We'll definitely be hearing more from Hubi Meisel
Murat Batmaz | Istanbul, Turkey | 04/22/2004
(4 out of 5 stars)
"Hubi Meisel is mostly known for his stint with German prog metal band Dreamscape. He sang on their second album Very in 1999. He also appeared in Italian symphonic prog band Maeve of Connacht in their 2001 album which I haven't heard yet. Afterwards he decided to go solo and released his debut album CUT where he paid tribute to the 80's covering classics. Finally he returned to his prog roots and released his first concept album EmOcean with amazing guest musicians helping him out. The subject themes vary from Atlantis to the Bermuda Triangle as well Greek Mythology and the whole album has a very complete feel to it. It's like one huge track divided into 12 songs plus the bonus material. This is a great prog metal album inspired by nothing but Hubi Meisel's dreams. I haven't deciphered the plot yet because I really dig the music so much that I haven't been able to get to the concept yet. Being primarily a solo album, Meisel's vocals are understandably the centrepiece of most of the songs, yet the songwriting leaves a lot of room for other instruments to make themselves felt. Hubi Meisel wrote the lyrics and vocal melodies only on EmOcean, the music itself was composed by French keyboardist Vivien Lalu of the band Shadrane. Therefore the general flow of the music is mainly keyboard and piano driven but that doesn't mean there's no room for guitars and bass. With former Lemur Voice and current Sun Caged guitarist Marcel Coenen playing, it is quite hard to imagine a prog album where his distinctive rhythm work and tasteful solos do not stand out. On drums is Mind's Eye drummer Daniel Flores and the bass player is another French guy I'm unfamiliar with, Jean B. Affonco. I really like Lalu's approach writing-wise. Meisel and he met on the internet and realised they both shared the same musical vision and it came to the point that Hubi placed his entire trust on him to compose the music for his solo album. Lalu's keyboard and piano work avoids being too flashy or dominating, on the contrary it serves its purpose by rounding out the compositions and giving them their final touch. Marcel Coenen lays down intricate rhythms and occasional guitar solos completely different than his work with his former bands or solo material. I have always been fond of Marcel's playing and this disc is no exception. I think it's great that Hubi and he are labelmates now.Hubi Meisel has a very smooth and tender voice but he can also shift to a more aggressive vocal delivery if necessary. The general vibe of this disc doesn't call for it, however. Because the songwriting is so powerful and the artistic messages are conveyed so perfectly. I must praise Hubi's production work as well. The awesome wall of sound, the detailed and crisp mix, the fresh approach to the production value... it's really fascinating. Most bands reach their peak in production after a couple of albums, while Hubi has done a killer job so early in his career. The vocals remind me a bit of Andy Kuntz circa The God Thing-era or the song "Healing Tree" of Beyond Daylight. James Labrie and Geddy Lee also spring to mind but not to the effect where you can actually place it. Maybe it's a combination of them all with Hubi's own personality added in the mold. Needless to say his voice has a style all his own and I can't think of a more fitting vocalist for this kind of music. The subtle bass lines with Coenen's fierce playing simply provide a fascinating dichotomy with Meisel's laid-back but very powerful vocal delivery. It's pretty pointless to pick any favourites from this album, because each track is as good as the next one, but you might like to check out the 7th track "The Souls of Atlantis" which clocks in at nearly 13 minutes and presents every aspect of EmOcean from the symphonic touches to the sublime bass and drumming to Marcel Coenen's ripping solos and on top of it all Hubi's fantastic vocal harmonies. This is over 70 minutes of prog metal at its finest and I am positive we'll all be hearing more from this talented musician for years to come. Tracklisting: Lost in the Waters of Sargasso . Poseidons Trident . Nocturnal Breeze . Dolphins Wake . Underwater Fears . FantaSea . The Souls of Atlantis . Sapientia Vitae . Azure Dreams (instrumental) . Aqua Phoenix . Aero Nautical . EmOcean . BONUS TRACKS (Europe/USA): Crystal Moon . Tears of an Enchanted Sea"
Track Listings (13) - Disc #1