Ben Kuzay Perpetual Reign
by John Kindred
Staff Writer
Bassist Ben Kuzay’s sophomore release Perpetual Reign is an instrumental album that spotlights the bass guitar as the primary instrument. Shred bass, if you will, provides the listener with a unique perspective of the intricacies and nuances of the bass guitar when it isn’t held to the traditional boundaries of modern music. Kuzay was influenced by the likes of Geezer Butler, David Harbour, Steve Digiorgio and Stuart Hamm. He makes his a career as a full-time musician, recording and touring.
Perpetual Reign features eight songs, including “Homage to Hated Heroes,” in which Kuzay performs with one his heroes, David Harbour. The music falls into the hard rock and metal genres along with bits of neo-classical and technical performances. With an emphasis on lead bass performances, the guitars provide rhythm tracks to accent and help give the music its metallic nature. The guitars are significant enough that Kuzay embellishes his bass runs by mirroring them with the guitar. The album is not devoid of guitar solos or lead breaks, but they certainly are not the primary focus. The drums are typical for this kind of venture, providing a hard rock backdrop for the underlying arrangements. Keyboards also are used to fill out the musical arrangements.
Perpetual Reign leans heavily on the bottom end rumble of Kuzay’s bass. His bass soloing features fusion-driven passages, incorporating techniques like finger tapping, neo-classical runs and the use of power chords. Kuzay’s experience leads him to merge elements from hard rock and metal into energized compositions that grab and retain your attention. The only real criticism is the opening song “Vortex.” At more than seven minutes, the song is too long and is repetitive. It could have served Perpetual Reign better as a shorter instrumental interlude.
It is a dog-eat-dog world out there, and those musicians who choose to make a living recording and performing instrumental metal music find that fans of the genre comprises an isolated group of people. This should never deter the skilled, passionate musicians, as their own “mettle” can prove to make or break them. Kuzay is one of those musicians who have found a career that coincides with his passion.
Genre: Progressive Metal Instrumental
Musicians:
Ben Kuzay – Bass, Guitar, Keyboards, Tambourine, Production, Arrangements
Joel Wanasek – Drum Programming, Guitar Solo
David Harbour – Bass Solo, Keyboard Solo
Daniel Kuzay – Keyboard Solo
Track Listing:
1. Vortex (7:12)
2. On Top Of The World (4:29)
3. Perpetual Reign (5:07)
4. Fantasy Girl (4:18)
5. Ascension (3:01)
6. Where Dead Villains Lurk (2:24)
7. Homage To Hated Heroes (3:58)
8. Murdering Angels (Just For Fun) (9:12)
Label: Independent
Web: http://benkuzay.com/home.html
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10