Listening to Ricochet, it is clear that drummer Jan Keimer, keyboard player Bjoern Tiemann, bass player Hans Strenge, singer Christian Heise and guitarist Heiko Holler have been playing together for ten years.
During this time, not only have they continually improved their manner of playing together; their music has also seen consistent progression. At the beginning of their cooperation, elements of their idols such as Dream Theatre or Marillion were definitely audible in their music: now, however, the bands own style has become clearer over time. One of the reasons behind this is undoubtedly that all the band members are also dedicated to other projects and, thus, expand their musical horizon. Keyboard player Bjoern Tiemann, for example, can be heard on the last two Kingdom Come albums, and also toured with the band throughout Europe.
The bands 1996 debut album entitled Among The Elements (TnT/Modern Music) was released all over the world, attracting brilliant reviews and considerable sales figures, especially in Europe. This success wasnt just coincidence; it was the result of hard work, numerous live appearances, participation in several band competitions and the consistent expansion of an increasing community of dedicated fans.
Ricochet is a band with seasoned musicians which, in the form of their second album, Zarah A Teartown Story, have made a further considerable advance and also have had immense courage to do something new and now cant wait to see how the public reacts to it. Coming up with a concept album with only their second CD demands a lot of courage and confidence in their own capabilities.
Zarah A Teartown Story is the title of the new work by the Hamburg progressive rock formation Ricochet. With it, the quintet proves that the years spent working on the concept were anything but wasted. The vast diversity of this album is impressive: from the melancholy, depressive-sounding piano ballad entitled Final Curtain through to the progressive mid-tempo rocker Red Line right though to the instrumental firework Disobedience, the entire range of the genre is exhausted. Yet each and every one of these songs only reveals its true strength and power of expression when seen in the overall context of the album for each song has its own significance within the concept, and expresses a certain mood and situation.
Yet what exactly is the concept behind Zarah? Put simply, it is about the short and painful life of a young girl from her abuse through to the murder of the culprit, through to her suicide during her period in jail, says drummer Jan Keimer. Yet it is actually about much more, too. It is about the anonymity of the city, the fear of missed chances, the burden of the past and of life itself yet, despite all the gloomy or melancholy elements and the tragic end of the protagonist, there is nevertheless the recognition that life goes on and there is still hope. However, above all, it is the expression of various emotions, emphasised by music which is just as diverse.
