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Jason Blake — Subsequent Ruins
(7d Media 2301, 2023, CD / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2024-10-11

Subsequent Ruins Cover art

Many years ago, we encountered Jason Blake in the band Aziola Cry, a heavy trio fond of odd meters with a foot firmly in the King Crimson stream of progressive rock. Aside from that band, he’s got a number of solo releases, with Subsequent Ruins being the first released on 7d. For these six tracks of instrumental rock, Blake plays a 12-string Warr guitar, and drummer Marco Minnemann is the only other musician. The two were recorded in separate studios, so I’m not sure exactly how the music came together. I can certainly attest that they are completely in sync and super tight. Minnemann is on board for his usual impressive technical playing — with music of this variety, he really doesn’t need to worry about over-playing, as that’s exactly what’s called for. Given that the Warr has only twelve strings and Blake has only ten fingers (a reasonable assumption, I think), there is some degree of overdubbing involved. This is not a criticism at all — all I care about is the end result, which in this case is an excellent album. Two of the tracks do not include any drums, with layers of Blake in a somewhat more contemplative mood, though with some ominous harmonies. Anyone who’s not down with the Crimson style of odd meters, interlocking motifs, and abrasive harmonies will probably not enjoy what’s on offer here, and it would also be fair to say that it doesn’t stray too far from the established sounds that have been explored by bands such as Stick Men, Herd of Instinct, and so on. For my part, I’m quite satisfied with Subsequent Ruins, and find it has enough variation and creativity to be worthy of repeated listens. If I can handle several dozen albums of Italian symphonic progressive rock and enjoy them all without getting tired of the style, I can do the same with edgy Crimsonesque music.

Filed under: New releases, 2023 releases

Related artist(s): Marco Minnemann, Jason Blake

More info
http://jasonblake7d.bandcamp.com/album/subsequent-ruins

 

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