X CARNATION „„Grounded“”

Music: Progressive Rock
Website: www.frontiers.it


Good songs: Personal Antichrist, Without you, Coma white, Willing to wait  4 extremely different songs!!
Duration : 10 Songs – 47:48 min
Contact: info@frontiers.it

Heavy fare! Very heavy fare!! There´s so much to say about this album. I really don´t know where to start… Perhaps I begin with the main artist himself: Cenk Eroglu. Main songwriter and at the same time lead vocalist of his project X CARNATION, whose progressive excursions I am listening to at the moment. Born in Istanbul (Turkey) in the year 1967, Cenk got into touch with music very early. Last but not least this was due to his father who is a popular conductor and jazz pianist. His own career started in his teenage years and found his first highlight in the release of the first solo album in the year 1991. From this time on, Cenk tried to unite the eastern and western music. Together with Rod Morgenstein (WINGER, DIXIE DREGS, STEVE MORSE), Kip Winger and Reb Beach (WINGER, DOKKEN, WHITESNAKE) and many different ethnic instrumentalists, the musician manufactured a prog rock album, for which you have to be very open-minded and tolerant. For those who hoped to hear a nice, easy CD, got the wrong address. The single songs mostly are built and arranged very complex. The western heavy metal instruments, let´s say guitars, bass guitar and drums, harmonize nearly eerily with the oriental instruments of the Turkish guest musicians. Furthermore Eroglu added some electronic sounds that give a kind of synthetic note to the whole music. From typical rock songs („Personal Antichrist“, „Desperately sad“), to ballads („Without you“) to ethnic oriental influences („Reason to believe“ and „Willing to wait“) and technoid sounds („Lucky day“), as well as hypnotic dancefloor beats („Coma white“), you can listen to everything!
Multitalent Eroglu wrote his songs by himself, produced and arranged and at least sung them.
„Grounded“ needs a veeery long time to ignite. But then this album abandons its perls! Extremely interesting!

Tanja

note: Points: 8/10

Tracklist

1. Personal Antichrist – 5 :18
2. Everlasting – 5 :30
3. Without you – 5 :12
4. Desperately sad – 5 :51
5. Reason to believe – 4 :24
6. Lucky day – 5 :45
7. Take a deep breath – 5 :07
8. Coma white – 2 :04
9. Willing to wait – 3 :10
10. Pictures – 5 :24

Line-up

Cenk Eroglu – Lead Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Keyboards, Progr., Drums
Rod Morgenstein, Pat Mastellotto – Drums
Kip Winger – Lead and Background Vocals, Bass, Acoustic Guitar
Kivanc Kaytanli – Guitar
Erdem Sokman – Nylon Guitar
Eyup Hamis – Kawala, Ney Flute
Umit Eroglu – String Arrangements
Cem Keskin – Acoustic Guitar
Reb Beach – Guitar
Mine Kosan – Vocals
Sendur Guzelel – Turkish Strings
Akatai Bros. – Percussion
Mahcem Öztürk – Ney Solo