by Steve Joyce
“The Escapologist” is the third album released under the ‘Jason Bieler and The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra’ name, following 2021’s ‘Songs for the Apocalypse’ and 2023’s ‘Postcards from the Asylum’. Singer, guitarist and songwriter Bieler is well known as founder member of 1990s Florida hard rockers Saigon Kick. The ‘Orchestra’ is formed of three stellar musicians: guitarist Andee Blacksugar (Blondie, KMFDM, Peter Murphy), drummer Edu Cominato (Geoff Tate, Mr. Big, Soto) and bassist Johan Niemann (Evergrey).
The band is self-billed as “epic, genre-defying prog rock, hand-crafted by a wonderfully unhinged composer for the discerning modern music fan”. A person reading the album’s advance publicity and the band’s social media content could be forgiven for thinking that you’re in for a chaotic experience. I imagine the hilarious and often uproarious material might attract and discourage curious listeners in equal measure. I approached this album expecting to be bewildered!
I’m pleasantly surprised that this isn’t the case. What you actually have is a mighty fine 44-minute album of ten concise, cleverly-arranged songs, terrific tunes, fabulous performances and overall, a highly enjoyable and satisfying listen. It reminds me of Devin Townsend at his most tuneful and accessible – think ‘Epicloud’ rather than ‘Ziltoid’, and you wouldn’t be far off.
One of the great things about this record is how it grabs the attention from the very first seconds. Opening song ‘Industrious’, with its a capella intro, heavy guitar riffs and time-shifting chorus immediately imprints a distinctive musical identity and creates huge anticipation for the rest of the album.
Lead single ‘Savior’ is next and it could be accurately described as prog metal calypso on steroids! With energetic drums, funky horns, Caribbean vibes and incredible amounts of melody packed into a glorious three and a half minutes, this song cathartically expunges Marillion’s ‘Hope to the Future’ and puts a huge smile on your face. It’s an early contender for best drumming performance of the year – Cominato is on absolute fire here.
‘Stars Collide’ has a more radio-friendly feel and by this album’s entertaining standards is relatively mainstream. Its highlight is a tasteful guitar solo. Heavy guitar riffage kicks off ‘Violent Creatures’, which flows pleasingly with a less-is-more mid tempo shuffle. Its short but ear-catching instrumental bridge is a major hook and I love the anthemic chorus.
The album’s most tender song, ‘Hollow’ is next. Providing a useful contrast in mood to the rest of the album, it’s a highly effective ballad with a gorgeous, heart-stirring lead vocal by Bieler and tear-jerking lyrics such as “…broken wings of a swallow…” which are guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat. ‘Zombies and Black Swans’ is a straightforward rocker and perhaps slightly outstays its welcome despite featuring some tasteful guitar work.
Happily, another album highlight follows with ‘No Real Goodbyes’ – a delicious cocktail of spooky keyboards, groovy drums, brooding bass and .multi-layered vocals. It’s an especially clever arrangement and I love the tension-building outro.
The remaining three songs are all top-drawer. ‘Space Debris’ is perky, catchy and has a pop sensibility that reminded me of UK new wave stalwarts Squeeze.
Penultimate song ‘Sacred Cow’ is my favourite track on the album. With a soaring, transcendental chorus and fabulous lush production, it scales major emotional heights and is truly impactful. My only complaint is that its sub-four minute run-time is maddeningly short! (Never mind, that’s what the repeat button is for…) The song is so good, I think it would have been better sequenced as the album’s closing track.
That’s not to say that actual album closer ‘March of the Vikonauts’ isn’t also a superb song – it is! With a brilliantly paced build, it features infectious vocals and an awesome guitar solo, setting the scene for a remarkable extended outro sequence with drums wailing over guitar ostinatos.
While it’s far too early to be thinking about albums of the year, the sheer quality here is such that I’d be very surprised if ‘The Escapologist’ didn’t feature in some people’s countdowns. There are different styles on display so it could be said that the album is eclectic, but it also bonds together as a coherent listening journey. ‘Industrious’, ‘Savior’, ‘March of the Vikonauts’ and ‘Sacred Cow’ (especially) are four startlingly good songs. A must for Devin Townsend fans, all lovers of melodic metallic prog will get a kick out of this fascinating release.
While the prog world’s attention is focused on a feverishly-anticipated release by a certain band celebrating their ‘XXXX’ anniversary, it would be a terrible shame if this album was overlooked. Don’t be distracted by the zaniness – it’s genuinely excellent and deserves to be heard!
Released on Feb 21st, 2025
Tracklisting:
1. Industrious 03:19
2. Savior 03:34
3. Stars Collide 03:59
4. Violent Creatures 05:02
5. Hollow 05:38
6. Zombies & Black Swans 05:02
7. No Real Goodbyes 04:24
8. Space Debris 03:59
9. Sacred Cow 03:41
10. March Of The Vikonauts 05:33
Personnel:
Jason Bieler – vocals, guitar, keyboards
Andee Blacksugar – guitar
Edu Cominato – drums
Johan Niemann – bass
Order The Escapologist here: https://ffm.bio/vpa6v3v
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