Razl: Microscopic

Razl, otherwise known as Raúl Huelves, was born in Madrid, Spain in 1973. He has been involved with music for many years as a musician and a writer. In 2008 he released his debut album Rotonova which I have yet to hear. In 2011 he released his sophomore effort Microscopic. The guitarist is joined by bassist Bryan Beller (Mike Keneally Band, Steve Vai, Metalocalypse), drummer Pepe Acebal as well as guitarist Will Bernard (Stanton Moore Trio) and trumpet player Rubén Salvador.

The music Razl presents us with is a combination of rock, jazz, fusion and funk with his distinctive guitar playing shining brightly in all nine tracks. He has an unusual picking style that melds together rhythms and solos in a unique and interesting way. These tracks are filled to the brim with catchy grooves and instrumental flair.

In the album opening "Moustache" infectious guitar rhythms and Beller's funky bass line makes for a fine start. Razl's fast chord progressions adds to the charm. The bizarrely titled "The Bearded Woman Meets Fedor The Giant" is more jazzy in nature and not quite as heavy, with Razl's naked guitar in the spotlight once again. "Centipede" has Razl adding psychedelic guitar textures to the mix whereas "Galactic Alignment" showcases Razl's fuzzier guitar tones and is perhaps the album's heaviest tune.

My personal favourite is "Zombie Brew" featuring some of Razl's best guitar work on the album going for a real psychedelic feel. The album ends with the "Locksmith St." a jazz infused slice of funky rock and roll featuring Will Bernard's biting lead guitar. Microscopic is a very good album featuring awesome musicianship, great melodies and fantastic grooves. The merging of rock, jazz and funk makes for one delicious combination. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Track Listing:
1. Moustache
2. The Bearded Woman Meets Fedor The Giant
3. Centipede
4. Galactic Alignment
5. Prog Pug
6. The Amazing Story Of Al, The Aardvark
7. Zombie Brew
8. I'm Not Me
9. Locksmith St.

Added: January 27th 2012
Reviewer: Jon Neudorf
Score:
Related Link: Artist's Official Site
Hits: 1961
Language: english

[ Printer Friendly Page ]
[ Send to a Friend ]