Back in 2008 it was my pleasure to review the excellent Scenes From The Box by Bittertown, not so much a band but the pseudonym of the very talented Dutch songwriter and musician Tom Janssen. It followed his debut album The Element Of Surprise from 2004 so it's appropriate given the same four year time span that his latest project, Zylver, should appear in 2012. The multi-instrumentalist Janssen provides guitar, keys, bass, drums and backing vocals joined on this occasion by songwriter Jan van Geerenstein, vocalist Auke Busman and guitarist Timo Somers. They are complemented by several guest musicians including guitarist Cor Mutsers and drummer Collin Leijenaar from Neal Morse's touring band. Like its predecessor this is a concept work based logically enough on a character named Zylver but as the lyrics are in Dutch I cannot expand further (yes I know I write for the DPRP but shamefully my mastery of the language is limited to "hallo", "goedenacht" and "een bier gelieve"). This did not however distract from my overall appreciation of the music thanks to the expressive voice of singer Auke Busman who would sound good in any language and not unlike Klaus Meine of Scorpions fame. And whilst the line-up and the name may have changed, musically this album does have a similar feel to Tom Janssen's previous albums. Using melodic guitar driven mainstream rock as a foundation, it takes in several moods and tempos whilst remaining instantly accessible. The only minor issue I have is with a total of 17 tracks clocking up a lengthy 76 minutes it can feel a tad long, potentially diluting the overall impact. As a result several track end rather abruptly, perhaps mindful of the need to cram so many songs onto the disc. This is most noticeable on the otherwise excellent Als where the soaring guitar break is cut short in mid-flight. That said there isn't one poor track on the entire album and staying the distance rewards with the final (and my favourite) track, the instrumental Jij, a stunning guitar shred fest with a ridiculously memorable hook. I'm getting ahead of myself however because this album has so much more to recommend it. Following a deceptively gentle intro, Utopia explodes with a powerful riff driving a catchy mid-tempo song and Janssen and co are up and running. Gekaapt features heavy but incisive guitar breaks in the mould of Jimmy Page whilst the infectious Stoet augments a tuneful melody with a little touch of Middle-Eastern promise. Being one of the more proggier offerings, Als is another favourite with searing guitar work very reminiscent of Solstice's Andy Glass, superb fretless style bass from Janssen and busy but articulate drumming courtesy of the always excellent Collin Leijenaar. Foto is the first of several ballads and works well thanks to a catchy choral hook where Busman gives his emotional all. In a more restrained vein are the melancholic Lente and the lovely Kaptafel, both featuring piano with the former having a touch of Elton John about it. Other standout songs are Rivier with its memorable ringing guitar motif and dual lead playing (ala Wishbone Ash), the impassioned Vrijheid proving there is an acceptable face to power ballads and Dromen with its lively acoustic guitar picking. Following a tranquil intro, the appropriately titled Gitaar is another strong contender for best track with guitar histrionics aplenty whilst stylish saxophone from guest Ewout Dereksen gives a Steely Dan-style polish to the penultimate Kraag. That leaves the aforementioned Jij to bring up the rear with furious guitar volleys playing fast and loose around the memorable main theme. Special mention should go to the classy CD packaging which is in the style of a hardback book and includes a forward by writer Jan van Geerenstein together with all the lyrics (and there are lots of them). Whilst admittedly this album is a tad prog-light for the most part, with such an excellent collection of songs and superbly entertaining musicianship (especially for guitar aficionados) you really can't go far wrong. Review by "Geoffrey Feakes" (www.dprp.net).
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