Classic Rock Start Page Album Review
ALEX MACHACEK - [SIC]
1. [sic] 5:43
2. Indian Girl (Meets Austrian Boy) 8:18
3. Miss Understanding 1:19
4. Yellow Pages 6:16
5. Djon Don 9:06
6. Piano 6:34
7. Out Of Pappenheim 7:48
8. Austin Powers 6:04
9. The Ballad Of The Dead Dog 3:44
© 2006 Abstract Logix
Alex Machacek e-mail: contact@alexmachacek.com
Alex Machacek website: www.alexmachacek.com
Who is Alex Machacek? I never heard of him until now, when I received his new album [sic]. Man, is this a guitarist? Mmm, more a stringwizard if you'd ask me!
Fusion on top, this guy is really a relief in fusionland! Although it's a great distance to this site (Classic Rock and related), I was more than interested by the presence of masterdrummer Terry Bozzio. The combination of these two musicians is suprisingly good, together with his fellow Austrian musicians Raphael Preuschl (bass), Herbert Pirker and Mario Lackner (drums) and his wife and female singer Sumitra Nanjundan he produces an album technically of high standing. Also the computer is an important "musical instrument" in the hands of Machacek and helps to create strong songs. But the only instrument he really plays is the guitar, Machacek admits on the album's inner notes.
The albums includes 3 live recordings, "Yellow Pages", "Piano" and "Ballad Of The Dead Dog", recorded with Preuschl and Pirker, and their interaction in these songs is fabulous. "[sic]" reproduces a fantastic improvisation (it seems to me a hell of a job to do), and "Indian Girl (Meets Austrian Boy)" is almost Indian fusion with this typical Indian sounds on the background. But throughout the album there are these Holdsworth-like guitarsounds and patterns that make "[sic]" so interesting.
"Djon Don" is a powerful song to show out Machacek's fantastic guitartechnique and "Out Of Pappenheim", also recorded live with drummer Mario Lackner, is again a great view on his skills on the strings. "Austin Powers" begins with a computered bass clarinet, but who hears that? This guy is so fast, it's almost impossible to follow the notes! And then again alternating in soft and easy parts in this song, beautiful.
Alex Machacek is a name to remember, and fusion-guitarlovers will praise this album into heaven! The man's creative, he's got an outstanding technique and can write great songs. No worries for Machacek's musical future, he's already taken care about that!
Review by: Clemens Steenweg, August 2006