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gregorian mastersofchant8
Artist: Gregorian
Title: Masters Of Chant - Chapter 8
Genre: Gregorian Chant / Pop / Rock / Gothic
Release Date: 30th September 2011
Label: Starwatch Entertainment


Album Review

GREGORIAN works on the premises that Frank Peterson finds suitable songs to make over for the choir chants versions. As a project that is indeed a very interesting undertaking and many of their covers are excellent, but at some point the ship is probably going to lose wind as there is limitation - for how many songs this could prove to be successful? This is ‘Masters Of Chant - Chapter 8’ and it indeed seems that the limitations are showing. The album’s songs are worked in a tempo that is hung too much on the same line and the result is that it feels quite monotonous. The chants are of course supposed to be monophonic, but the music behind them should not equate monotony. Also the first half of it, covering U2, PETER GABRIEL, BETTE MIDLER, GWEN STEFANI, THE KILLERS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, feels very dull and lifeless.

Moreover, some of the arrangements feel very close to elevator or governmental and corporate phone lines’ on hold fillers, the covers given the same butchering treatment as Mozart or Beethoven get in those versions. And though second half picks up on some vitality it’s still a far cry for waking you up, even if the sole purpose of listening is to chill out all it brings is a feeling of baffled boredom that only sometimes picks up to a slight interest (‘Bravado’, cover of RUSH). There’s an attempt at refreshment in ‘Heaven’ (BRYAN ADAMS cover) with the addition of the female vocal, but the song comes out cheesy... The chants might have been a point of its uniqueness in the first ‘Chapters’, but by now that curiosity has become worn out and the music should have been more interesting, more diverse and is not giving anything extra to the originals, rather turning them from great songs to mediocre ones. It just feels like a less than half-hearted effort has been put into it. The release leaves me only with a feeling of disappointment and nothing else really.


Tracklist

01. Pride (In the name of Love) (U2) – 4.52
02. Red Rain (Peter Gabriel) – 5.32
03. The Rose (Bette Midler) – 5.08
04. Early Winter (Gwen Stefani) – 5.34
05. Human (The Killers) – 5.00
06. Streets Of Philadelphia (Bruce Springsteen) – 4.50
07. Love beats anything – 3.32
08. Wake me up when September ends (Green Day) – 4.51
09. Everything is beautiful (Ray Stevens) – 4.54
10. Wonderwall (Oasis) – 5.33
11. In the Morning (Irvin Berlin/Al Jolson) – 3.51
12. Bravado (Rush) – 5.03
13. Heaven (Bryan Adams) – 5.15
14. River Of Life – 4.26


Line-up

Richard Naxton
Johnny Clucas
Chris Tickner
Richard Collier
Gerry O'Beirne
Lawrence White
Rob Fardell
Frank Peterson
Sarah Brightman
Amelia Brightman


Websites

http://www.gregorian.de / http://www.myspace.com/gregorianmasterofchant


Cover Picture

gregorian mastersofchant8


Rating

Music: 5
Sound: 6
Total: 5.5 /10


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