In an artistic sense, guitar maestro is a master of duplicity. He is expert at knowing how to manipulate sounds and moods to invoke contrasting ambiances of light and dark; color and black. He effortlessly shifts from plucking an acoustic guitar softly with his fingernails to create sweetness you wish you could taste to slashing away at his fretboard on a Gibson electric, heightening his intensity to the nth degree.
This formula is exemplified in Hackett’s prior acoustic album Under a Mediterranean Sky (released only nine months ago!) and now with his latest rock effort, Surrender Of Silence. While Silence is a more-than-worthy continuation of the musical sensibilities brought forth on his last three studio electric efforts (Wolflight, The Night Siren, and At The Edge of Light), it stands out because it conveys newfound energy — Hackett raring to get back to work after more than a year-and-a-half of pandemic-induced insulation.
Mediterranean reminded us of how Hackett could tone down his sound to put himself at the same level as noted jazz masters Bill Connors and Ralph Towner. Silence takes listeners to different parts of the world (Siberia in “Natalia,” Africa in “Wingbeats”), even if we ourselves aren’t actually going anywhere physically. In tow are Hackett’s stalwart crop of talented players (Nad Sylvan, Amanda Lehmann, Roger King, Rob Townsend) who stand side-by-side with him and help bring forth a vibrant album riddled with wonderful nostalgic nuances that go all the way back to the Genesis legend’s Trick Of The Tail days.
From the moment “The Obliterati” kicks in, you know you’ll be treated to a crunchy heavyweight listening experience. It’s as if Hackett encapsulates our collective fears, paranoia, and yearning to be free in one wondrous arpeggio after another. Not only is he shaking off any creative cobwebs; he’s letting the once-dormant spiders dance freely again. The previously mentioned “Natalia” is an epic, sweeping tale that then segues into “Relaxation Music For Sharks,” which brings to mind “Los Endos” and “Slogans” from Hackett’s Defector period. “The Devil’s Cathedral” is delightfully complementary of The Night Siren’s “In the Skeleton Gallery.” “Shanghai to Smarkand” takes us back to Spectral Mornings and “The Red Flower of Tachai Blooms Everywhere,” while “Held in the Shadows” packs solid punch and power throughout.
Hackett’s fingers don’t know how to rest; they only know how to work magic. Surrender Of Silence is further proof of this fact: while the world slowly opens itself back up to its populations, Hackett does his damnedest to hasten the process, both imaginatively and aesthetically.
~ Ira Kantor
