Matt Stevens: Lucid

Among other positives, British guitar-slinger Matt Stevens (Fierce, The Dead) reminds us why King Crimson founder, guitarist Robert Fripp has been such an influential force. And Stevens keeps it in the family by utilizing latter day Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto's fierce chops on one track. The guitarist's zinging sustain lines, gargantuan crunch chords and use of delays, loops and other sonic niceties is supplemented by his energizing compositions and picturesquely executed acoustic guitar interludes. But the proceedings zoom off the radar from the onset with the Crimson Red era piece "Oxymoron," complete with Stuart Marshall's resonating backbeats and the leader's dexterous ostinato licks.

Stevens dishes out a wholesome progressive-rock soup atop bone-crushing bass lines, offbeat metrics and intricately maneuvered chord voicings. On "The Ascent," hints of Crimson's "Starless and Bible Black" come to fruition amid his highly wound soloing and super-speed breakouts. Yet Stevens is a man of many contrasts as he inserts placid acoustic-electric guitar interludes during "Coulrophobia," and "KEA," framed on staggered flows and a myriad of melodic nuances with linear phrasings. However, "The Bridge," is another pounding, foot-stomping blowout, tinted with a psychedelic inferences and a hypnotic circular pattern complete with crackling effects. Here, Stevens diminishes the intensity within the bridge section via a quiet motif and brings it all back home with some bravado, leading to a punishing groove towards the finale. Thus, Lucid is an alluring effort as the guitarist infuses the glory days of progressive rock with a personal touch, coupled with unexpected detours, keenly placed hues and a penchant for supplying the KO punch on a number of occasions.

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