Established guitarist and progressive metal songwriter The Steve Klatt Project showcases the very best of his finely honed abilities and passion at the helm, with the extensive and vast new album Dreams and Reality.
As an introduction to the style and subject matter, the title-track – Dreams & Reality – storms into view as a dynamic and poetic explosion of distorted guitars and harmonised vocal melodies. It’s a theatrical arrangement, complete with strings and further layers to brighten the soundscape, and as we traverse this lyrical pathway, the underlying ideas stand all the more tall.
One highlight from the project is actually track two, a song in which Steve Klatt arranges a more intimate and evocative guitar piece – soulfully stripped-back and mellow but still in keeping with the progressive roar and tumble of the drums.
Exile is gripping, a performance of sheer unadulterated skill from our leading guitarist, and the song itself intrigues and engages for its sense of character, story, and accessible, relatable depth. There’s enough eclecticism throughout the structure of this one track to compel and impress listeners, and the subsequent dreamy calm of That Feeling works beautifully after it.
Self-penned as his only ballad, Steve Klatt delivers a whispering and melodically satisfying pop-rock work for That Feeling – an outcry of personal longing, with delicate guitars and a generally humble tempo that’s beautifully well-placed within the album. The talent and versatility of The Steve Klatt Project is unquestionable already.
On that note, as we approach the album’s finish, The Walk Of Shame drives with an entirely new front line vocal and a strict pattern of power chords that’s instantly alluring. The energy builds, the passion and melodic conviction rising boldly towards an unexpectedly catchy and anthemic hook.
Once again, the lyrics are unpredictable yet deeply human in their confrontation and wonder united. The voice is gentle to a degree, the music anything but, and that juxtaposition works well to light up yet another side to the Dreams & Reality realm of creative exploration.
The Steve Klatt Project has gone all in with the guitar mastery and musical depth, sharing a multitude of educational and entertaining videos on YouTube, as well as launching albums as complex and purposeful as this. The musicianship is second to none, and for the rock fans seeking out nostalgia or something a little more skilful and contemplative, Dreams & Reality is well worth a listen.
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