features Todd Sucherman on drums and Gary Husband on
keyboards.
Sucherman has been playing with Styx for over 20 years and
has built a strong reputation as a rock drummer. On Borromean
Odyssey, Todd brought the powerful and precise playing he is now
known for, and applied it into an instrumental music that features
a wide range of dynamics, intricate arrangements and odd time
signatures.
Multi-instrumentalist Gary Husband joined Fafard on a fourth
album in a row. This time, he was given a large presence on lead keyboards. Husband showcased his skillful ability at the Fender Rhodes on ProgRation and The Seventh Extinction, and executed
stellar improvised synth solos on the other key songs of the record. As well as writing and arranging the music, Fafard recorded all the bass and guitar part on the project.
Exclusively on his website, Fafard now offers some additional products including a video file of the entire album, featuring footage from the recording sessions. Drumless tracks for drummers
interested to play along this music are also avaiable, as well as a boxset entitled Hexalogy 2011-2019, which includes six albums and a 100-page booklet.
Borromean Odyssey will be released on the 30th of August 2019 and widely distributed via Amplified Distribution.
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As in the Borromean rings in mathematics, all three musicians interlink energy and skills to become a solid powerhouse united by the same conceptual framework imagined by Antoine Fafard not just as a collection of fusions but thematically meaningful, infused with a futuristic mysterious flavor.
As on his five previous excellent releases Antoine Fafard found a smart way to give the bass an equal voice in the band building with dexterity connections and layers, balancing intricate complex passages with atmospheric, airy transitions, setting up a playground for collaboration and exploration while maintaining an obvious sonic coherence.
Beyond the passionate virtuosity of the musicians, what makes the album exciting is the enthusiastic combination of sounds, rhythms and harmonies intertwined with an impeccable clarity. Gentle Giant and Alan Holdsworth are just two names that come to mind on some tracks, yet expect no monotony, repetitions or fillings. From the vigorous opener “Invisible Planet” to “Trident”, the final track of the set, the music keeps its freshness al throughout. Gary Husband is as inventive as we know him from his past collaborations with jazz rock legends, his contribution to “ProgRation”, “Chemical Reactor”, “The Seventh Extinction”, “Inspired Mechanics”, just to name a few is simply brilliant. World class drummer Todd Sucherman adds sophistication and power in perfect tune with guitars and keyboards, pouring dynamics and depth to each song.
Borromean Odyssey will certainly resonate with jazz rock fans eager to discover high quality music performed by this one of a kind “meeting of the spirits”.
