Review Summary: Kevin Moore exploits his artistic freedom in full for the first time as a solo artist and the result is beautiful, strange, night music that words hardly can describe.
Kevin Moore is a one-in-a-zillion example of an artist, generally speaking. Although Dream Theater were already critically acclaimed, when the "Awake" album was issued, he suddenly decided to part ways with the band due to musical differences. For me, Moore’s “less is more” perspective in terms of songwriting, was the “dam” to Petrucci’s and Portnoy’s growing tendency to make pompous/"overloaded" songs, demonstrating their undeniably great musical skills, lacking however in conciseness. Inevitably, one day that “dam” collapsed. As a result, DT’s first three albums were never topped by their later releases, with the “Scenes from A Memory” album being the only possible exception.
Moore’s focus on “less is more” utterly unfolds for the first time in “Dead Air for Radios” album. Leaving the traditional “prog metal” keyboards aside and prog metal altogether, Moore uses the piano extensively to produce dark, melancholic and highly memorable melodies over subliminal/hypnotic electronic loops and samples. The additional musicians used in this album truly support Moore’s musical vision. Mark Zonder’s (Fates Warning) solid drumming is an ode to minimalism, with Joey Vera (Fates Warning) accurately following in bass. The – few – guitars on the album are played by Jason Anderson.
Except from the music, credit is due to Moore’s vocals and lyrics as well. His soothing voice matches the music perfectly. As for the lyrics, songs like “Even the Waves” and “On the Page” are true masterpieces.
The overall outcome is music highly uncategorized. Dark, beautiful, nostalgic, strange.
All in all, “Dead air for Radios” album is another milestone lying within the breach that separates every “established” music genre from the other. Whoever seeks to dwell into this record, will be highly rewarded.
