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In 2001 Artifacts Of Passion reached # 66 on the Global
Progressive Rock Network top 100. |
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Eclectic Earwig Reviews, July 2001 |
Well, this goes to show you that you simply can't have any formula
for a masterpiece. With more than a decade for compositions to ferment, be
recorded, etc., one would expect the long-awaited follow-up to early ‘80's
American prog masterpiece Splitting Ions In The Ether to be a masterpiece of
epic proportions. It's not, but on the other hand, it's barely a step below
Splitting. Not flawless, unlike I expected, but still a release few bands could
equal.
Most of the album's compositions come from the time of the
group's first album, and several actually appeared on it. The biggest
difference in the two albums seem to come from the fact that, unlike its
predecessor, Artifacts Of Passion is a studio release. As such, Artifacts seems
to lack a tad in, uhh, passion, compared with the groups incredible live sound.
However, I'll stop the comparisons here and evaluate the album on its own
merits.
St. Elmo's instrumental attack is still undeniably powerful.
The album opens with a blast of Shofar (a Hebrew wind instrument made from a
goat's horn), but disappears momentarily into a floating dream, suddenly
punctuated by acoustic guitar chords and gentle drumming, and finally, a
majestic, mysterious mellotron theme. The tron continues, sounding more
Middle-Eastern, as drums, bass, and guitar propel it to higher planes, where
another Moog-like keyboard instrument and eerie chanting take over. Pretty
incredible stuff. One definite plus to this album is the abundance of exotic
sounds, both in instruments (shofar, violin, bagpipes, even banjo) and thematic
content. If the idea of such music paired with a ferocious King Crimson-like
attack appeals to you, you'll eat this album up.
Other highlights
include the sudden key changes of the driving "North-West Territory", the
visceral, menacing "Contortions Of The Balrog", the otherworldly Eastern/Celtic
(odd combination, eh?) sounds of "Esmerelda", the dark and intense vocal piece
"The Nemo Syndrome", the epic "Abduction Of The Adolescents" and the thundering
bagpipes of "Lake Effect". Actually, now the only tracks I haven't mentioned
are "Erin And The Green Man" and "Dog Eared Page", which are decent
compositions but rather reminiscent of better moments on the album. Actually,
these are the only two truly new compositions (I made this discovery after
deciding my opinion on them).
A very great album, no doubt, but still
perhaps slightly short of the consummate masterpiece mark. Depending on your
tastes, this could be even greater to you. Most prog fans should check it out.
- Jon Dharma Murphree |
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Aural Innovations , Issue # 17 |
St. Elmo's Fire were a Cleveland, Ohio based band that existed for
barely a year and a half from 1979-1981. The band released one album, "Live At
The Cleveland Agora", and in 1998 band member Paul Kollar reissued that LP on
CD with bonus tracks (see AI #5).Kollar has worked hard in recent years to
assemble the band to record a new CD and has succeeded despite everyone being
geographically dispersed. Four of the original quintet are present including
Erich Feldman on acoustic & electric guitars and effects, Mark Helm on
drums, Paul Kollar on bass guitar, bass pedals, Cittern, 6&12 string
guitars, Mellotron, organ, and percussion, and Elliot Weintraub on acoustic and
electric guitars, Shofar, and effects. Fifth member Stephen John Stavnicky
isn't listed as a player but is listed in the song writing credits on two
tracks. Also part of the lineup are newcomers Miner Gleason on violin and
Philip Wylie on tabla, djembe, and a host of other percussion, plus numerous
guests.
There's quite a bit of stylistic diversity on Artifacts Of
Passion, some of which ranks among the best progressive rock I've heard this
year. The set opens with an extended intro piece called "The Dead Sea Scrolls".
The band kicks in with strumming acoustic guitar, a very cool jamming bassline,
a simple but GORGEOUS mellotron melody that leads the way, and I also hear
barely audible intermittent bubbly synth embellishments. The music has a
symphonic flavor but the Eastern influences inject a psychedelic air to the
proceedings. Call-to-prayer chanting colors the atmosphere making this an
opener that grabbed and held my attention.
"North-West Territory" is
next, but a bit of a letdown being a basic prog rock instrumental with catchy
melodies from the guitar and violin. It reminds me of something off of David
Ragsdale's solo CD. The music is well done but didn't excite me like the more
adventurous stuff these guys are capable of. But I needn't have worried because
St. Elmo rekindles the fires on the next track, "Contortions Of The Balrog". I
love the intro with the high-pitched Frippiod licks that sail from left to
right channel and back again. The second guitar and bass play patterns that
slowly build a tension, and indeed the band soon launch into a King Crimson
styled heavy rocker. I had to fasten my seatbelt because the band was
continually shifting the pace, kicking out thudding metallic chords, then
making 90 degree turns-on-a-dime with guitars, bass, and drums all dueling
madly and keeping the intensity level HIGH! There are embellishments throughout
that I couldn't even begin to describe. But just as the garnishment on the
plate makes the meal so much better, so do all the extra instrumental details
color the music here. An excellent track.
"Esmerelda" takes a
completely different turn, being a trip down to the market in Istanbul or some
such place. Eastern strings and percussion play at a fiery pace and I could
just imagine a group of belly dancers frolicking like wild dervishes. "The Nemo
Syndrome" includes similar patterns as those heard on "Contortions", but is
still a completely different song. The band alternates between quieter passages
in which the main song verses are sung, and blazing intricately structured and
heavy rocking jams. And just when I'm recovering from that, "Erin & The
Green Man" once again veers into left field, sounding like an Irish pub
tune.
But for "The Abduction Of The Adolescents" the Elmo's draw once
again on their King Crimson influences, the early part of the track sounding
much like that bands Discipline-era. The musicians blaze through complicated,
high octane structures that will make fans of heavy instrumental progressive
rock drool. But soon the pace eases and we find ourselves back in early 70's
Crimson territory, though some of the guitar parts are decidedly un-Crimson,
giving the music more of an identity that St. Elmo's Fire can claim as their
own. Ten minutes of intense progressive rock and another very strong track.
"Lake Effect" is a majestic symphonic track, embellished very nicely by a
bagpipe melody. And "Dog Eared Page" is the closing track, a good fun tune in
which banjo and mellotron coexist comfortably to create a bouncy blend of Cajun
music and progressive rock. Definitely something different.
In summary,
Artifacts Of Passion could be criticized for being a bit uneven, bouncing
between styles that are too radically different to be coherent as a whole. But
when these guys get cooking... they're a true mind blower. Too bad they're so
far from one another as I could easily see them making a serious buzz on the
prog festival circuit. So if you liked the first St. Elmo's Fire release, then
you should run quickly to check out this one. - Jerry Kranitz |
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Expose', Issue #22 |
How often is it that a band that has been on hiatus for almost 20
years can come back and make an album that is as good as (or in this case
perhaps even better than) what they did in their original incarnation? This
Iowa based six-piece has done exactly that. Of course I suppose that it didn't
hurt that some of the tunes presented here were in various stages of
development when the band released their original album Live at The Cleveland
Agora in 1980 (in fact live versions of a couple of the tracks here appear on
the reissue Splitting Ions in The Ether reviewed in #17). With only two vocal
tracks among nine and vocals handled exclusively by guests, it's pretty safe to
say they are an instrumental band; featuring two guitarists, bass (doubling on
keys/mellotron), drums, violin, and a dedicated percussionist, they add guests
on additional keys, guitars, bagpipes and banjo. Influences abound, but none
are transparent. Perhaps the opener "Dead Sea Scrolls" is reminiscent of Steve
Hackett's "The Steppes" due to the slow pace and use of bass pedals, but other
tunes only occasionally hint of KC, Dregs, and others, and place those
influences in a very original context. More importantly, recently written
material like "Esmeralda", "Dog Eared Page" and "Erin & The Green Man" have
a stronger folk/Celtic influence, and show great promise for future endeavors.
In all, this is an outstanding release and a welcome return for St.Elmo's Fire.
My highest recommendation. - Peter Thelen |
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Progression, Issue #38 |
Style: Progressive rock Sound: *** Composition: ** 1/2
Musicianship: *** 1/2 Performance: *** 1/2
Total rating: 12 1/2
Some of
the tracks on this wide-ranging album have origins in the I970s and ‘8Os.
when St. Elmo's Fire was a hot young progrock upstart from Ohio. On Artifacts
Of Passion, the band weaves through multiple styles and textures, from Middle
Eastern vibes ("The Dead Sea Scrolls") to a heavy King Crimson-flavored workout
("Contortions of the Balrog") through a jaunty Celtic piece ("Erin & the
Green Man"). Beyond that, St. Elmo's Fire puts its own stamp on things, via the
surging, dissonant impressionism of the 11-minute "The Abduction of the
Adolescents" and the melodically cinematic "Lake Effect," featuring a
transcendent faux-bagpipe line. Probably my favorite track of all is
"North-West Territory," a glorious rocker that takes melodic flight on guitar
and violin. Most of this material is instrumental, lovingly fashioned by St.
Elmo's main man, bassist/guitarist/keyboardist Paul Kollar. This is mature,
honest music that deserves a listen. — John Collinge |
Prog-Net www.prog.net
Reviewed By: Peter Pardo
Rating:* * * * |
This second release from St. Elmo s Fire is chock full of
re-recorded archival and new material from the band for our extreme enjoyment.
Those who did not get a chance to hear their first release, Splitting Ions in
the Ether, should really check this CD out and find a way to seek out that
album as well. The band really has a unique sound, and while you can hear bits
of King Crimson and maybe the Dixie Dregs at times, they have a style all their
own. The opening track, "The Dead Sea Scrolls" is a dark ominous piece,
highlighted by intense, brooding Mellotron. "North-West Territory" is a more
fusion flavored romp with some great guitar and electric violin jams. In
addition, the melody line is very upbeat and catchy. "Contortions of the
Balrog" will be familiar to owners of the bands first CD, and here we have a
recently recorded studio version. Again the words dark and ominous come to
mind, similar to the feel we all had listening to King Crimson's Red, Larks
Tongues in Aspic, or Starless and Bible Black. Loud, pounding bass lines are
interjected with jagged, distorted guitar tones to an extremely angry and
menacing effect. A true prog classic! "Esmerelda" is a new song, containing a
very Middle Eastern flavor, with dueling acoustic guitars, violins, and
percussion. A return to more brooding territory comes with "The Nemo Syndrome",
and also the lone track with vocals. Fans of The Gathering might like this one,
as the female vocals on this song have a similar feel to Anneke from that band.
This song is fairly epic sounding, and at just under nine minutes long is
pretty complex with lots of interesting instrumental breaks, especially with
the guitars. Another acoustic track follows, called "Erin & The Green Man",
that has a very Dixie Dregs feel to it with intertwining acoustic guitars and
violin. The band also includes a studio version of the wild "The Abduction of
the Adolescents", which is basically a rampaging improvisisation, much like
Crimson s live material from the Red era. Mid-way during this song there is a
very chilling and creepy atmospheric break, utilizing keyboards and volume
swells on the guitar, that really works and sets a great mood. Volume swells
and pan effects also start off the intriguing "Lake Effects", which turns into
an uplifting rocker featuring bagpipes (a different sort of prog
instrument!)and Mellotron. The last track is another acoustic piece called "Dog
Eared Page", and has a very Led Zeppelin feel to it, until the ominous
Mellotron comes charging in, and gives the tune a overwhelming feeling of
dread. A great way to end a very satisfying CD. For info on St. EImo's Fire,
contact Sprawling Productions through their website at
www.sprawlingproductions.com |
Sea of Tranquility, Issue #7 |
St. Elmo's Fire has one of the least prolific recording careers in
prog history: in a career that spans four decades, they ve only recorded two
albums. But oh, what albums they are. The live album Splitting Ions in the
Ether was a time capsule, showing the band's amazing presence and cohesion (I
was three-quarters of the way through it before I realized that it was a live
album — that's how good the performance was). Now, finally, a new disc
from the Elmo camp is in our hands, and by all rights it should garner the
attention of the entire progressive community. Several of the tracks are
reincarnations of old Elmo tunes — "Contortions of the Balrog" sounds
great here, as does the Mellotron-drenched "The Dead Sea Scrolls." "The Nemo
Syndrome" is the one of the few tracks with vocals, and it might be my favorite
song on the album, It's an invigorating story-song rich in lyrical imagery and
musical risk-taking. "North-West Territory" starts out sounding just a bit
pedestrian, but quickly evolves into a very exciting up-tempo piece. By the
time the violins fully kick in around 2:28, the tune had completely won me
over. Some of the tunes veer into improv-jam territory, while others remained
strictly structured. What coats the whole experience is a delicious layer of
vintage prog sound, thanks to main man Paul Kollar's collection of Mellotron's,
vintage keyboards, and looped sounds. St. Elmo's Fire was one of the great
overlooked prog bands of the 1970's. If you have any interest at all in the
classic prog sound in all its glory, be sure to check out Artifacts of Passion,
as well as their previous disc, the wonderful Splitting Ions in the Ether
— James Bickers |
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