CD Review
This review was originally written by Jose Bernardo for www.theweeklyriff.com between 2008 and 2010.
These were Jose’s first impressions of the songs and were not written after multiple spins, with exception to the tracks he worked on.
Artist: Tadashi Goto
Album: Innervisions (ProgRock Records 2008)
Tracks: 12
Artist website: http://www.tadashi-goto.com
REVIEW OVERVIEW :
Tadashi Goto is a very talented keyboard virtuoso hailing from Japan. INNERVISIONS is his second album and boy do the contributing musicians read like a wish list most artists in the prog world wish would be on their CD.
Innervisions Band Members:
All KEYS AND DRUM PROGRAMMING: Tadashi Goto
LEAD GUITARS: Chris Poland, Ty Tabor -lead guitars
LEAD AND RHYTHM GUITARS: Brett Garsed, Sean Conklin, Marco Ahrens
BASS: Tony Levin, Tony Franklin, Matt Bissonette, Joseph Patrick Moore, Randy George
GUITARS AND BASS: Jose Bernardo
This album lacks nothing in the energy, power, and musicianship departments. The production quality is top notch although the use of live drums would have made a significant difference. However, the album does not suffer from the lack of live drums as a whole – which goes to show that it is possible to produce a good record without employing a live drummer.
Goto manages to balance heavy and light textures very well within tracks. The spacing of the music has also been well thought out. This is a great album and I can’t wait to hear what Tadashi is going to do next.
Fans of Planet X should definitely give this CD a spin. I contributed guitar solos to tracks 9 and 12, rhythm guitars to track 9, and bass to track 12.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Flow Like Water, Inner Peace, The Darkest Years
INNERVISIONS PLAY BY PLAY REVIEW
Track 1 – Karma
Right from the get go, Goto does not leave the listener to guess what kind of album this is because of the pure power and energy contained here.
Track 2 – The Cycle of Suffering
The title has the word “cycle” in it and compositionally it is cyclical. Very cool stuff. The spoken samples are very interesting as well.
Track 3 – Inner Circle
This is a more laid back “fusion” track. A welcomed chance to breathe after taking on the first two tracks. Very pretty themes here. It doesn’t stay that way the whole way through though and mental gymnastics are required in the middle of the song.
Track 4 – The Deepest Depression
This track is in the same vein as the first two tracks. It gets very heavy here in places. The mid section is quite nice.
Track 5 – Werther Effect
This is a very pretty ballad at first, then it takes a turn in a very cool direction.
Track 6 – Inner Peace
While, up to this point, there has been hints of possible ballads coming up and then taking a turn for something more prog oriented, this track manages to stay on track as a ballad! Super awesome and my favorite track.
Track 7 – The Darkest Years
This might just be my favorite heavy track from this album because of the excellent heavy riffing and great atmospheric moments.
Track 8 – Flow Like Water
This is the only track where I will highlight the guest musician appearance because it is Tony Levin. I wonder if this track was written with him in mind. Tony’s masterful stylings on the Chapman Stick makes this such a cool track.
Track 9 – The Night of Destruction
Chaotic like a night of destruction would be. Again, nothing lacking in the high energy department.
Track 10 – Liberal Paradox
Extremely proggy. Lot’s of meters and other cool rhythmic stuff.
Track 11 – Never Free
This track is what I would call a pretty prog rock song with Mr. Hyde like moments. (And those moments are not bad in any way.)
Track 12 – The Spirits Within
The Innervisions saga comes to a peaceful end with this track. It is mellow but not as mellow as “Inner Peace”.