Reviewed by Ian Hayter

David Wallimann has been playing guitar for 15 years, mainly in his native France, where he amassed a number of endorsements, diplomas and prizes. His website lists his favourite guitarist as Steve Vai, and the influence is obvious on this self-produced album, recorded in the USA where he now lives. There is no doubting the axeman's talent and the 14 tracks on this album give him plenty of scope to demonstrate what he can do, with mind-blowing riffs and almost miraculous finger work. It's really a concept album, telling Wallimann's own story and providing a kind of testimony of his conversion and continuing Christian experience. Beginning with "Creation" and closing with the powerful "Heaven's Gate", it's a musical Pilgrim's Progress and is very reminiscent of a great deal of 1970s prog rock. However, the lyrics are something else entirely. Spoken rather than sung, they are somewhat pretentious and rambling, often difficult to hear and declaimed with a curious mock-emotionalism that seems to detract from the actual thrust of the words - the opening lines of "Escape" being a good example. It actually descends into the realms of comedy when the voice of God is heard on some tracks. I've no idea how the vocal effect is achieved (inhaling helium, perhaps?), but the end result sounds not unlike the Chipmunks wandering into a Flaming Lips' session. If you concentrate on the music (and maybe read the lyrics off the album sleeve rather than listening to them) this is a fine album. But the vocals were a mistake.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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