Mad Painter – Island Poetry

Mad Painter Bring the Spirit of 1970s Rock Back to Life on “Island Poetry”

Mad Painter’s upcoming album, Island Poetry, shows a clear admiration for the golden era of 1970s rock, but this is not simply a case of trying to recapture the past. Based in Boston, the band combines the Hammond-driven hard rock, the progressive aspirations, the glam spirit and the melodic songwriting typical of that time into a twelve-song album that is fully committed to the idea of a complete listening experience. From the very first moment, the focus is on the musicians’ skills and the energy of a live band, the rich, muscular sound being achieved through the use of Hammond organ, electric guitars, bass, drums, piano and layered vocals. The production has a warmth that mirrors the analog qualities of traditional rock recordings, and the arrangements provide sufficient room for each individual instrument to be clearly heard. Instead of following current production fads, Mad Painter let the songs breathe, thereby giving Island Poetry an organic quality that is now becoming rarer. It is music that appeals to those who enjoy riffs, melodies, large-scale arrangements and the distinct sound of a Hammond organ leading a rock song.

Each of the twelve tracks on the album explores that musical vocabulary in a different way, so that Island Poetry becomes a diverse record even though it has a strong stylistic identity. “Debt Collector” and “Suit of Worries” show the influence of Deep Purple, “Empty Bottles” adopts the direct boogie-rock energy linked with Status Quo, “Spin Your Ventilator” has the aggressive spirit of AC/DC, and “Last Night You Dreamed I Was in Love with Someone Else” presents a more dramatic character inspired by Rainbow. In other instances, “Nektarized” introduces a space-disco atmosphere, “Shadow of the Words” aims for the theatrical grandeur of Queen, and “Two Horsemen” makes use of twin-guitar textures similar to those of Wishbone Ash. The album keeps moving through various shades of classic rock, going from the Moody Blues influence in “I Am the King” to the faster and more aggressive style of “Stand Your Ground”. “Circle of Hands” is Mad Painter’s version of the Uriah Heep classic, while “Tommy Lost It All” stays nearer to the band’s own established style. The fact that six of the tracks have lyrics by writer and music journalist Dmitry M. Epstein gives the album another dimension, adding wit, character and dramatic imagery.