Matuchniak, Peter: Sessions

I first became familiar with British born musician/songwriter/composer Pete Matuchniak having reviewed the band Evolve IV and their album titled Decadent Light (2007). Then it was on to Gekko Projekt, I really dug the Electric Forest album (2012), his recent bands Kinetic Element and Bomber Goggles (have heard a lot of good things about this one) and his solo albums Uncover Me (2012), Destiny (2014) and his most recent titled Sessions (2020). On his latest platter Matuchniak has put together twenty-one tracks where he has been a featured guest artist on another musician’s album. It is a neat idea and will certainly give you a taste of his consummate guitar work. He has also given these tracks new arrangements, which only serves to make this a proper solo album.

I have to say the guitar work throughout the album is very good which isn’t at all surprising as I have enjoyed Matuchniak’s playing on all his solo efforts and as a guest artist. There are twenty-one tracks and over seventy-seven minutes of music so there is a lot to absorb. There is quite an abundance of variety here as these songs represent the work of a variety of artists, most notably Marco Ragni. A common thread and helping it feel like a completely new body of work is Matuchniak’s fine sense of tone and melody. His playing is vibrant and sonically fluid, helping these songs stick around in one’s head long after the disc has finished playing. Always the mark of an excellent release.

Highlights include the three part “Wandering Caravan� where Matuchniak’s guitar is incredibly varied, aggressive and biting or flowing majestically, the Floydy “Fear� featuring plenty of changes led by fantastic guitar and keyboards, the trippy and atmospheric “Big Heart� (again Pink Floyd comes to mind), the outstanding guitar work in the darker “A Voice In The Dark� and the heavily spaced out album ending “Lions & Pitchfork Martyrs�.

This album confirms Matuchniak as one of prog’s outstanding players, any fan of progressive rock and/or guitar dominated music should give this one a go. Oh, and yes, Pink Floyd fans should love this.

Track Listing:
1. Big Heart (3:41)
2. She Knows (3:20)
3. Carly (3:12)
4. Fear (3:28)
5. Land Of Blue Echoes (3:21)
6. Wandering Caravan I (6:20)
7. Wandering Caravan II (3:53)
8. Wandering Caravan III (7:25)
9. Gentle Bird (3:10)
10. Deep Night (2:20)
11. Stargazer II Sessions (2:47)
12. Nucleus II (4:00)
13. A Voice In The Dark (3:21)
14. The Wind Blows (4:51)
15. Flashlight (3:13)
16. Fifty Years (2:21)
17. Abstract Dreams (2:55)
18. Back Home Again (3:01)
19. Golden Cage (4:18)
20. Exploding In The Air (2:39)
21. Lions & Pitchfork Martyrs (3:50)

Added: February 28th 2021
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 793
Language: english

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