Portrait of a Zebra - Graeme Swallow

Portrait of a Zebra (Graeme Swallow, 2013)

1. The Savanna - 2:14
2. Zebra Song - 5:14
3. Father and Son - 5:15
4. Racing Toward Destiny - 4:16
5. Love No More - 5:49
6. Garmonbozia (Pain and Sorrow) - 7:12
7. (You Don't) Know Me - 6:43
8. Theories of the Dawn - 5:06
9. Unseen Power - 8:03
10. Lament for the Innocent - 1:54
11. Thanksgiving - 8:31

Graeme Swallow is a tremendously talented musician based in Lenexa, KS.  He has managed to create in his basement an album that rivals any progressive metal band out there in sound, size, and creativity. Dream Theater is definitely a stylistic touchstone, but Graeme puts his own stamp on these songs, sonically linking them together into an ambitious project.

Musically, the album offers a compelling blend of hard rock and symphonic metal, with occasional breaks for piano-led pieces, ambient orchestral events, and melodic instrumentals.  Virtuoso performances throughout from Graeme (keyboard, guitar, and drums), Stuart Pendergast (lead guitar) and Kyle King (bass) serve the songs well, and four different vocalists (Jimmy Rokka, Thomas Irwin, Marissa Garrison, and Chad Wagner) add depth and variety to the proceedings.

Lyrically, the topics are far-ranging: survival, heartbreak, internal struggles with good and evil, social alienation, science and religion, doubts, and the problem of evil in the world.  Heavy stuff for heavy music! Graeme finds creative ways not only to embody these ideas in his music, but to make them rock.

The calm guitar picking and flute of "The Savanna" swell into "Zebra Song"'s gargantuan chorus. Driven by a knotty guitar riff, the song features pounding chord changes and some excellent solo trading between Graeme and Stuart as it tells of a relentless pursuit on the African plain. Then it's right into  "Father and Son", where Thomas Irwin's operatic baritone weaves an epic tale of conflict and temptation.  (An inspiration for this song might be name-checked in the liner notes, take a look...) The keyboard-led instrumental "Racing Toward Destiny" features neo-classical arpeggiated riffing from guitar and bass, supporting Graeme's positively athletic keyboard solo, which drops the jaw while still serving the piece melodically.

After that intense set of three, "Love No More" is a musically calm respite, yet the lyrics are no less intense.  Graeme's piano work is stunning, and Marissa Garrison gives an emotional performance. It transitions immediately into "Garmonbozia", where Chad Wagner's rock tenor ratchets things up a notch, and Graeme's apocalyptic chord constructions cycle through despair and anger, yet with a great upbeat drum part that fits the mood perfectly. The song's orchestral coda begins with foreboding quiet, then explodes into a fiery torrent and brings the piece to a cataclysmic close.

Mysterious, chiming guitars start "(You Don't) Know Me", a slow headbanger with a frightening bridge and another great vocal performance from Wagner. Fading into "Theories of the Dawn", we get about a minute of ambient sound before it bursts forth in symphonic majesty. The piece uses several different styles and movements to paint a picture of the genesis of the cosmos.  (You know, simple stuff like that.)  "Unseen Power" examines the same questions lyrically against a driving beat and towering riffs. It also navigates several different musical moods, layers, and sections with great finesse.

For the finale, "Lament for the Innocent" restates the theme from "The Savanna" on grand piano, crescendoing into "Thanksgiving", a symphony in miniature with sweeping keyboard, dense orchestration, heavy metal riffing, and powerful rock baritone vocals from Jimmy Rokka, the vocal anchor of the project who also sings on "Zebra Song", "Father and Son", and "Unseen Power".  Its many movements culminate in an anthemic chorus that will have legions of should-be fans waving their lighters and/or cell phones to the beat in the darkened arena.  Fans of high-quality progressive metal, don't miss out on this home-grown opus.

Arbitrary rating:  5 out of 5 apocalyptic chord constructions

Shameless plug:  Go buy it!  It takes a lot of hard work, time, and money to bring a project like this to fruition.  You can get physical copies from CD Baby or digital copies at Amazon or iTunes.