ROCKENFIELD SPEER hell's canyon
		Format CD Country USA Recorded 2000 Issued 2000 Label Rainstorm Records Cat no. RS1233 Playing time 45:34 Reviewer Johan Dalsrud

Scott Rockenfield (better known from the drum stool in Queensryche) collaborates with Paul Speer (well-known producer and musician in his home country, he has received a few Grammy Awards, for instance) on this purely instrumental release. They have come together to make music inspired by Hells Canyon, the deepest crevice in Northern America. The tracks are named after real names and events in this mountainous area. Speer is clearly inspired by his trips in the area, and he has also written short notes on the history behind each title. Some deal with the indians view on how the nature was created, others deal with defined mountains, valleys, rivers and animals.

Rockenfield plays, in addition to drums, some percussion and keyboards. The rest is handled by Speer; guitar, bass and more keyboards. It is a kind of ambient, driving backing in most of the tracks, with floating melody lines. There is not a lot of development within each track once the rhythm and tempo has been settled. But it does not sound half bad, even if it is neither very virtuous or very progressive. You can draw parallels to bands like Ozric Tentacles, latter-day Mike Oldfield and Hawkwind, if you had removed the vocals from these. It is definitely not comparable to anything Rockenfield has done before (what Speer has released previously I do not know).

To sum up, it is a rhythmic and driving record with ambient undertones. An OK record to put on now and then, but it does not quite reach the top end of the list of the recent most interesting issues. But one thing is for sure, I learnt a great deal about the background of this area, and can vividly imagine the pictures which the music paints to Speers written notes.

© 2001 Tarkus Magazine

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