Artists | Issues | CD Reviews | Interviews | Concert Reviews | DVD/Video Reviews | Book Reviews | Who We Are | Staff | Home
 
Progressive Rock CD Reviews

Scott Henderson

Karnevel!

Review by Gary Hill

If you like guitar-led fusion music, you probably know who Scott Henderson is. He really is one of the prominent guitarists in that genre. This new disc shows you why that's true. It's a strong release packed full of music that manages to feel cohesive while changing things up enough to be varied. Everything here works really well.

This review is available in book (paperback and hardcover) form in Music Street Journal: 2024  Volume 3 More information and purchase links can be found at: garyhillauthor.com/Music-Street-Journal-2024.

Track by Track Review
Step Right Up
Sounds of a carnival get us going appropriately here. In fact, that "found sound" kind of thing makes up this entire track, which is less than a minute long.
Karnevel!

There is a weird sense of spooky weirdness as this gets underway. It eventually works out to more mainstream fusion meets modern guitar prog sounds. This has a cool rocking groove and some real meat on its musical bones. It drops back later to a slightly lower in volume section, but the intensity of the music remains. I love pretty much everything about this piece. It is fusion of the highest order.

Haunted Ballroom

Somewhat mellower, this has a cool rubbery bass groove at its heart. It also has some intriguing guitar lines. There is almost a bluesy angle to this, but it's filtered through a fusion guitar styling. It has some driving elements and some intriguing twists and turns.

Covid Vaccination

The funky groove and jazzy angles on this are amazing, It's a real powerhouse jam. As much as I like everything here, this one really stands out. It's a killer fusion stomper.

Puerto Madero

This jam is still decidedly fusion, but it does have more of a traditional jazz vibe at play. It's another killer number on a disc full of strong material.

Sea Around Us

This one feels edgier and more dangerous. It's a meaty fusion tune that works really well. It has some scorching guitar work, too.

Sky Coaster

Up-tempo and high energy as it gets out of the gate, at ten minutes long, this is the epic of the set. It's a real powerhouse number. There is some screaming hot guitar soloing on this track. That's true of just about everything here in some ways, but it seems to get escalated on this. There is also some crazed drum work on the piece. The bass solo section later is purely incendiary, too.

Greene Mansion

Melodic and mellower, this is a nice respite. It still has plenty of drama and cool melodies, though.

Bilge Rat

I love the guitar exploration on this. The track is a little more understated that some of the rest, but it's more intense than the one that preceded it. This has a bit more of a rock guitar sound at play, too.

Acacia

This is another melodic and less "in your face" kind of piece. It's classy and intriguing.

Carnies' Time

Fierce jamming is on the menu here. This is more killer fusion. There are some party vibes at play here.

 
More CD Reviews
Metal/Prog Metal
Non-Prog
Progressive Rock
 
Google

   Creative Commons License
   This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.

    © 2024 Music Street Journal                                                                           Site design and programming by Studio Fyra, Inc./Beetcafe.com