Dan Swano - Moontower Review

Dan Swano Moontower

Full Review

Tracklist:
1. Sun of the Night
2. Patchworks
3. Uncreation
4. Add Reality
5. Creating Illusions
6. The Big Sleep
7. Encounterparts
8. In Empty Phrases

Release Date: 1998

On 9 Lists

Members Also Liked:

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4.5
superb

by Ampersand (5 Reviews)

2008-03-26 | 48 comments | 3151 views

Summary: Dan Swano creates a very atmospheric and multi-faceted album with a dash of prog, a dash of metal, and a dash of awesome.

5 of 5 thought this review was well written

Dan Swano - "Moontower"

Dan Swano is known to many fans and musicians alike as somewhat of a God. Not only is he known for his multiple accounts of musical genius (please, do yourself a favor and listen to Edge of Sanity), but he has always had a presence of mystique around him going from one project to the next in such an effortless fashion. With his solo album "Moontower," Swano continues to appease the masses with an alluring taste of juxtaposition between metal and progressive genres. So please, come with me into the "Moontower." But be warned...once we enter this tower of chaos, there's no turning back!

As you open the door and enter inside, you look up at that gazing eye in the darkened sky. "Sun of The Night" opens this momentous album with a haunting riff and a chilling keyboard run created by the master of ceremonies. Immediately you'll notice the intensity of the album and viciousness of Swanos vocals. The interplaying of the keyboard is such a cool element that carries such a foreboding presence to it. The fantastic groove in the drumming department and vicious growling really pushes this song forward. Towards the later half of the song, a dark piano piece comes into play with a mellow overlay of the guitar very reminiscent of the band Opeth (look into Blackwater Park). The chaos ensues with a very nice solo that plummets you into a darker region of this tower. This is a fantastic opener that really shows you what's in store for the rest of the album.

With "Patchworks" you are in a strange corridor within the tower, you hear an ethereal and almost peaceful array of synthesized notes coming from inside one of the doors. As you open and walk in, the door immediately slams behind you and you are pulled into a darker world. With that, you will note how Swano likes to sort of "trick" the listener by interweaving nice and soothing pieces with raw and immense ones; a theme of much of the album. The riff and keyboards are webbed together as Swano growls some really immense and thought provoking lyrics dealing with reality and time. Around the middle of this track, the cymbals and guitar are the only two sources of instrumentation used and a punishing breakdown rears its ugly head contorting your ear drums much like that of a clowns balloon figures at a child's birthday party. This is a great song with good parts however, it can seem a bit too straightforward when compared to the rest of the tracks on the album.

As you swirl deeper into the dark "Moontower" you come to one of the coolest tracks on the album "Uncreation." Immediately you will fall in love with the cool keyboard work and are again greeted with a grooving set of lines in the percussion department. When it crescendos into his vocals, prepared to be scared. What's neat about the track is the mix of the instruments creating a haunting yet almost pleasant presence to them. An upbeat feeling to the song gives testimony to Dan's melodic capabilities. "Uncreation" also pays tribute to a sadly lacking concept these days, catchy-ness. You will find yourself humming the introduction for days after listening to this piece.

You are halfway to the top of the tower and closer to the light of the moon, when a looming serious of notes follow you in your wake. "Add Reality" shoots in as the next track and opens with a serious of haunting piano scales that are quite reminiscent to a horror movie or any other macabre entity. The riff in this song is really catchy as with the whole track. Swanos vocals and lyrics again are key. A cool thing utilized in this track are the "splashes" where the cymbals sort of crash with a note on the keyboard creating a nice touch to the atmosphere. A melodic point at the end of the album should be noted here, for it features Swano's vocals taking on a clean role. You will probably scratch your head and read the footnotes trying to find who the guest vocalist is, but you will be shockingly surprised that yes, it is him, and his range is THAT superb.

"Creating Illusions" is an interesting track and a bit more progressive than most parts of the previous songs. The keyboard is tinged with a 70s like progressive flair found in bands like Yes. The guitar riffing really throws an Opeth-like feel in the air which really shows influence from both bands I'd say. You will notice that he separates this song by weird strokes on the synth (giving it an almost industrial vibe to it) and acoustic guitar. This is a fun track to listen to as it's edgy enough to keep you headbanging and also get caught up in the cool swagger it paints.

You proceed you ascent up the stairs as the moon beckons you. Your mind is slowly becoming altered as each floor passes you by. You stop, and take a rest. Your eyes close as you fall into a deep slumber. "The Big Sleep" is the next track and opens with a dream-like run on the keys. This is cool experience to close your eyes to and just drift away. The melody at the beginning is excellently crafted with the shifting of the synth partnered with the guitar. The middle of the song takes a very spacey and psychedelic approach not yet found on the album again paying homage to old 70s progressive masters. Swano sort of paints a soothing picture with his voice as it continues to take you away. And then as you closed your eyes the song ends.

You wake up from your sleep in a sweat. Your heart is pounding as you race closer and closer to the top of the tower. The next track is the instrumental "Encounterparts."With this track, Swano goes all out beginning with a jazzy riff with an odd time signature which slowly culminates into a more calmer and less frantic section. This is probably on of the more experimental pieces of the album. Although it is an instrumental, it still creates a catchy vibe and blends a mix of funky guitar work and entrancing keyboards. The end last few minutes are some of the sweetest parts of the album combining all that the album has already brought to the table. One of the best solos on the album is also displayed along with a nice acoustic arrangement. This is one of the finer moments on the album as it always keeps you on your toes.

You've finally done it. You've reached the top of the tower, and with your hand outstretched you reach for the moon. "In Empty Phrases" is the final track and one heck of a closer to the album. A eerie sounding picked arrangement greets your ears. This song standout amongst others due to the amount of parts there are and how many genres it stretches out to. You'll get somewhat of an 80s rock vibe, especially in the beginning which then morphs into a nice melodic death metal assault and then to a groovy jazz portion. I really like how the album ends on this song as it takes everything that Swano wanted to display (and has) and just shoves it in your face even more.

"Moontower" is definitely for fans that like anything with melody, metal, ambience, atmosphere, and well-written, not overdone songwriting. What makes this album so great is Dans way of putting keeping that sense of melancholy and melodic presence in one ear, that shroud of darkness looming in your other, and keeping your mind and heart constantly racing. This is a great album for metal and progressive fans alike. So the next time you look up at the night sky and see the pale moon, think not only of its beauty, but that of this album as well.

RECOMMENDED TRACKS
"Sun of the Night"
"Uncreation"
"Add Reality"
"Encounterparts"

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