Detailed Reviews [ Kalle Wallner - 2022 - "Voices"]

Prolusion. German composer and musician Kalle WALLNER is perhaps best known for his long time tenure in veteran progressive rock band RPWL, and for the past 15 years he has also had his own band Blind Ego. This year Wallner goes one step further and is about to release what will be his first actual solo album - as in an album released under his own name. The album is called "Voices" and will be released towards the end of February through the label Gentle Art of Music.

Analysis. I gather from the press release that followed this album that the Corona pandemic at least to some extent is to blame for the creation of this album. When someone is creative, is a musician, has a studio available and the pandemic perhaps limits some of the choices on how to spend time, the end result of that will pretty often be music it would appear. I have read a few similar stories during the last year or so. What sets this production a bit apart from Wallner's other projects is that this is mainly an instrumental album. We get lead vocals on one occasion and nonverbal backing vocals on a couple of occasions, but otherwise this is a production where the instruments cater for all the voices. While there is a fair deal of variety throughout this album, with the opening cut's blend of progressive electronic music and energetic hard rock perhaps the most left field one, for my sake I do find that a lot of the material on this album sounds like they could be well suited to a RPWL album as well. With Wallner being a guitarist the music is obviously a bit more guitar dominated here than it would be in his main band, but the moods and atmospheres for many of these cuts would be a good fit for RPWL nonetheless. One aspect that may or may not have made him decide to use the material for a solo album instead is that quite a few guitar details as well as some arrangements do have quite a bit of a Floydian and Gilmourish tinge to them, and my impression is that RPWL have deliberately toned down those aspects of their music for some time now and focused more on their own staples and musical identifiers. Idle speculation of course, but at least a possible reason for why some of the compositions have ended up here rather than elsewhere. Elegant and atmospheric laden progressive rock and driving, energetic hard rock are the main staples of this album, explored as solitary orientations as well as combined. Wallner is a seasoned composer and musician, and knows how to develop and move a song forward, so there's nothing here that appears to be underdeveloped. Just how interesting this album will be will of course be a matter of objective taste. For my part I find it a solid album by a solid artist.

Conclusion. Kalle Wallner's first proper solo album is a mainly instrumental affair, combining energetic hard rock with atmospheric laden progressive rock, and with a liberal amount of Floydian moods and atmospheres adding flavor to many of the songs. Those who know and appreciate the material released by Blind Ego as well as RPWL will find quite a lot of material that will be of interest and that will be familiar sounding. More guitar driven and guitar dominated though, especially compared to the latter, and an interest in instrumental music will be needed to get the most out of this album. But, at least for now, I'd send fans of Blind Ego and RPWL to this album prior to anyone else.

Progmessor: February 2022
The Rating Room