Reviewgium
Volume IV, issue II
Band/artist: Baliset
Album: _A Time for Rust_
Genre/style: Progressive rock, heavy metal
Release date: March 17, 2009
Rating: 7/10
A surprise release from x-maudlin of the Well / x-Kayo Dot guitarist/musician Greg Massi. Generally, mostly anything related to those bands is worth keeping an eye on, and this album is no exception. This outing seems more accessibly structured and less "avant-garde" than the previous endeavors of which Massi has been involved, and yet it still retains the level of musical diversity you would expect from someone from the motW/KD camp. The songs on this, Baliset's debut album, embrace a variety of styles, and a well-balanced range of competent rock/metal riffage and soloage, to more pensive atmospherics, with layered harmonies abounding.
A major factor that always contributes to the repeatability of an album is the quality of the opening track. And this album definitely has a good opening track. "These Moments Are..." is a short but greatly crafted, guitar-centric instrumental with a lute-like introduction (perhaps an allusion to Gurney Halleck's baliset?). This flows seamlessly into the title track, which continues on with the same power, complete with melodic soloing, unique riff structures, and a combination of Massi's vocals and female vocals. While Massi's vocals aren't exactly the forte of the album, the title track is a good display of this new territory. The vocals aren't necessarily bad (and they're actually quite good in some parts) especially considering it's essentially the man's first time in the vocal forefront, but there is still room for improvement--which could be said about most vocalists in general anyway. "Machinery Listens to Love" provides a segue into the mellow "Black Light Moon," a tune which at times invokes memories of a Satriani ballad. "The Art of Contrition" is another instrumental interlude, leading into "Dreamflesh," another good display of Massi's diversity in all musical aspects. "Echo Box" wraps things up nicely, and includes an unusual bluesy "secret track" following a few moments of humming feedback.
Overall, I'd say this is a good start for Greg Massi's new project. It grows with multiple listens, and may even garner a higher rating as time goes on. Even the vocals, which may seem a little off at first, tend to fit right into place eventually. And it was wise to recruit a female vocalist to provide a sense of balance that works well throughout the album. The music is solid, and future material is to be anticipated. It is somewhat comparable to early maudlin of the Well at times as you would expect, but there's really no one song that you could single out and say, "this is a motW song." Again, there's room for improvement, but all in all, A Time for Rust turned out just fine.
Thanks Reviewgium!
Baliset's debut album A Time For Rust has been released digitally and can be purchased through the online store at www.baliset.net for the cost of $7.99 for the whole album or you can purchase 7 of the 8 songs individually at $0.99 each.
Here is a taste of the new album with a video for the song "A Time For Rust."
