Uli Jon Roth - Under A Dark Sky (2008)

Ok, this one didn't made it easy for me, but in the end it was quite enjoyable to write this review.

Uli Jon Roth, former lead guitarist with the Scorpions (long ago, back in the day when they were quite progressive and actually cool) has quite the reputation as guitar virtuoso and eccentric (which is quite an achievement for itself in the rock/metal genre), so its wise to expect the unexpected.

I like the basic idea of Under A Dark Sky: A concept album as a commentary on mankind's self-destructive ways, which eventually could lead into a catastrophe. That's always a winner for me.
The result though is a mixed bag. Between the highs of real greatness and the lows of utter kitsch.

To give you an impression: The album begins quite strongly with the track S.O.S., and - true to its subject matter - the sound of air sirens, morse-code and several voices declaring red alert building up a dramatic, film-score-like atmosphere. The voices are getting answered by a choir demanding "save our souls", underlined by a dramatically ascending electric guitar solo, before it falls into a shy, bittersweet melody.

All in all a very captivating start, but sadly a lot of the following material can't keep up and meanders somewhere in the acoustic no-man's land between operatic/musical orchestration and kitschy new-age tunes. With a good measure of virtuoso electric guitar solos thrown into the mix.

The tragedy is that there is certainly no doubt about Roth's skills as a musician. It is all wonderfully arranged and played, with some blisteringly beautiful solos. Same applies to his guest musicians.
It's more that, with all his theatrics, his taste fails him. His musical language is quite specific and the line between effective theatrics and simply kitsch is very thin - too thin for him. It's something I noticed in his other solo-works before: They are always displays of blistering playing technique, but when it comes to making use of it in a dramatic sense, it too often becomes comical instead of captivating.

Lyrically its a similar picture: The mix of English lyrics with German bits and pieces thrown in just feels quite artificial and over the top. It could have worked better if he had used them in more moderate doses. Which brings us back to the main problem of him as a musician: Uli Jon Roth wants too much. He is releasing all stops, puts everything into his music, shoots the moon and - misses.

I think its fair to say that Uli Jon Roth isn't quite on the same page as most of the rock and metal world. That's in theory not a bad thing at all, since most is pretty formulaic and uninspired, but sadly the alternative he brings up can't fully convince either.

This doesn't means the album doesn't has its good sides. It certainly has. In parts it is truly outstanding. It's absolute peak is the last track, Tanz in die Dämmerung (dance into the dusk), a monumental, almost 20 minutes long, epic. Dark and tense, starting slowly with some uneasy intervals played on Spanish guitar, and escalating into a wild frenzy. Mankind's dance into the catastrophe.
It end in sudden silence just when you would expect a resolution. Like a plug being pulled. In fact the songs ends so abruptly that some people thought their CD was damaged. A perfect metaphor of Roth's songwriting: instead of serving the expectations of his listeners, he surprises you with something unexpected. And here, instead of ending in a typical thunderstorm of noise, as so many bands would have done - there is nothing. Just as nothing would be left from us, if the big nuclear catastrophe strikes. A dance on the volcano - and then dead silence.

So despite its obvious weaknesses, I can't really condemn the album. It certainly has its highlights and grows on you with repeated listening. Keep in mind though that, if you expect anything like the Scorpions, get ready for a disappointment. Roth left the band in the late 70's and the music he made since certainly doesn't sounds like them at all. So better go into listening this record without any expectations or preconceptions. Its not going to be an easy, straightforward experience.