I am in a very fortunate position in that I have been writing about music for some 30 years now and have a reputation of sorts, which means I am often sent way more albums than I can cope with. So I have certain rules to abide by when choosing what to review: If I am sent a physical album I review it, if I am directly contacted by a band regarding a download I review it, and if I am sent something by a label or PR company and I download the album I review it. This means I pick and choose what I am sent en masse in the vain attempt to keep my listening and writing duties to something sensible (it never is), so when I was sent the details of this release I did what I always did and read the press release. I’d not come across Dave Schoepke prior to this, but noted he is drummer with Martin Barre, a musician I admire greatly. Plus, it was a drums only album and I get very few of those so thought it would be interesting.
Wrong. I have always been fascinated by drums, and two of the best concerts I have ever attended have been by Kodo, while being able to watch Neal Peart, Phil Collins, Nick D’Virgilio and so many other great drummers in performance has been an absolute delight. The issue here is that each of these pieces feels like the drum solo we have been waiting for to be able to go to the bar. It’s not that he isn’t a good drummer, he proves time again he is very good indeed, but there isn’t enough here for the casual music listener. Drummers may rave over this, I don’t know, but it feels like it is a personal album for Dave and anyone who isn’t sharing that experience (this was inspired by the birth of his second child) just won’t get it. Drum solo after drum solo just doesn’t do it for me, and while it is a valiant effort at creating something different, on a purely listenable level this doesn’t do it for me at all.
Rating: 4/10
