Special Providence - Soul Alert (2012/2021) [Hi-Res]

Although I'm sure there's a band out there that screws it up somehow, I don't think I've ever heard a band that made the fusion of jazz and metal sound bad. Hungary's Special Providence does not tend to break this lucky streak I've had with this style; in fact, this quartet has produced some of the best metal fusion I've heard in a while. Being both without favouring one or the other, jazz and metal aficionados may find themselves debating what to arbitrarily label this music as from dusk 'til dawn, but they won't be disappointed; 'Soul Alert' is an early 2012 highly for both styles. Depending on who you ask, metal fusion could either sound light and only occasionally heavy- as per the case of more recent bands like Germany's Relocator- or it could be a more 'extreme' form, as was true for the style's origins in death metal. Special Providence have more in common with Pat Metheny than Cynic or Atheist, and though much of the band's sound on 'Soul Alert' is geared towards laid-back, guitar-oriented chemistry, there is enough riff-heavy kick to give metalheads their fix. Genres aside, Special Providence's music is (mostly) instrumental, and surprisingly varied. Kertész Márton's guitar leads are the most immediate aspect of the album, but a prog-canon synthesizer also gets a fair chunk of the 'solo' kudos.

One of the most well-known modern instrumental band in the central- eastern european region with their virtuoso, yet easily digestable style. With over eight years of work and three albums under its belt, Special Providence plays live worldwide and enjoys a first place at the US Gagliarchives progressive chart and has got the title of one of the most promising band in metal fusion today.

Special Providence:
Zoltán Cséry, piano
Márton Kertész, guitar
Attila Fehérvári, bass
Ádám Markó, drums

Tracklist:
01. Special Providence - BABEL CONFUSION (07:21)
02. Special Providence - LAZY BOY (05:55)
03. Special Providence - ASPARAGUS (08:16)
04. Special Providence - K2 (06:10)
05. Special Providence - THE UNTOLD CHAPTER (05:11)
06. Special Providence - THE INCREDIBLE FLOWER (08:05)
07. Special Providence - STANDING STILL (03:49)
08. Special Providence - SOUL ALERT (07:36)
09. Special Providence - RETURN TO CHILDHOOD (03:42)
10. Special Providence - FENCES OF REALITY (03:51)