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Appice Perdomo Project — Running Up That Hill
(Purple Pyramid CLO4057, 2023, CD)

by Jon Davis, Published 2023-06-15

Running Up That Hill Cover art

I believe I am already on record saying Carmine Appice is a really fine drummer. He doesn’t have the crisp precision of Bill Bruford or the super-flashy technique of Gavin Harrison (to pick a couple of well-known drummers), but he’s got a way of applying his power in exactly the right way to propel music forward. At times, he’s got a knack for working a big rock beat in the midst of busy guitar and bass parts that’s a bit like John Bonham. There are very few rock drummers of his generation (he’s in his mid-70s) who are still going as strong and playing with such strength, and Running Up That Hill shows him in fine form. The other half of Appice Perdomo Project is of course Fernando Perdomo, who seems to be everywhere these days. I haven’t loved all of his projects, but this is one I can get behind. This is old school instrumental rock that’s done so well it transcends what could be regarded as the style’s limitations — and by that I mean that there are no diversions into mock-classical music, post-bop electric jazz, mathy complexity, or interpretations of styles from around the world. The roots of the music are clearly in the blues as seen toward the end of the original psychedelic era, and they hit a near-perfect balance between superb technique and energetic emotion. There are little touches like the occasional bars of 3/4 in “Biker Gang” that elevate the music without a hint of pretense, providing little gems of surprise in the midst of a kick-ass rock tune. As a devoted Kate Bush fan, I’m not sure what to make of the title track, a rocked-up instrumental interpretation of the quirky hit, but I’ll give them points for taking the song in a totally unexpected direction. This set of 13 tracks is chock full of barn-burners, with “Drum City,” “Pedal Pusher,” and “Hyperactive” being particular favorites. Rock dudes and dudettes, check out this record, and get your heads bobbing to some killer tunes!

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Fernando Perdomo, Carmine Appice

More info
http://cleopatrarecords.bandcamp.com/album/running-up-that-hill

 

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