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Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra: The Escapologist

Following up the fun Postcards From the Asylum from 2023, Saigon Kick guitarist/vocalist Jason Bieler and his cast of merry man called The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra return with another vibrant affair, titled The Escapologist. Once again taking current events as the concepts behind the lyrical imagery, Jason and his musical companions have created an adventurous and enjoyable collection of songs throw earworm after earworm at the listener, housed within songs that are at times bombastic, heavy, and even light. While it's become a crutch to mention the name of 'Devin Townsend' when talking about Bieler, but damn if he doesn't have a flair for the dramatic, the unpredictable, and a penchant for memorable hooks just like 'ol Hevy Devy. "Industrious" is a total blast, a highly memorable hard rocker that sees Bieler telling us to 'be incredible, let's take some edibles' because, well, we can. You get some brief moments of jazz and Caribbean flavors on "Savior", a soaring hoo & incredible vocal on "Stars Collide", crushing heavy rock mixed with symphonic and folks flavors on "Violent Creatures" (a MUST for Devin fans!), and high-energy rock with "Zombies & Black Swans". And that's just the first half of the album. Other gems include the chugging "March of the Vikonauts", the catchy "Space Debris", and the Toto-ish melodic rock of "No Real Goodbyes". There are really no weak tracks here, though I feel the album is somewhat frontloaded and much of the second half tends to be more of the atmospheric and moody numbers, which isn't really a bad thing though the momentum kind of stalls a bit. That being said, Bieler can write a catchy song, and he has a flair for the dramatic & bombastic, so this one's an easy album to recommend.


Track Listing
1. Industrious 03:19
2. Savior 03:34 video
3. Stars Collide 03:58
4. Violent Creatures 05:01
5. Hollow 05:37
6. Zombies & Black Swans 05:02
7. No Real Goodbyes 04:24
8. Space Debris 03:58
9. Sacred Cow 03:41
10. March Of The Vikonauts 05:33

Added: March 10th 2025
Reviewer: Pete Pardo
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1322
Language: english

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» SoT Staff Roundtable Reviews:

Jason Bieler And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra: The Escapologist
Posted by Aaron Steelman, SoT Staff Writer on 2025-03-10 19:48:59
My Score:

I didn’t know what to expect with this album. I never listened to Saigon Kick. I always perceived them as “glam metal,” which was not my thing, though I’m told that they were often mischaracterized as such and that I should go back and check out their catalog. I also had never heard any Jason Bieler solo albums, including those he has released with the “Baron Von Bielski Orchestra.” Speaking of which, the other players on The Escapologist, besides Bieler, who provides guitars and vocals, are Andee Blacksugar (guitars), Edu Cominato (drums), and Johan Niemann (bass).

It didn’t get off to a good start for me with “Industrious.” I liked the music, but it seemed juxtaposed with vocals that you might have expected to hear at a Texas or Oklahoma honkytonk as the band played behind chicken wire. It really picked up pace, though, with the next three tracks (“Savior,” “Star Collide,” and “Violent Creatures”), all of which are pretty heavy, but also hooky. After that, you get the pleasant-enough “Hollow,” which comes as close to a ballad as you are going to find on the album. But then you hit sort of a weak patch with the next four songs, many of which could have fit on an early 90s grunge album, in my opinion, though I really enjoyed the poppy “Space Debris.” The album closes strong with “March of the Vikonauts.” Like “Savior,” my favorite song on the album, it features some interesting tempo changes and excellent playing all around.

There are enough good, often very good, tunes here that I think it’s definitely worth giving a shot. But perhaps be ready to use the skip button.



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