Bieler, Jason & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra: Postcards From The Asylum

The job of a reviewer is pretty much to describe the indescribable - sound. In the case of the second album, Postcards From The Asylum, from Jason Bieler & The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra, it’s as though the main man behind this madness - Saigon Kick frontman Jason Bieler - has basically upped the ante and screamed at anyone trying to pigeon hole this album, “Go on then, I dare you!�.

Formed at the tail end of the melodic rock/sleaze era Saigon Kick were much more a classy shimmer of hard rock than they were lipstick and hairspray, and yet anyone who wasn’t photographed at aged 3 wearing plaid shirts and staring at their shoes back then, was now lumped in with that scene, and so it was for Saigon Kick. If any of that is your expectation here, look away. In fact run for them thar hills screaming until your lungs are fit to burst. Don’t get me wrong, Postcards From The Asylum has choruses to die for, hooks a plenty and ravaging rifferama. But then it also has some low slung grunge gouging, time signatures that in places spin you round and round and then ask you to run at full speed, and a simple, couldn’t give a damn attitude about what your expectations might be. I won’t lie, I missed album number one from this tongue twistingly named outfit and on initial listens effort number two left me outside, in the cold, wearing just my under-crackers as a warm inviting party raged inside. Subsequent listens haven’t just opened that door a crack, they’ve unravelled a whole world of possibilities that initially never seemed credible. Yes, this album is grand, bombastic, verging on a bit silly and over the top, but if it isn’t also majestic, exciting, daring and hugely rewarding, then I don’t know what is. At times it’s like listening to Haken jamming with Alice In Chains and yet as certain points rush past so everything from Spock’s Beard to Lillian Axe, and Days of the New to Guns N bloody-well Roses can be brought into focus. If any of those touching points turns you off, then simply ignore it, these are flavours, snippets in the wind, mere passing whispers within a sound that’s progressive grunge hard rock and much more besides. It should be utterly befuddling but ultimately this album has persuaded me that I simply can’t get enough of it.

If “Bombay� is a big angular riffing smack of anger, then “Mexico� is a simply sublime float of grandiose atmosphere that swirls you away on its very whim. “Sic Riff� adds a dusting of industrial metal to the mix, grinding, uncompromising and yet still hurling you along with its train of thought, while “Beneath The Waves� crashes against the shore awash with layered vocals and melodies to die for. “Sweet Eliza� adds a chorus that reminds of that other most misunderstood band of the ‘hair’ era, Lillian Axe (a massive plus point), but then “Feels Just Like Love� asked Shinedown to make a progressive metal track and was amazed by the results.

And so it goes, Postcards From The Asylum crammed with twists and turns that appear to be unexpected folly but then quickly turn into the absolutely correct decision each and every time. Oh, and I haven’t even mentioned that along the way Marco Minnemann, Ricky Sanders (both drums), Todd�Dammit� Kearns (bass) and Ryo Okumoto (keys), and many more, simply hurl their talents at this album to ensure every track lands with authority and skill beyond reproach.

Postcards From The Asylum is one of 2023’s most surprising albums, it’s also one of its best.

Track Listing
1. Bombay
2. Numb
3. Heathens
4. Mexico
5. Birds Of Prey
6. Flying Monkeys
7. Sic Riff
8. The Depths
9. Beneath The Waves
10. Sweet Eliza
11. 9981 Darkness
12. Feels Just Like Love
13. Bear Sedatives
14. Deep Blue
15. Human Head

Added: September 8th 2023
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Jason Bieler @ bandcamp
Hits: 699
Language: english

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