If you’re a bassist and love rock music, you owe it to yourself to pick up Albert Rigoni’s new album Three Wise Monkeys.
This man is a complete maestro of the bass. The use of harmonics, epic sweeping bass lines, rocking metal riffs, and moody pedal work is unlike anything I have ever heard. Songs like Kikazaru reveal why he’s considered a composer. This isn’t your usual rock or progressive metal. This is thought out and adventurous. It’s soft, mellow, and has a moody slow buildup.
If you aren’t into the soft, melodic side of bass work, then you should check out the song Iwazur. It’s multiple layers of bass guitar with some awesome orchestration and a nice contemporary jazz vibe.
The album loses me at certain points. In fact it’s almost always when there are vocals. The last two tracks I mentioned were instrumentals that were truly epic and masterfully written pieces of rock orchestra featuring amazing bass guitars.
When the singing starts, it often feels like an 80’s metal group. While I still enjoy it a great deal, and it’s still well above average, it loses the complete magic and uniqueness of the instrumentals. In fact, it feels like two different albums.
This is another “thinking-man’s” music. The use of minor progressions and chords (especially in the instrumentals) gives Rigoni my respect. This album (well, at least the instrumentals) will end up in my favorites folder, where I will continue to lose myself in the intricate winding melodies of roaring bass and soaring orchestral arrangements.
His bass playing is extraordinary. I’m talking virtuoso style performance on this album. This rivals any bass work I’ve ever heard. Ever. I hold the utmost respect for a handful of bassists. Generator Ohm’s bass work was incredible. Between the Buried and Me and Trioscapes has the most technical bassist I’ve heard in Dan Briggs.
But Rigoni’s musicality may make him the best.
You can also stay for the well above average progressive 80’s style rock.
If you want.
--The Professor
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