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"Free from his vampire affectations, Nad Sylvan delivers a sincere, varied, and non-stop “Monumentata.”"
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4/5
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Born Hugh Erik Stewart to an American father of Hungarian descent who was a tennis champion (winning a title in Monte Carlo in 1956) and a Swedish mother, Nad Sylvan adopted his pseudonym around 1997. He spent a long time in the world of progressive rock before becoming the lead singer alongside Steve Hackett in the “Genesis Revisited” series. However, he did not abandon his solo projects, and “Monumentata” is his eighth effort, presented in a very sober cover that evokes a certain intimacy.
Abandoning the mannerisms of Vampirate, Nad Sylvan decided to show his true personality without pretense. He considers this album to be “his most vulnerable,” with three-quarters of the lyrics directly inspired by his life. The title is a tribute to his late father, ‘Tata’ being the diminutive of “father” in Hungarian.
Over the course of his now long career, Nad Sylvan has built up a solid address book, and he invited many of them to participate in the making of Monumentata: among others, Randy McStine (Steven Wilson) on guitar, Marco Minnemann on drums, Jonas Reingold and Tony Levin on bass, to name only the most famous. Nad himself plays all the keyboards and most of the guitar parts.
And the result is more than convincing. The album is catchy and rather eclectic, ranging from unapologetic rock (the energetic “Secret Lover,” the groovy “That's Not Me”) to more intimate pieces (" Monte Carlo Priceless' or ‘Monumentata’, with a moving sincerity reminiscent of Mike & the Mechanics' ‘The Living Years’ or Camel's ‘The Hour Candle’ on everything we couldn't say), even flirting with neo-prog in the instrumental ‘Make Somebody Proud’. He allows himself a little nod to his vampire period in the roguish “I'm Stepping Out,” with a nice, well-placed violin interlude. The overall tone is reminiscent of Fish in his heyday, and there's even a “Clutching at Straws” vibe at the end of “Wild Fire,” a bass-driven track. The album closes with an effective bonus track that has the makings of a hit. Well done!
Leaving his vampire trappings behind, Nad Sylvan shows his true colors here and finds an unexpected balance. Sincerity suits him well. - Official website
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TRACK LISTING:
01. Secret Lover - 7:01
02. That's Not Me - 5:19
03. Monte Carlo Priceless - 5:36
04. Flowerland - 5:06
05. Wildfire - 6:28
06. Make Somebody Proud - 6:01
07. I'm Stepping Out - 5:01
08. Monumentata - 5:12
09. Unkillable - 3:52
LINEUP:
Nad Sylvan: Chant / Guitares / Basse / Claviers
David Kollar: Guitares / Invité
Felix Lehrmann: Batterie / Invité
Joe Deninzon : Invité / Violon
Jonas Reingold: Basse / Invité
Lalle Larsson: Claviers / Invité
Marco Minnemann: Batterie / Invité
Mirko De Maio: Batterie / Invité
Neil Whitford: Guitares / Invité
Nick Beggs: Basse / Invité
Randy Mcstine: Guitares / Invité
Tony Levin: Basse / Invité
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READERS
-/5 (0 view(s))
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STAFF:
4/5 (1 view(s))
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