Kisser, Andreas: Hubris I & II

Andreas Kisser is the famed guitarist of the Brazillian metal band Sepultura. Having never had the opportunity to hear his home-based band I was not sure what to expect when his new double CD entitled Hubris I & II arrived in the mail. There is no doubting Kisser is an accomplished guitarist and one can tell the new album was quite an ambitious undertaking. Kisser does not go it alone as he had help from a wide range of musicians and it is clear that great effort went into the making of this release.

The album is divided into two parts with CD I containing more electric sounds and CD II focusing on acoustic elements, although these elements are not mutually exclusive from the other. The music on this release is firmly rooted in metal but takes on various moods as Kisser creates plenty of atmosphere with his guitar playing. This is first and foremost a guitar album upon which all of the other elements are built. Although there are solos, do not expect a lot of guitar pyrotechnics on display as his playing is often restrained, preferring to create different textures with the use of chord structures and plenty of riffs. Bits of progressive metal, heavy metal, Eastern sounds and classical music can be heard. Some of the highlights of the first disc include the grungy metal of "Vurgulandia" where the vocals remind me of Eddie Vetter, which I feel is one of the stronger vocal performances, and the moody metal of "R.H.E.T." with some nice acoustic guitar and a metal riff taking me back to the days of Led Zeppelin. "God's Laugh" pays more homage to Zeppelin with an Eastern tinged melody and very nice guitar playing although the vocals do not do much for me which is, unfortunately, the case for much of the album. The vocals are not bad per se, just not suited to my taste.

The second CD has a stronger focus on acoustic elements with Kisser creating a moodier overall sound. There is some stellar acoustic guitar on display and the music has a more refined approach. This is a mellow listen, filled with gentle acoustic touches and dreamy textures such as the Spanish classical stylings in "Armonia" or the sweet acoustic melody in "Mythos" where there is an undercurrent of darkness scratching at the surface. The music is mostly instrumental which is one reason why I liked the second disc more.

Overall, this is quite a varied release and one that I enjoyed, even if the vocals were not totally to my liking. Kisser is an excellent guitarist and shows he can handle the instrument with power and finesse. This is a strong debut and one that Sepultura fans will probably want to check out.

Track Listing:
CD I
1. Protest!
2. Euphoria/Desperation
3. Eu Humano
4. The Forum
5. Virgulandia
6. God's Laugh
7. R.H.E.T.
8. Em Busca Do Ovro
9. Lava Sky
10. A Million Judas Iscariotes

CD II
1. Sad Soil
2. World's Apart
3. Breast Feeding
4. Page
5. Domenicana
6. Vilvaldi
7. 0120
8. Armonia
9. Hubris
10. Mythos
11. O Mais Querido

Added: November 17th 2009
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 3703
Language: english

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