Joel Hoekstra
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Review of "The Moon Is Falling"
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By: Vitaly Menshikov
f I say that the new Joel Hoekstra album is a step forward in comparison with its
predecessor, I will say almost nothing. "The Moon Is Falling" is not only in every
respect better than "Undefined", but also is one of the most original and impressive
albums I've heard this year, at least. Two out of the fourteen compositions here
(all are full instrumental this time): Antonia and Lull (9 & 14) are wonderful,
beautiful, very tasteful guitar Art-Rock-based ballads giving the listener some rest
in this world of unusual, quite tense, and amazingly innovative music. The other
twelve compositions are entities of a unified stylistics representing an extremely
unique amalgam of both of the guitar and symphonic kinds of Art-Rock, Jazz-Fusion,
Cathedral Metal, and Fifth Element, all of which was from the outset blessed by
charisma. (Although the quantity of elements of each of the said genres is variable
on different tracks, all of this has on the whole a slight influence upon the state
of the album's predominant stylistics.) The sound is very unexpected, to say the
least. It is definitely new, clearly modern, and is always diverse and, at the same
time, very attractive. All the arrangements on the album are certainly and by all
means progressive, and yet, they've been 'constructed' way different than those in
classic forms of Progressive Rock. Most of the tracks here consist of arrangements
that are marvelously both powerful and atmospheric, and some, in addition, are
notable for being lightly touched by music of the East. While the parts of the main
soloing instruments: guitar, bass and, in a less degree, keyboards and flutes can be
fast in places, the music is basically either slow or mid-tempo. Fantastically
inventive, very tasteful, mostly dramatic and, often, quite dark, it is just filled
with mystery, magic, and almost physically perceptible hypnotism.
Conclusion. I experienced great pleasure in listening to Joel Hoekstra's "The Moon
Is Falling", which is interesting from the first to the last note. I can't compare
it with anything else, not to mention the works of so-called electric guitar heroes
such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Tony MacAlpine, Yngwie Malmsteen, etc. This is an
astonishingly fresh sounding album, and I just haven't heard anything like this
until now. Highly recommended, of course.
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Vitaly Menshikov / Uzbekistan Progressive Rock Pages
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