Blind Ego: Liquid Live

German progressive rock band Blind Ego was formed in the mid-2000s by RPWL’s guitarist Kalle Wallner. I reviewed their 2007 debut titled Mirror but missed their second album Numb released in 2009. Seven years later I reacquainted myself with the band and their excellent album Liquid. The band is back much quicker this time with a new live disc appropriately titled Liquid Live. This particular concert was recorded at the ‘Night Of The Prog Festival’ in Loreley, Germany on July 14, 2017.

On the Liquid release the vocal duties were handled by three different vocalists; Arno Menses, Erik Ez Blomkvist and Aaron Rogers. On Liquid Live Wallner (guitars) and Sylvan’s Sebastian Harnack (bass) are joined by newest members Scott Balaban (vocals), Julian Kellner (guitars) and Michael Christoph (drums). Balaban certainly brings something new to the table as his vocals are quite different than his predecessors. His range is in the lower end giving these tunes a slightly different vibe.

It stands to reason the concert is focused on their last studio album, the aforementioned Liquid, featuring seven tracks beginning with the concert opener “A Place In The Sun�. Moody guitar and effects set an ambient mood, slowly building with Floyd-like guitar before staccato drum rhythms erupt along with heavy riffs and a rocking guitar solo. At times the riffs are quite doomy and the band does a nice job mixing up the heaviness with atmospheric bits, especially the guitar work from Wallner and Kellner. The guitar slowly constructs the song’s framework with a slow build, a little bit of that Pink Floyd moodiness can certainly be detected. The mellower verse is inundated with heavy guitar and drums keeping the listener’s interest level high. The doomy elements in some of the riffs is something I didn’t expect but works nonetheless. “Obsession� is next, taken from the Mirror album, and is another heavy track with excellent guitars and vocals. A wonderful chord progression highlights the sometimes heavy/sometimes mellow “Not Going Away�. Again, the guitar work is excellent. This is followed by the soaring “Don’t Ask Me Why�, the guitar solo is moody, fast, catchy and best of all played with feeling. “Never Escape The Storm� is another highlight with its soaring notes invoking images of Floyd. The slower atmospherics lead to a jaw dropping solo filled with shred having a definite WOW factor. There are no bad tracks here as the next five tunes are just as good.

If you choose to get the digipack version it contains the DVD Live at Logo Hamburg as well as the Loreley CD. If the Hamburg concert is anywhere near as good it would make an excellent two disc package. Regardless, this disc comes highly recommended.

A Gentle Art Of Music release.

Track Listing:
1. A Place In The Sun
2. Obsession
3. Not Going Away
4. Don’t Ask Me Why
5. Never Escape The Storm
6. Death
7. Hear My Voice Out There
8. Speak The Truth
9. Blackened
10. Tears And Laughter

Added: May 5th 2018
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Band's Official Site
Hits: 1206
Language: english

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