Michael’s Statement "Beauty of Sadness"

Country: Germany
Sub Genre: Eclectic, Retro Prog, Avant Prog
Label: Self-released
Release date: August 27, 2012
Tracklist: 
1. Black Sea Incident 8:26
2. Baba Fuma's Tale 11:42
3. Old Road Home 4:27
4. Trees 5:53
5. Crystal Lake 7:35
6. Enter Sadness 17:40

Line-up: 
Michael Vuckovac (drums, guitar, Mellotron, additional instruments, vocals)
with
Valentin Alvarez (saxophone)
Giulio Cataldo (Grand Piano)
Paul Cecchetti (flute)
Dereck Higgins (bass)
Stefan Grob (guitar)
Peter Jonasson (guitar)
Ray Kurtz (frettless bass)
Art Lip (trumpet, vocals)
Dave Meros (Spock's Beard, bass)
Steve Mills (vocals)

Description/Reviews: 

The Beauty of Sadness is six-tracks clocking in at fifty-five minutes in total length. Most of these compositions are on the longish side allowing for more than your average complexity. The overall tone is somewhat dark, dramatic and moody with a style that clearly hearkens back to a classic King Crimson feel. More than one of these tracks features a dissonant or angular passage that separates or distinguishes the more melodic segments. While there are vocals, they don’t seem to take over the musical proceedings in any significant way. What truly stands out are the many longer complex and sometimes dense musical passages. Mellotron features powerfully throughout. The vocals, certainly on the opening “Black Sea Incident” [8:26] betray a Peter Hammill or David Bowie tone and style; very emotional and expressive. The ‘Tron  makes it’s mark with massed strings and choirs at every turn. The shortest track “Old Road Home” [4:27] is a slow ballad and features mostly piano, acoustic guitar, fretless bass, with keyboard support. It is open and airy. The longest track is the epic closer “Enter Sadness” [17:40] which opens in grand symphonic fashion, Mellotron a blazing before descending into an angular, minor chord spiral at just past the one-minute mark. From that point on, all bets are off as the music takes on a life of its own; all at once grand and the nest dark and discordant. It is truly “epic.” 

Read the whole review by Jerry Lucky 

Media/Samples 
Old Road Home (Official Video)

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