By Andrew Bansal
Canadian musician Gustavo De Beauville is known in the metal world for his work in the duo The Unravelling and their Alberta award-winning album “13 Arcane Hymns”, but he has also worked with other musicians and bands, and has ventured in the worlds of video games and film. His latest endeavor is his debut solo instrumental full-length album simply titled ‘Volume 1’, which he self-released in February.
This set of 15 tunes comes across as psychedelic and ambient for the most part, and that’s what I would generally describe it to anyone who hasn’t heard it at all. ‘Release The Kraken’ sets the tone brilliantly with its strong guitar melodies interspersed with industrial elements, and that’s the approach Gustavo adopts for the album while blending these different elements to varying degrees, as a result some tunes turning out to be more guitar-driven than others. Although the ambient vibe is shared by all tracks and that’s the thread connecting them to give this 57-minute album a holistic finish, there’s plenty of variety from track to track and it keeps the listener engaged throughout its entirety.
Each of the 15 tunes is excellently composed and arranged, and the track ordering seems apt in terms of its flow and impact. ‘Visions From Above’ for me is the most outstanding track on the album and the guitar melodies on this tune convey its emotion beautifully. Gustavo’s production and mix also plays an important part in bringing the best out of the music, as despite its modern, industrial nature, it doesn’t sound overdone or over-produced even for a single moment. It shows that Gustavo’s self-taught background and experience has made him an expert at this aspect.
The album’s cover artwork is very telling in terms of representing what the album stands for musically, and Gustavo’s solo debut should instantly appeal to and strike the right chord amongst fans of Tool, Porcupine Tree, Nine Inch Nails and the like. This is psychedelic forward-thinking music at its finest.
Rating: 9.5/10
Stream the album in full using the SoundCloud player below:
Volume 1 by Gustavo De Beauville
Release Date: February 17th 2014
Track Listing:
01. Release The Kraken
02. Jagannath
03. As I Slither
04. From The Light
05. Seeking Solace
06. Ancient Courage
07. Visions From Above
08. Insectoid Trails
09. Sands Of Allure
10. Red Giants
11. Losing Innocence
12. In A Shaman’s Dream
13. On Divine Raven
14. Take To The Skies
15. In Defiance
Links:
GustavoDeBeauville.com
SoundCloud.com/DeBeauville
GustavoDeBeauville.bandcamp.com