Resistor: Illuminator

Illuminator is the seventh album from progressive rock outfit Resistor, an act who on this evidence are keen to focus more on the rocking part of their chosen genre than the progressive end. That’s not to say that Illuminator isn’t an intricately crafted album with fine musicianship, but if crunchy riffs and powering drums are your thing - but still with a considered and controlled edge - then step right on in.

Maybe the best example of this is the ten minute “Kaleidoscope�, a track that has a raunchy riff, some tasty violin work from Steve Unruh (yes, that guy from all those bands such as Samurai of Prog, Unitopia and more) as his guitar jostles with that of Fran Turner. With Unruh also behind the mic, the band are rounded out by Barry Farrands on drums and bassist Rob Winslow and it has to be said that all four come together as a cohesive and effective unit. Equally boisterous and yet still reasonably well behaved comes the album’s opening cut, “Bonfire� where the clear vocals are allowed to bring a certain theatricality and the drums the room to explode into some mighty fills. Where both of these tracks lack ever so slightly for me is in the memorability stakes - both are good, both are fun and both hold the attention by throwing in a few little musical curveballs as we stand ready at bat. And yet, I can’t say that either pop into my mind at all once this album has stopped spinning.

Unruh shows his vocal worth on the title track, a high note struck with authority as things head into a more heavy metal like direction. It’s an unexpected twist and yet one that works well and for me Resistor sound right at home in this territory. Whether I then need the pensive instrumental “The Great Deep�, where violin again comes to the fore, just a couple of tracks down the line, or the more sprightly lyric-less “Shelter Pelter� which follows it, I’m not sure. Neither are bad in any shape or form but it does make this album a slightly confused journey. Something that’s all the mores a pity when the excellent slow building “The Illusion Of Understanding� hits home with a real authority and sense of purpose.

Good throughout and excellent in places, for me the kind of stop start nature of Illuminator prevents it from being the rip roaring success it often suggests it might be. That said, there’s still lots to enjoy here and lots to get your teeth stuck into. If you like your progressive rock to actually rock, while merely nodding at prog as it goes about its merry way, this might well be for you.

Track Listing
1. Bonfire
2. The Illuminator
3. Serendipity
4. The Great Deep
5. Shelter Pelter
6. Kaleidoscope
7. The Illusion Of Understanding

Added: June 11th 2024
Reviewer: Steven Reid
Score:
Related Link: Resistor @ bandcamp
Hits: 386
Language: english

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