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In regard to the quality of his previous releases I think it most exciting when a new release from the very talented Texas-based composer Hollan Holmes hits the streets. In Hollan’s words, the double album “Prayer to the Energy” has easily been the most challenging musical endeavor of his short but busy musical journey as it was spread out, molded and sculptured over a two-year time span. The most capable Chad Kettering again was at the helm for expert mastering the well accomplished two-hour outcome: eight sequence-based compositions on the first disc while six drone-based soundscapes make up the second cd. Well, Mr. Holmes has outdone himself another time with this tour-de-force. The two-hours of spacious and emotive-sparkling music, Hollan’s first album that was not done solely within Reason, presented here take the listener out into grander expanses and various imaginative worlds easily, using simple and infectious melodic lines along enchanting textures as it gradually paints most relaxing moods. Hollan’s heartfelt aural splendor simply draws you in without much effort, from there something indefinably magical takes over to lasting, mesmerizing effect. On the first disc, especially “Great Expectations”, “Lucid Dreams” and “We can never go back” are impressive in this respect while the 19-minute minute space track “A Midwinter Night’s Dream” puts the spark to the flame most gently. The outcome on the second disc is a pure, highly sophisticated and in-depth ambient affair where very beautifully rendered constellations of textures fill the aural space to expansive effect such as displayed on “Cover of Darkness” and “Sublime Stasis”. On the gracious “Breathing” the swirling soundscapes elevate things to even greater heights before the 19-minute cinematic opus “Cerro Torre” (one of the mountains found in the Southern Patagonian Ice Field in South America) smoothly propels yet sucks the listener into a tantalizing, grand expanse of awe and wonder. It’s a great finale to “Prayer to the Energy”, another stellar and highly emotive recording by Mr Holmes I wholeheartedly recommend, especially to those who love intense, deep listening. |
| Website: www.hollanholmesmusic.com
You can see what reviews I have done of this artist on the Hollan Holmes artist page
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