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This
just may be the most aptly named record ever. Kopecky is a progressive
power trio out of Wisconsin that consists of three very talented brothers,
Joe (guitar), William (bass), and Paul (drums). But it's not the kinship
that makes "Blood" the perfect title for this disc, it's the
massacre of sound that these siblings concoct that bleeds profusely from
every track.
To call this simply a progressive rock album is doing it a grave injustice.
This is a disc brimming with avant-garde jazz, funk, and hard rock influence
along with being an expressive progressive rock record. Songs like "Moontown"
and "The Red Path" lean heavily toward the hard rock/metal genre
with power chords and riffage that would pair nicely with most anything
in the genre. And then there is something like "Windows," which
is a more streamlined, stereotypical progressive rock journey. I must
also add here that I was going to attempt to describe the set closer,
"Opium," but there really is no way to do it. Let's just say
that I hope there is no random drug test at work, because this would get
me fired. This song is a trip. It's a hard one to grasp entirely, but
I think the physical absorption of the title had to have played a part
in the outcome of this one.
In all of these songs you will find amazing feats of instrumental acrobatics
from these talented brothers. Joe Kopecky shows an amazing feel for "the
song" here. Playing simple chords when the song calls for them and
letting loose with complex fret board work only if it is beneficial to
the ebb and flow of the moment's cadence. And of course, William Kopecky
is the backbone of the entire sound here. One of the best bass players
in the world, this brother is an absolute master of his instrument. Plucking
the high notes and bottoming out with devastating accuracy, there is no
better player in the progressive genre. This is all combined with his
lightning fast fret work and rich overall feel. Paul Kopecky is a drummer
that makes everybody around him sound better. On "Blood" he
lays down rhythms that dance with brother William's bass and compliment
Joe's guitar perfectly. While he is enriching the overall sound, he can
be found playing rumbling fills and intricate cymbal patterns as a "cherry
on top." As if all of this wasn't enough, the boys got Grammy winner
Trevor Sadler to master the disc, and former Jungle Rot bassist Chris
Djuricic to engineer. Beautiful work, men
. bloody beautiful.
www.kopecky.8m.com
www.myspace.com/kopeckymusic
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