Rockenfield/Speer "Hells Canyon"
Terry Tucker | England | 11/05/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"On this album you have the duo of Scott Rockenfield and Paul Speer, this being the follow up to their Grammy nominated video album/CD "Televoid". Scott, a founding member of Queensryche, had made a foray into the world of CD - ROM adventure games with "Promised Land" while Paul has collected two Emmy awards for music videos as well as being producer/engineer on more than 90 albums. As an artist he has nine albums to his credit and five music video albums, two of which have reached multi-platinum status. This latest album is the story in music of the deepest gorge in North America and the river that runs through it with each piece of music portraying a certain event, be it raging rapids ("Red Torrent") or long forgotten voices still heard echoing through the canyon walls ("Chant Of The Fathers"). Are they a greeting or a warning? Well it's as if some native American medicine man has stepped out of a vision pit and cast his spell upon these tracks because the visions conjured up by this music are as grand as the "Hells Canyon" of the title. This music just grows and grows till it gets under your skin. Sometimes there's a hint of Tangerine Dream especially on "Coyote" other times a Bjorn Lynne sound surfaces on the rather splendid final track "Carved In Stone". You also get a hint of Daniel Lanois magic on "Buffalo Eddy" and "China's Last Stand" with its shimmering guitar work. The way this music hits you with its imagery is spell binding. All the tracks portray the titles and the concept to perfection. It's as if the guitar portrays the river as it snakes its way through the canyon telling its story steeped in history. The ambient beat gives the impression of high and at times sheer canyon walls with finally the keys, synths and splendid choral effects portraying the sky and atmosphere of this ancient land. The beat on "Seven Devils" and the aforementioned "Chant Of The Fathers" is stonking to say the least with some sterling guitar work. This whole concept could have been spoiled by over use of the ambient percussion but not here, it's there keeping everything together. You can almost feel and taste the heat of the American country as the river snakes it's way through the canyon. Yes guys you've got something special here. A major album of 2000. 94%"
Trust your instincts and get this one. I'm glad I did!
Joseph Lopez | Sydney, NSW Australia | 12/08/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"In a nutshell "Hells Canyon" is one of those CD's that you'll enjoy the moment you hit the play button. The thunderously stormy opening of the link track "Descent" lets the listener know that the musical journey that they are about to embark upon will be one of high speed, thrills, spills mixed in with a rare piece of calm. Those of you with high-end stereo equipment will take full advantage of the superior engineering quality that has gone into this latest production. This is attested by the crystalline clarity of the recording throughout the whole CD. Zero compression to this recording has resulted in fabulous dynamics throughout. Gutsy guitar action on "Seven Devils" and "Coyote" will reform listeners that are not ordinarily fans of electric guitar led compositions. Subtle and clever use of compression and echo effects on the guitar tracks of quieter compositions make this CD interesting to listen to. As I said earlier, trust your instincts. You won't be disappointed."
Track Listings (11) - Disc #1