Metamorphosis is the project of Swiss composer/keyboardist/drummer Jean-Pierre Schenk, born in 1953. At the age of 19 he learned to play drums on his own and a year later he was already sharing the stage with a number of rock and jazz musicians. In 1971, along with guitarist Giovanni Esposito, he created the band Nature whose music was very much inspired by Pink Floyd. Years later, and after looking for the ever-elusive manager, Nature split up. In 2001 Schenk and Esposito joined forces again and invited bassist Dominique Schlafer aboard, as the formation Metamorphosis. Guitarist David Grillon and flutist Milena Zaharieva, who appear on their first album entitled After All These Years (2002), would soon become permanent band members also. The following years Metamorphosis released a series of albums, between 2003 and 2009. And after a long hiatus the band released two albums, in 2016 and 2021, the latest effort is named I'm Not A Hero. Most of the nine melodic compositions alternate between mellow climates and bombastic eruptions, embellished with a pleasant keyboard sound and often metallish guitar work. The English vocals are OK but with an obvious accent. Dark World contains a compelling second part with lush keyboards and a propulsive rhythm-section. When Life Starts Again delivers an electronic music intro with soft bass and spacey synthesizer flights, halfway a moving harder-edged guitar solo. I Will Leave Tonight features a swinging bass intro with a tight beat, in a mid-tempo, topped with heavy guitar runs. Then the music shifts to dreamy, with bombastic eruptions, lush orchestral keyboards, and romantic vocals. The interplay between the synthesizer and guitar riffs is captivating. This is pleasant music but the compositions tend to sound a bit similar. *** Erik Neuteboom (edited by Tracy van Os van den Abeelen) Where to buy? |
