I get a cold chill whenever I open a packet of CDs for review and find one to be a totally instrumental album. Too often my ears have been damaged by up to 80 minutes of some guitar maestro widdling his way up and down the fretboard at high speed with little in the way of feeling and soul to mellow the ride.

ROTOR, a German three-piece with an eight year recording history, though deliver this totally vocal-less third full length opus and immediately give the impression of being very different. There's no posing hero on the cover, merely a head shot of the band members in natty shades and understated logo. The back cover show the three players holding hands displaying solidarity perhaps? Clearly this isn't about the guitarists ability solely, this is a true group effort... hopefully.

Exploring further, it is an impressive collection of tunes that really are songs in their own right, not excuses for histrionics. Heavy, thudding rhythms that occasionally invoke image of the original BLACK SABBATH getting heavily into a studio jam whilst waiting for OZZY to turn up/sober up they drift also into more melancholic, reflective and occasionally jazzy passages too that gives the listener a superbly impressive experience. Track three "rotor" is the first to allow acoustic guitar to dominate to deliver a fine ending to a fine song, "Umkehrschub" is a somewhat psychedelic, progressive ride too and "Klar Schiff" a heavy hitting two minute battery. Three picks that display the breadth of offering across the ten numbers. Best is left to last though with the seven minute heavy blues of "Transporter" which provides a glimpse of how doom laden rock mixed with a touch of seventies style ZZ TOP slow-boogie could have sounded. A fine conclusion.

The record label claims that this is "for sure the instrumental rock album of the year" may not be too far off the mark actually.

- Leslie

OFFICIAL SITE: www.rotorotor.de

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