*BC Series* Review: Cloudkicker - Beacons

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Back to the Bandcamp releases. This was the album that made me aware of the site, having been recommended by some site that I found in a random search for free music. Clearly, I was impressed enough to take great interest in the site, so it would seem I owe a lot to this album.

Cloudkicker is a one-man, instrumental progressive rock/metal project out of Columbus, Ohio. While my preferences in prog-rock are typically based on high-quality instrumentation, I generally lean toward acts with talented vocalists and interesting lyrical themes. It's a genre in which instrumental projects are usually very pretentious, and often boring. Cloudkicker doesn't come off that way to me.

Beacons is a full-length album that ventures mostly on the metal side, but in true prog fashion, it should appeal to those (like myself) who enjoy a little variation as well. It's a wide soundscape ranging from hard-edged riffing over obscure time signatures to lighter, slower-paced pieces verging on ambient. There are hints of the standard prog fare (you know, the little things that usually indicate Rush/Yes/Genesis/Pink Floyd influence), but in this case, they act as more of a backdrop to a carefuly crafted style that has become Cloudkicker's disticntive sound.

If you're the sort who shies away from prog-type stuff on the basis that it's too complex and challenging, there's no need to be afraid of this one. The rhythmic and melodic experimentation is there, enough to keep it interesting, but it lacks the drawn-out, self-indulgent solos you might find on an Yngwie Malmsteen record. If musical wanking is what you're into, you may not be too impressed. Still, the skill involved in one man putting this thing together and getting everything to sound just right is not a feat to be ignored.

On to one of my favorite things to ramble about: the packaging. Despite a printing delay indicated in a blog post stating that "someone massively fucked up," the CD release comes in a basic gatefold sleeve adorned with moody artwork reminiscent of industrial style. Whatever the fuck-up happened to be, a lesser artist might have accepted the sub-par run, maybe even adopting it as being intentional. The vinyl release is very attractive, with the same artwork enclosing a faux-metallic platter (more than just a "nice touch," I'd say). The digital release on Bandcamp can be downloaded at no minimum charge, and includes a track not featured on the streaming page. I've yet to order a physical copy (I want that vinyl pretty badly), so I do not know for certain if those releases include that track; the CD release does not include it in the track listing.

While Beacons doesn't stand out to me as a particularly amazing album, it's certainly an outstanding example of what one man and some equipment can accomplish. Cloudkicker even personally packages and ships all physical orders; it truly is a one-man project. Utilizing strong talent and ahdering to a standard of quality in all aspects of a release is what earned my full respect. All of the Cloudkicker releases are equally well performed and produced, and are worth a listen.

Beacons is licensed under the Creative Commons (by-nc-sa).