The Poetry of the Mad Painter’s Island is presented as a twelve-track album which incorporates the weight, drama and melodic ambition typical of 1970s rock whilst ensuring that each piece has its own individual character. It has been issued by the Italian independent label Epictronic and combines elements of hard rock, progressive rock, glam and melodic music within a warm and analog-style method of production. The album is based on full-band performances rather than on an excessive use of digital processing, the foundation of the music being provided by Hammond organ, electric guitar, piano, bass, drums and layered vocals.
The variety of the album can be seen in the different musical styles covered in its track listing: “Debt Collector” and “Suit of Worries” have a Deep Purple influence, “Empty Bottles” adopts a straightforward boogie-rock style inspired by Status Quo, “Spin Your Ventilator” shows the kind of powerful, direct sound typical of AC/DC, and “Last Night You Dreamed I Was in Love with Someone Else” shows a leaning towards Rainbow. “Nektarized” brings in a space-disco atmosphere linked with Ganymed, and “Shadow of the Words” has the theatrical breadth of Queen.
That variety is also present in the other songs on the album; “Two Horsemen” includes twin-guitar effects reminiscent of Wishbone Ash, “I Am the King” is influenced by the Moody Blues and “Stand Your Ground” exhibits the speed and aggression typical of Motörhead. “Circle of Hands” is Mad Painter’s version of the Uriah Heep classic, and “Tommy Lost It All” still sticks to the band’s normal sound. Furthermore, six of the tracks have lyrics written by the writer and music journalist Dmitry M. Epstein, giving them a sense of wit, character and dramatic imagery.
The album Island Poetry works off the back of a well-defined musical vocabulary since its twelve tracks are all linked together, even though they start from different places. The Hammond organ continues to play a significant role and is backed by guitar, piano, bass, drums and layered vocals. The outcome is a diverse range of music that passes through styles such as hard rock, progressive, glam, boogie-rock and melodic 1970s influences without giving up the album’s full-band approach.
MADPAINTER.CO.UK FACEBOOK X.COM SOUNDCLOUD YOUTUBE SPOTIFY INSTAGRAM BANDCAMP
