Album: Mirage (1995)
Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic/Art Rock/Exp./Ambient) / Russia
Stylistically, "Mirage" is still the only Sergey Dudin album, which is about a real Symphonic Art-Rock (with a few of the elements of Prog-Metal that, though, occur here only from time to time). Overall, this music is definitely of a Classic Progressive school, even though precisely half of the compositions that are featured on the album are instantly accessible. These are Rescue Expedition, Reunion, Friday, Childhood, Energy of Life, and Black Sea (2, 4, 6, 7, 10, & 12). (The 47-secunde Opus One (11), consisting of the only, yet, highly virtuosi and very effective solo of electric guitar, can hardly be regarded differently than as an intro to the following track.) Rescue Expedition and Childhood (2 & 7) are the instrumental ballads featuring simple and beautiful arrangements consisting of varied, yet, always mellow interplay between the fluid solos of electric guitar, those of bass, and passages of synthesizer. Energy of Life and Black Sea (10 & 12) are the mid-tempo Art-Rock pieces that, unlike both of the previously depicted tracks, feature both of the melodic and harsh sorts of the guitar solo, some of which are here not only diverse and virtuosi, but also highly original. The only serious drawback of any of the aforementioned four compositions concerns the monotony of tempo set by a drum machine, which is especially evident in comparison with those tracks that were recorded with a real drummer. Reunion and Friday (4 & 6), while being still accessible rather than complex compositions, quite noticeably differ from any of the four tracks that I've described above, as well as from each other, though. Reunion is about a very tasteful Classic Symphonic Art-Rock that, apart from the parts of electric instruments, features the excellent passages and solos of acoustic guitar. While Friday, which is the only 'official' representative of Prog-Metal on this album, is somewhat of a mirage within "Mirage". There are changes of tempo and tone on both of these pieces, but not as many as I would like to. All six of the remaining tracks are excellent, at least. Musically, both of Alaska (3) and What's Wrong What's Right (13), which is the only song on the album, represent a real Classic Symphonic Art-Rock of a dramatic character. The album's title track (9) is overall of the same story, though it is woven from the textures that are typical for the music of the East. If you listen to the classical guitar piece Nylon Ditty (8), you'll immediately recall Mood For a Day (Yes, "Fragile") by Steve Howe and a few of the other great guitar instrumentals, although Sergey's piece is incomparable at all. Both of the remaining compositions (and both of them were performed without drums) are not only real pearls of progressive music, but also rare pearls that, moreover, are unique by all means. Wonderful interplay between passages of acoustic guitar and those of a string ensemble that flow to the accompaniment of gentle jingle of little bells on Introduction (1) are full of a light sorrow, which is very, very 'Russian'. The amazingly fast and virtuosi passages of acoustic guitar and diverse interplay between them and mid-tempo solos of semi-acoustic guitar, sounding very much like Sitar, and those of bass, are presented on Middle East (5), which, as well as Introduction, is just filled with magic. Summary. Before reading this review, one might think that the title of this album should refer to the presence of influences of Camel in the music that Mr. Dudin presented here, which however, is completely incorrect. As well as in the case of "Eternal Call", only fluid solos on "Mirage" may sometimes remind of those by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, while all of the harsh solos of guitar, and there are plenty of them on this album, are highly original. Also, there is a huge difference between both of the said albums, as there are no any direct influences on "Mirage". As always, I regard originality as one of the most important aspects of any musical work of any genre. However, as you've just read above, this album is rich not only in original ideas. So it gets my highest recommendations. Review by "Vitaly Menshikov" (www.progressor.net).
RATING: 7.25 / 10
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Genre: Prog Rock (Symphonic/Art Rock/Exp./Ambient) / Russia
Stylistically, "Mirage" is still the only Sergey Dudin album, which is about a real Symphonic Art-Rock (with a few of the elements of Prog-Metal that, though, occur here only from time to time). Overall, this music is definitely of a Classic Progressive school, even though precisely half of the compositions that are featured on the album are instantly accessible. These are Rescue Expedition, Reunion, Friday, Childhood, Energy of Life, and Black Sea (2, 4, 6, 7, 10, & 12). (The 47-secunde Opus One (11), consisting of the only, yet, highly virtuosi and very effective solo of electric guitar, can hardly be regarded differently than as an intro to the following track.) Rescue Expedition and Childhood (2 & 7) are the instrumental ballads featuring simple and beautiful arrangements consisting of varied, yet, always mellow interplay between the fluid solos of electric guitar, those of bass, and passages of synthesizer. Energy of Life and Black Sea (10 & 12) are the mid-tempo Art-Rock pieces that, unlike both of the previously depicted tracks, feature both of the melodic and harsh sorts of the guitar solo, some of which are here not only diverse and virtuosi, but also highly original. The only serious drawback of any of the aforementioned four compositions concerns the monotony of tempo set by a drum machine, which is especially evident in comparison with those tracks that were recorded with a real drummer. Reunion and Friday (4 & 6), while being still accessible rather than complex compositions, quite noticeably differ from any of the four tracks that I've described above, as well as from each other, though. Reunion is about a very tasteful Classic Symphonic Art-Rock that, apart from the parts of electric instruments, features the excellent passages and solos of acoustic guitar. While Friday, which is the only 'official' representative of Prog-Metal on this album, is somewhat of a mirage within "Mirage". There are changes of tempo and tone on both of these pieces, but not as many as I would like to. All six of the remaining tracks are excellent, at least. Musically, both of Alaska (3) and What's Wrong What's Right (13), which is the only song on the album, represent a real Classic Symphonic Art-Rock of a dramatic character. The album's title track (9) is overall of the same story, though it is woven from the textures that are typical for the music of the East. If you listen to the classical guitar piece Nylon Ditty (8), you'll immediately recall Mood For a Day (Yes, "Fragile") by Steve Howe and a few of the other great guitar instrumentals, although Sergey's piece is incomparable at all. Both of the remaining compositions (and both of them were performed without drums) are not only real pearls of progressive music, but also rare pearls that, moreover, are unique by all means. Wonderful interplay between passages of acoustic guitar and those of a string ensemble that flow to the accompaniment of gentle jingle of little bells on Introduction (1) are full of a light sorrow, which is very, very 'Russian'. The amazingly fast and virtuosi passages of acoustic guitar and diverse interplay between them and mid-tempo solos of semi-acoustic guitar, sounding very much like Sitar, and those of bass, are presented on Middle East (5), which, as well as Introduction, is just filled with magic. Summary. Before reading this review, one might think that the title of this album should refer to the presence of influences of Camel in the music that Mr. Dudin presented here, which however, is completely incorrect. As well as in the case of "Eternal Call", only fluid solos on "Mirage" may sometimes remind of those by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour, while all of the harsh solos of guitar, and there are plenty of them on this album, are highly original. Also, there is a huge difference between both of the said albums, as there are no any direct influences on "Mirage". As always, I regard originality as one of the most important aspects of any musical work of any genre. However, as you've just read above, this album is rich not only in original ideas. So it gets my highest recommendations. Review by "Vitaly Menshikov" (www.progressor.net).
RATING: 7.25 / 10
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