Matt Steady – Flight Of The Raven
Independent, Leicester based musician Matt Steady has pulled out all the nuCeltic prog stops for double album Flight of the Raven.
The most ambitious work to date from the multi-instrumentalist (guitars, violin, keys, uillean pipes, mandolin, whistle), Flight of the Raven consists of four instrumental 'Scrolls,' each approximately eighteen minutes long.
These Scrolls act as a musical celebration of the four elements (Fire, Air, Earth, Water) as well as carrying mini concepts, including the hypothetical question of what if Celtic life and lore dominated in the 21st century, and beyond, to the stars.
Each Scroll is also accompanied by an official video (on YouTube and the DVD & Blu-ray editions of the album) that plays to both the beauty of the natural world and each Scroll’s theme (the video for 'Fire Scroll : Ascension' for example also looks to a child’s wonder of space).
From an atmospheric opening of synth-drone, Daniel Day’s Celtic whistle (Day also plays bass on the album), piano from guest player Dave Bainbridge and melodic guitar interjections, the 'Fire Scroll' starts its ascension via a rock-fusion section featuring Matt Steady’s free flowing guitar and a funky groove from Daniel Day and drummer Terl Bryant (who also features throughout on percussion).
An emotive Celtic rock section housing a melodic refrain then follows before lone pipes repeat the refrain to close out the first movement.
The second movement, following a segway of rippling piano lines and rock guitar, settles into a new and delicate refrain led by Matt Steady’s violin, before shifting to a rock variation of the theme.
Another rock-fusion section follows before the piece returns to the original refrain in, first, rock mode, followed by a violin & piano conclusion.
'Air Scroll : Gate Of Souls' is, as the title suggests, a musically lighter affair.
Following a synth-backed opening, plaintive guitar cries, keys, and a shimmer of cymbals set up the first of several melodically focussed movements, each arranged to create a sense of floating on a light wind.
These breezy sequences are followed by a guitar-led, soft-rock piece before a percussively driven Celtic-jig section shifts both the tempo and narrative.
The second part of 'Gate Of Souls' captures that very title.
Another Celtic-jig section (led by Matt Steady’s violin) welcomes said souls as they travel onward to the next part of their journey.
A short synth & keys transitional part then leads to a gorgeously emotive, guitar-led rock section that builds to a Celtic-fusion crescendo, before the souls leave on the final, fading winds of the Scroll.
'Earth Scroll : Resistance' opens with reverbed electric guitar, which is soon accompanied by Celtic whistle and Uilleann pipes; this leads to a melodic solo line that seems to cry in emotive harmony with the earth itself.
An eery keyboard passage then follows before some impressive rock guitar soloing takes centre stage.
A transition back to the original theme sets up a heavier fusion section before a variation of the original refrain closes out the first movement of 'Resistance.'
The second movement starts with heavy, 70s styled fusion meeting Celtic jig head on, with rock guitar, pipes, whistle and rhythm section in full cry.
The frantic opening then gives way to a highly emotive section where the delicate light and shade of Matt Steady’s guitars (the mirroring of light and dark is cleverly emphasised in the accompanying video) lead the Celtic-blues way.
Another transition leads to an eastern influenced progressive passage that shifts in both beat and time.
The final movement of 'Resistance' starts rhythmically before building from a simple keys & guitar sequence to a slightly discordant variation of the original theme.
The piece then shifts again to allow guitar, pipes and whistle to bow out on a repeated refrain.
'Water Scroll : Ocean’s Call' contains the heaviest sections of the four Scrolls, tempered by moments of melodic light (such as the beautifully lamenting intro on Uilleann pipes) and, as with the previous Scrolls, a great sense of dynamics.
In emulation of the Scroll it represents, 'Ocean’s Call' ebbs and flows across three distinct movements, the first of which kicks into a stirring Celtic march before transforming to a rock and reel jig.
The second movement begins with Matt Steady’s bluesy guitar refrain; Steady then passes the six-string baton to special guest guitarist Dave Brons, who gives it the full Vai (at his most harmonic).
Another full-on Celtic rock sequence follows before a brooding, metal-esque passage adds a much darker shade to the musical palette; the second movement then bows out on another melodic refrain.
The third movement opens with Uilleann pipes and percussion before building with bass, whistles and drums; a switch to an atmospheric rock passage sets up a short jig section before 'Ocean’s Call,' and the album, close out on a low-noted violin and the sounds of lapping water.
it's a gentle and calming conclusion to a brave and bold undertaking – one that’s truly striking in its widescreen endeavours and progressive rock meets nuCeltic artistry.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Flight Of The Raven is available now, on CD, Vinyl, Digital Downlaod and DVD/ Bu-Ray (featuring the official music videos of each track) at: https://mattsteady.bandcamp.com/album/flight-of-the-raven
The most ambitious work to date from the multi-instrumentalist (guitars, violin, keys, uillean pipes, mandolin, whistle), Flight of the Raven consists of four instrumental 'Scrolls,' each approximately eighteen minutes long.
These Scrolls act as a musical celebration of the four elements (Fire, Air, Earth, Water) as well as carrying mini concepts, including the hypothetical question of what if Celtic life and lore dominated in the 21st century, and beyond, to the stars.
Each Scroll is also accompanied by an official video (on YouTube and the DVD & Blu-ray editions of the album) that plays to both the beauty of the natural world and each Scroll’s theme (the video for 'Fire Scroll : Ascension' for example also looks to a child’s wonder of space).
From an atmospheric opening of synth-drone, Daniel Day’s Celtic whistle (Day also plays bass on the album), piano from guest player Dave Bainbridge and melodic guitar interjections, the 'Fire Scroll' starts its ascension via a rock-fusion section featuring Matt Steady’s free flowing guitar and a funky groove from Daniel Day and drummer Terl Bryant (who also features throughout on percussion).
An emotive Celtic rock section housing a melodic refrain then follows before lone pipes repeat the refrain to close out the first movement.
The second movement, following a segway of rippling piano lines and rock guitar, settles into a new and delicate refrain led by Matt Steady’s violin, before shifting to a rock variation of the theme.
Another rock-fusion section follows before the piece returns to the original refrain in, first, rock mode, followed by a violin & piano conclusion.
'Air Scroll : Gate Of Souls' is, as the title suggests, a musically lighter affair.
Following a synth-backed opening, plaintive guitar cries, keys, and a shimmer of cymbals set up the first of several melodically focussed movements, each arranged to create a sense of floating on a light wind.
These breezy sequences are followed by a guitar-led, soft-rock piece before a percussively driven Celtic-jig section shifts both the tempo and narrative.
The second part of 'Gate Of Souls' captures that very title.
Another Celtic-jig section (led by Matt Steady’s violin) welcomes said souls as they travel onward to the next part of their journey.
A short synth & keys transitional part then leads to a gorgeously emotive, guitar-led rock section that builds to a Celtic-fusion crescendo, before the souls leave on the final, fading winds of the Scroll.
'Earth Scroll : Resistance' opens with reverbed electric guitar, which is soon accompanied by Celtic whistle and Uilleann pipes; this leads to a melodic solo line that seems to cry in emotive harmony with the earth itself.
An eery keyboard passage then follows before some impressive rock guitar soloing takes centre stage.
A transition back to the original theme sets up a heavier fusion section before a variation of the original refrain closes out the first movement of 'Resistance.'
The second movement starts with heavy, 70s styled fusion meeting Celtic jig head on, with rock guitar, pipes, whistle and rhythm section in full cry.
The frantic opening then gives way to a highly emotive section where the delicate light and shade of Matt Steady’s guitars (the mirroring of light and dark is cleverly emphasised in the accompanying video) lead the Celtic-blues way.
Another transition leads to an eastern influenced progressive passage that shifts in both beat and time.
The final movement of 'Resistance' starts rhythmically before building from a simple keys & guitar sequence to a slightly discordant variation of the original theme.
The piece then shifts again to allow guitar, pipes and whistle to bow out on a repeated refrain.
'Water Scroll : Ocean’s Call' contains the heaviest sections of the four Scrolls, tempered by moments of melodic light (such as the beautifully lamenting intro on Uilleann pipes) and, as with the previous Scrolls, a great sense of dynamics.
In emulation of the Scroll it represents, 'Ocean’s Call' ebbs and flows across three distinct movements, the first of which kicks into a stirring Celtic march before transforming to a rock and reel jig.
The second movement begins with Matt Steady’s bluesy guitar refrain; Steady then passes the six-string baton to special guest guitarist Dave Brons, who gives it the full Vai (at his most harmonic).
Another full-on Celtic rock sequence follows before a brooding, metal-esque passage adds a much darker shade to the musical palette; the second movement then bows out on another melodic refrain.
The third movement opens with Uilleann pipes and percussion before building with bass, whistles and drums; a switch to an atmospheric rock passage sets up a short jig section before 'Ocean’s Call,' and the album, close out on a low-noted violin and the sounds of lapping water.
it's a gentle and calming conclusion to a brave and bold undertaking – one that’s truly striking in its widescreen endeavours and progressive rock meets nuCeltic artistry.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Flight Of The Raven is available now, on CD, Vinyl, Digital Downlaod and DVD/ Bu-Ray (featuring the official music videos of each track) at: https://mattsteady.bandcamp.com/album/flight-of-the-raven