the only album from the short, one-year Windchase era, went an even deeper step into jazz rock fusion, while still holding on to some recognizable symphonic Sebastian Hardie elements. Then almost two decades had to pass before anyone heard anything about Sebastian Hardie again; these days they’re back on stage in the original lineup and even released a new studio album in 2011, titled »Blueprint«.
Line-up
Mario Millo – vocals, guitar
Toivo Pilt – keyboards, Mellotron
Peter Plavsic – bass
Alex Plavsic – drums, percussion
Production
Sebastian Hardie
Track list
1. Windchase (20:37)
2. At the End (4:04)
3. Life, Love and Music (4:23)
4. Hello Phimistar (3:41)
5. Peaceful (4:10)
