Detailed Reviews [RPWL - 2021 - "God Has Failed. Live and Personal"]

Prolusion. German band RPWL has a history that goes back to the late 1990's, and released their debut album "God has Failed" back in 2000. As of 2021 they have 9 studio albums out, and a further 8 live productions. "God Has Failed. Live and Personal" is the most recent of their live albums, and was released through the label Gentle Art of Music in the spring of 2021.

Analysis. The unique aspect about this live album is that the band decided to re-record their first album live, celebrating the 20th anniversary of this production, back in November 2020. If this was an audience event or a streamed event I do not know though, but as this was in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic my guess is that it was a streaming concert or a live performance without an audience. How much that has changed in the music between the original and this new version I can't really tell in detail, and taking the time for comparisons isn't a very productive task either. The important bit is how this new version comes across. That being said, Yogi Lang has become a steadily better vocalist over the years, and he appears to fully master his register and pronunciation at this stage, carrying songs with greater ease than on the earlier RPWL albums I have listened to with a closer intent. The rest of the band, while somewhat different than the band that recorded the original album, has become a tight bunch of musicians as well, and that the musicianship is of high quality is crystal clear throughout this performance. In many ways this is a studio quality recording as far as performance and execution goes. The music itself is very much in the vein of Gilmour-era Pink Floyd, which isn't all that surprising considering that RPWL started out playing covers of Pink Floyd. Details here and there suggest the development the band would take in later years, but the structure and arrangements of the material here carry a strong and distinct Pink Floyd vibe to them. From the alternating careful and majestic sections to the soaring arrangements with keyboards, guitars, lead vocals and female backing vocals erupting in a careful, majestic drama. Atmospheric alden guitar solo runs is obviously a part of this totality too, even if guitarist Wallner does add a few personal touches to his parts in that department. Apart from how much or not the individual songs resonate with the listener, there's no negative points to discuss with this production. Mix, production and performance all hold a high standard and high quality. As far as live performances go this one is high class.

Conclusion. This live album is one I suspect many long time fans of RPWL have acquired already, and those who haven't done so yet will not be disappointed. Other than that, I'd say that many of those who know and love Gilmour-era Pink Floyd will appreciate the music explored on this album in general, and it is easy for me to recommend this live album to that audience as well as those interested in listening to an album with music made in that specific style.

Progmessor: July 2021
The Rating Room