Former
Genesis guitarist Steve Hackett has been releasing one or two albums a year for years. In short, the young seventy-year-old is not short of inspiration. But inspiration doesn't come out of the blue. Hackett travels far and wide with his wife Jo, which always gives him new musical ideas. While on his last record
Under A Mediterranean Sky (2021) he was still under the spell of the Mediterranean
… and we mainly heard him on the Spanish guitar, on Surrender Of Silence he is under the spell of a universal concept. The further he travels, the more he hears the voice of the earth seeping through the complacency, according to Hackett. He heard this voice in Russia, China and Africa, among other places, and dedicated compositions to it. The music sounds familiar. Complex guitar work is alternated with string sections in extensive prog structures. Hackett also sings. He doesn't do great vocals, but his poetic lyrics certainly add something to the songs. (JV)more
