Karl Demata : Cross the Mountain
by Alissa Ordabai
Staff Writer
A ruggedly elegant mixture of blues, hard rock and late 60s psychedelia, the debut solo album by Karl Demata is a pay-off to styles that his main band – UK proggers Crippled Black Phoenix – doesn’t always have the scope to fully engage in.
Ably abetted by bassist Chris Heilmann and drummer Merijn Royaards, Demata sings broodingly earnest songs of disillusionment, soul-searching, and grown-up reflection supported by gritty blues-rock riffs and stable, earth-bound harmonies. You can’t fault him for his knowing, tasteful treatment of the blues-rock tradition, but when he uses the old formulas as departure points for his guitar leads, you know he’s entering a different realm. Breathy, gorgeously phrased slide work on the title track is one such trip, where the guitar’s hypnotic, pulsating day-glow reaches beyond the prescribed methods to work its intuitive magic.
A combination of cerebral songwriting and detail-rich, inspired guitar wizardry make this album as retro-contempo as the classic rock connoseurs like it these days. Although it would also inevitably appeal to anyone who thinks that 1969 was the best year not just for music, but for attitudes and lifestyle.
Musicians:
Karl Demata – guitars, vocals
Chris Heilmann – bass, backing vocals
Merijn Royaards – drums
Tim Howes – organ, piano
Hugh Flint – percussions
Track Listing:
1. Barefoot Walking Blues
2. Until the End
3. Failing Design
4. Cross the Mountain
5. Never Come Around
6. Hard to Find
7. The Day You Put Me Down
8. Looking Through You
9. Blind Willie McTell
10. Fallen City
11. The Circus Never Comes to Town
Online: www.demata.co.uk
Label: Karl Demata / Green Lizard Records
Hardrock Haven rating: 8/10