Wim Roelants - Burn

I first met Wim Roelants at the first London Guitar Show that we exhibited at, and I and many fellow guitar demonstrators where much amused by the live performances of this super tanned and abs wielding axeman, throwing poses galore for Lag guitars.

Over a couple of successive years at LGS - over many Beers and Whiskey & Cokes at the hotel bar - we at AOG have got to know Wim quite well: an entertaining character he is indeed! With a stage persona akin to Vai at his most exuberant, I was interested to see how his great live performances would translate to record.

The first thing I can say is that this album is nothing like what I thought it would be - I sort of expected a show boating album of full on Satriani/Vai type instrumental workouts: instead what we get is something mellower, and in many ways more sophisticated.

Overview!

'Excalibur' opens with some very classy and melodic changes, a very adept rhythm section - GREAT bass! - and then some superb liquidy strat tones - very Andy Timmons - before the bridge brings us some lush jazzy changes and some solo lines that bring the spectre of Jeff Beck into play. Immediately apparent is that this is by no means a standard instrumental rock album - this is a supremely well crafted sonic adventure. 'Excalibur' features sophisticated composition and effortless, sweeping guitar soloing that brings to mind a myriad of players: especially the aforementioned two players, but also some great Eric Johnson touches, a hint of Satch and Vai maybe - even some Larry Carlton and Lukather. This is a standout opening track.

Next up is 'Burn' - a more traditional guitar workout. An up tempo rocker with lashings of Roelants flowing fretboard escapades, Compositionally this, again, is very strong and another facet that make this album a cut above the rest. There are some great chordal changes throughout this album; and here that great rhythm section makes it's presence felt - airy, harmonically and rhythmically advanced - and always Wim really going for it with some superbly expressive lead guitar. Wim utilise's all the usual suspects in the modern rock guitarists arsenal - tapping, legato, speed picking and sweeping - but in a way that always feels natural and uninhibited. This is a textbook example in how to apply those often much derided 'shredder' techniques in a musically elegant showcase that will appeal to almost any guitar fan out there. Great Stuff!

'Shades' opens up with more of those great 'late at night in a cool club' jazzy changes. interspersed with some great rock lines. This is a bit reminiscent of my personal fave Jeff Kollman, but really musical comparisons are a bit irrelevant: suffice to say that Wim has a wholly devloped and original guitar voice. He combines all the players I have mentioned into a cohesive whole that should herald the arrival of a new guitar hero. Wim's live performances are 'legendary' (!) on the European guitar show circuit - charisma vies with an unabashed poseur ness - but three tracks in Wim proves that he is not just an incendiary live performer, but a composer and studio musician of the highest caliber. Combined with his rock star looks Wim seems to be the all round package!

'The Quickening II' brings a bit of prog whimsy to the table, before kicking into a very Johnson-esque up tempo jaunt, and the template established in the opening trio continues. I must commend bassist Bruno Korolik - whose work throughout reminds me of Dave LaRue, Barry Sparks and other similar 'super' bassists - and drummer Bruno Meeus plays with an airy and light touch that recalls Tommy Taylor's work with Eric Johnson.

Track five 'Whispers' features some dreamy and melodic lines over a lazy back beat, some almost Genesis type progressions and some elegant and considered guitar playing - and can I hear a bit of Steve Morse's influence compositionally on this one?

'Midsummer Madness' is another track of many moods and textures - and some great impassioned soloing - with some almost George Lynch type riffs. A great outro with some superlative drumming from Bruno Meeus as well.

'Bronze' is a jazzy influenced ballad with some eloquent lines over delicately strummed acoustics and keyboard string pads, more of that great Korolik bass. On the guitar front a bit of Dave Gilmour creeps in here: Wim playing with melodic restraint and a great organic tone - check out the outro solo for a great example of emotive and melodic soloing.

'Kickstart II' is a darker musical exploration of Eastern themes - lots of Phrygian Dominant and Harmonic Minor playing that still feels refreshingly fresh in approach (not for Wim the typical neo classical excursions that many feel obliged to indulge in when using these melodic tools), and then we get a fast bluesy shuffle, some great 'stunt' guitar, before a reprise of the earlier epic themes.

'In Your Eyes' follows much the same blueprint of 'Whispers' and is laid back Timmons-esque ballad: great phrasing and some interesting changes with a singing solo; whilst 'Karnak Karma' is a fast - vaguely 'Arabic' - shuffle with some pretty trick pentatonic licks amidst the Eastern influenced melodies. Cool tapping, and a great sequence of outro solos finish the album in style.

Conclusion

This is a very good instrumental album that will appeal to fans of Andy Timmons, Jeff Kollman and, yes, Vai and Satch. But moreover there is a real hint of Jeff Beck here, with a sophisticated compositional style that may well surprise many who have seen Wim's live performances at the various guitar shows across Europe. It's not perfect - a lot of the tracks occupy a broadly similar musical footprint that can make some of this feel a bit 'samey', and it's not an 'instant' album. When I first heard this I was a little disappointed, and for shred heads out there who want a quick fix this is not for you. But with the benefit of repeated listening, I can report that this is a richly rewarding album. Highly recommended for the discerning guitar fan!