▄█████▄ ░█████▄ ▄████▄░█▄ ░█▄ ▄█████▄ ███▄██ ▄██ ▄█▄ ▄██████ ▄█▄ ▄███ ░████░██▀████▓ ▀██ ▄██░▀█████ ████ ███▓ ██████▓██ ▓███████ ███▓░▀█▀████ ███▓ ███▓ ▓███░ ██ ██▄ ▄██▓██ ▓███▓██░ ▓███░███░███████████▄ ███░███░ ███░ ▄███ ███ ▄█▀░ ████████░██ █████████▄ ▓██░███ ███▓█████████ ███████ ███ ███░ ███████ ███▓ ░██ ██ ██████▓ ░██ ▀██ ███░███▓██████ ███▓███ ███ ███ ████████░███░ ███ ██▄ ██▓███░ ██▄ ██░██▓ ███ ▀▀████ ███░███ ███ ███ ███▓░███████░ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███▓██▓██░ ███ ▓████ ███ ███ ▓██▓ ███ ███░ ▓██████ ███ ▓████ ▓██▄ ▓████████ ███ ▓███ ███ ███ ███░███ ███ ░██████ ███ ░████ ░███ ███▓███▓ ███ ░███ ███ ███ ██▓███ ███ ███▓██ ███ ███ ▓██▄ ███░███░ ███ ███ ███ ███ ░█████ ███ ██▓░██▄ ███ ▓█▀ ▓██▄ ███ ██░ ███ ██▓ ███ ███ ░███▀ ░█▀ ██░ ██ ░█▀ ░███▄ ▀ ▀ ▓█▀ ███░ ░█▀ ██▀ ██░ ▄██▀ ░█▄ ▄███▀ ░██ ░ ██ ▓░ ▓░ ██░ ▓█░ ░█▀ ▀█░ ░█▓ ░ ██ ██ Artist: Dec Burke ██ ██ ▓ █░░ ■█ Album: Book of Secrets █■ ░░█ ■ █▓▀ █ Year: 2016 █ ▀▓█ ░ █ ▓ Rel. Date: 2017-04-16 ▓ █ ▒ ▒ Genre: Progressive Rock ▒ ▒ █▄ ░ Label: Festival Music ░ ▄█ ░ █▄ ░ Source: CD ░ ▄█ ░ █▓ Type: Album ▓█ ░ ▓ █ Quality: VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █ ░ ▓ ▓ █ █ ░ ▓ ▄ ■ ■ ▓ ■ ░█ █░ ▀ █ The seemingly innocuous appearance of Barack █ █ ObamaÆs voice at the start of Another Hope is a █ █ pivotal and profoundly brilliant seminal moment █ █ for this exceptional third solo album from Dec █ █ Burke. Taken from his New Hampshire primary speech █ █ in 2008, ObamaÆs calm confidence and quiet █ █ authority exhorts a reassuring call for hope, self █ █ belief, courage and optimism at a time when things █ █ seem dark, chaotic and hopeless: █ █ ôWe can disagree without being disagreeable, [we] █ █ understand that, if we mobilize our voices to █ █ challenge the money and influence that stood in █ █ our way and challenge ourselves to reach for █ █ something better, there is no problem we cannot █ █ solve, there is no destiny that we cannot fulfil.ö █ █ Spoken at a time when he was still a Senator, they █ █ are inspiring words which are powerfully █ █ prophetic. Coming at the start of this particular █ █ track, which in turn is placed at just over the █ █ half way point of an eight track album, they come █ █ remarkably close to defining the fiercely █ █ intelligent and highly perceptive message being █ █ relayed throughout Book of Secrets. █ █ The album is boundlessly energetic, █ █ unapologetically direct and infused with a strong █ █ rock-oriented power, drive and focus. There is a █ █ commanding and cheerfully infectious conviction to █ █ the music which provides a sweeping sense of █ █ urgency and pressing immediacy. The songs are █ █ incisive, vigorous and spaciously dynamic, █ █ radiating a busy sense of character whilst also █ █ conveying serenity and poise. █ █ At the heart of it all, Burke treads a conflicted █ █ path between optimism and an ever present air of █ █ frustration and even pessimism. The album superbly █ █ captures the sparkling exuberance of enthusiastic █ █ belief in the future with the restrained and █ █ quieter reflections of self-doubt and the █ █ pragmatic understanding that things donÆt always █ █ work out for the best. Life is beautiful, the █ █ world is a wonderful place to be, the future is █ █ rich with possibilities; but things are not █ █ necessarily what they appear to be, hope is hard █ █ won but easily lost, and all our intensity and █ █ passion stand forever on the edge of collapse. █ █ Book of Secrets is a hymn, an ode to precarious █ █ balance, to tipping points, to the momentum of the █ █ pendulum when it reaches mid-point between joy and █ █ despair. The music is an equally diverse mixture █ █ of styles, moods and competing instrumental █ █ emphases. Unlike his previous releases, Burke █ █ seems to have decided to let the guitar, rather █ █ than the keyboards, be the primary lead in █ █ providing drive and impetus to the song writing. █ █ The difference is immediately noticeable and █ █ hugely impressive, not just in the lively and █ █ industrious spirit it brings to each track but █ █ also in the sheer inventiveness and technical █ █ brilliance of some of the solos he conjures up. █ █ Kristoffer Gildenl÷wÆs bass work is the perfect █ █ match for each mood, lively and nimble on the more █ █ boisterous tracks, but also providing a █ █ melancholic and lingering depth where required. █ █ The scintillating keyboards of Carl Westholm surge █ █ and swell in accordance with the mood, filling the █ █ sound stage one minute, falling away to become █ █ isolated and refined the next. Steve Hughes on █ █ drums is buoyant, pulsating, driving out the █ █ rhythms, blending aggression with deftness and █ █ subtlety of touch. █ █ Such distinctive virtuosity is matched by the █ █ bustling diversity of the songs. Reflection opens █ █ with the ominous sound of rolling thunder, an █ █ almost tribalistic drum beat emerging from the █ █ empty space, punctuated by a piercing electric █ █ guitar creating a distorted presence in the █ █ soundscape before they all come to a halt and a █ █ heavy drum and crunching guitar beat sets up a █ █ piano riff repeated throughout the track, offset █ █ with an urgent, pleading harmonic vocal. Beautiful █ █ layering sets up lyrical poignancy in urging a █ █ time for thought and contemplation. █ █ After a floaty, dreamy acoustic-driven intro, Hate █ █ and Lies segues, via the sound of police sirens, █ █ to a frenetic, throbbing hard rock rhythm and █ █ chorus, built on punctuated, forceful drumming and █ █ overlaid with rumbling banks of keyboards ending █ █ in the returning sound of approaching thunder. The █ █ storm carries us into The Sun Will Rise which █ █ musically, and lyrically, brings us full circle to █ █ where the album starts; an exhausting journey █ █ ending with strummed guitars and a melodic vocal █ █ calling for hope, courage and belief before █ █ becoming shrouded once more in the sound of █ █ thunder. █ █ In between we encounter the enjoyably anthemic █ █ Take and a chilled, languid piano-led ballad in █ █ the form of Intervals. This is the sheer joy of █ █ listening to progressive music when it has been so █ █ carefully conceived and delightfully crafted. A █ █ lot of time has been lavished on all aspects of █ █ getting this ærightÆ. As a result, Book of Secrets █ █ is a magnificent and hugely impressive █ █ achievement. The album brims with invention and █ █ imagination, whilst repeated listens are rewarded █ █ with new insights and a deepening appreciation of █ █ the musical excellence on offer. Highly █ █ recommended. █ ▓ ▓ ▒ ▒ ░ 1. Reflections 6:16 ░ ░ 2. Everlasting 4:08 ░ ░ 3. Take 5:23 ░ ░ 4. As High as the Sun 5:01 ░ ░ 5. Another Hope 4:49 ░ ░ 6. Intervals 4:50 ░ ░ 7. Hate & Lies 5:28 ░ ░ 8. The Sun Will Rise 3:59 ░ ░ 39:54 ░ ░ ▒ ▒ ▓ █ ░ ▓ ░ ■ █▄ ░ ██ ▀█▄░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ▓ ░ ▄▄▄▄▄ ░▄██░ ░ ▀████▓█▄▄█████████▓░ ███ ███▓░ █████████▄▄██████▀ ▓ ▓▀▓ ▒███████▀▀ ▀████████▒ ░████████▀ ▀▀███████░▓▀▓ ■ ░ ▄█░█▀▀▄████▄▓ ▀█▀ █▓░ ▒▓█ ▀█▀ ▄████▄ ▀███▄░ ▄█▀░ ░███▀▀▀███▄ ▀█▒ ██▓ ██ ▓█▀ ▄███▀▀▀███░ ▀█░ █▀ ▓██▓ ▄███ ▀█▓ ████ ▒█▀ ▓███▄ ▓██▓ ▀█▓ █▀ ▓██░ ▒██████▓ ▀█ █▓ █▀ ▓██████▒ ░██▓ ▀█ ▒ ▄██ ░███ ▓███▓ ▀░██░▀ ▓███░ ███ ██▄ ▒ ░█▀ ███ ▄▀ ███▄ ▓████▒ ▄███▀▄ ███ ▀█░ ▓█▀ ▄██▄█▀ ░ ██████████████ ▀█▄ ██▄ ▀█▓ █▀ ████▀█▄▓░▄█ ▀██████▀ █▄▓░▄█▀█▄██ ▀█▓ ░ ▄ ██▀ ▀████▀ ▀█▓▀██ ▀████▀ ▀███ ▄ ▒ █░█▓ ██░ █░ █ ░██ ▀██▒█ ███░ ▒█░ ▄ ▓ ▒ ░█▒ ▓███ ░ ▓██ ░ ██▓ ██░ ░██ █▒ ░ ░█ ▀█ █▀ ▓ ░ ░