Hells Canyon

Hells Canyon Artist: Rockenfield , and Speer
Label: Rainstorm
Category: Music


Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Media: Audio CD
Number Of Discs: 1


UPC: 659057123424
EAN: 0659057123424
ASIN: B00004Z006


Release Date: 2000-07-31

Hells Canyon


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Tracks:

  1. Descent
  2. Seven Devils
  3. Chant of the Fathers
  4. Snake Dance
  5. Crossing to Freedom
  6. Coyote
  7. Red Torrent
  8. River of No Return
  9. China's Last Stand
  10. Buffalo Eddy
  11. Carved in Stone

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Album Description

Progressive instrumental rock

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Perfectly Executed and Produced....Excellent addition to any prog rock fan's CD collection.......2006-09-22

Although this is not a breakthrough recording by any stretch(Jan Hammer and Kerry Livgren have done similar work with the Mind's Eye series), it is an EXCELLENT recording nonetheless.

There is no denying that this is a studio specific effort and not a "band" contribution. All of the manipulations and machinations that one would expect from studio work went into this one. After all, it's two guys sounding like FIVE! So you can expect some serious overdubbing and mega tracking going on.

Call it contrived, call it over-produced, call it whatever you want. But it's GREAT music!!!

If you are a fan of the Jeff Beck/Jan Hammer classics(Blow by Blow, Wired, There and Back) and you enjoy the Jan Hammer solo efforts, then you will really like Hells Canyon. Granted, this recording has more ethereal keyboard work than the JB/JH classics(instead of the ripping single note solos by JH, on Hells Canyon you will find a lot more synth chordal comping). It's all good!

I recommend this CD to anyone that likes a blend of rock, fusion and soundtrack music.

FIVE STARS.....HIGHLY recommended!

3 out of 5 stars For fans only.......2005-08-12

Mining a breed of seemingly brand new desert shred, this nonetheless safe-as-milk effort seeks to reconcile the flamboyant chops of virtuoso metal with the inoffensive spiritual musings of new age. Ostensibly the soundtrack to a travelogue through the world's deepest gorge, "Hells Canyon" spends most of its time bubbling at the surface, pleasant but slightly unsettling, a pastel pseudo-darkness from the American Southwest.

Scott Rockenfield slums it a bit, stepping out from his duty as rhythmic backbone of Queensryche, but then again his mother band has been slumming it a bit themselves these last few years, no? But despite the presence of a legendary metal all-star, this seems to be guitarist Paul Speer's pet project. A veteran producer with a pair of Emmys on his mantelpiece, Paul lays the atmospherics on pretty thick, complete with the sighing choir effects that come standard on any MIDI keyboard. The duo's efforts haven't been entirely in vain: a couple tracks (i.e. "Coyote") manage to build up a sinister groove, but in the end "Hells Canyon" is less an instrumental work than a would-be soundtrack, such as the televised background to an ESPN rafting adventure

5 out of 5 stars can't go wrong with this CD.......2001-01-21

This is one of those albums that grabs your attention the first time you hear it. Just put it in your CD player & hit play. I can almost guarantee you that anyone within earshot will come up and ask what you're listening to. Rockenfield/Speer is made up of Queensryche drummer, Scott Rockenfield and multi-instrumentalist Paul Speer. Start to finish, the 11 tracks on this CD take you on a thrilling musical journey inspired by the deepest gorge in North America--Hells Canyon.

After the stormy intro of "Descent," things get off to a great start with "Seven Devils" and "Chant of the Fathers" as Speer's fluid leads evoke feelings of being in the depths of the canyon and the things that you'd encounter. One of the best tracks is "Snake Dance." The slippery bass line conjures up images of winding your way through a ravine as the track comes slithering out of your speakers. "Coyote" is a dark (but very cool) tune featuring another awesome bass line by Speer. "River of No Return" is a showcase for Rockenfield's powerful drumming. The main thing that makes this CD so interesting is the variation of moods from track to track. The music is soothing, yet exhilarating at the same time.

This album is one of the coolest things you'll never hear on the radio. The sound quality is outstanding (audiophiles will love it). Dim the lights, crank up the volume, and get ready for a trip into Hells Canyon.

5 out of 5 stars Trust your instincts and get this one. I'm glad I did!.......2000-12-08

In a nutshell "Hells Canyon" is one of those CD's that you'll enjoy the moment you hit the play button. The thunderously stormy opening of the link track "Descent" lets the listener know that the musical journey that they are about to embark upon will be one of high speed, thrills, spills mixed in with a rare piece of calm. Those of you with high-end stereo equipment will take full advantage of the superior engineering quality that has gone into this latest production. This is attested by the crystalline clarity of the recording throughout the whole CD. Zero compression to this recording has resulted in fabulous dynamics throughout. Gutsy guitar action on "Seven Devils" and "Coyote" will reform listeners that are not ordinarily fans of electric guitar led compositions. Subtle and clever use of compression and echo effects on the guitar tracks of quieter compositions make this CD interesting to listen to. As I said earlier, trust your instincts. You won't be disappointed.

5 out of 5 stars Rockenfield/Speer "Hells Canyon".......2000-11-05

On this album you have the duo of Scott Rockenfield and Paul Speer, this being the follow up to their Grammy nominated video album/CD "Televoid". Scott, a founding member of Queensryche, had made a foray into the world of CD - ROM adventure games with "Promised Land" while Paul has collected two Emmy awards for music videos as well as being producer/engineer on more than 90 albums. As an artist he has nine albums to his credit and five music video albums, two of which have reached multi-platinum status.

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  5. Dead Letter Chorus ~ Llama Farmers
  6. El Toppo ~ Llama Farmers
  7. Absolute O'Brien ~ Richard O'Brien
  8. Another Year ~ Leo Sayer
  9. Deep Cuts ~ The Strawbs
  10. The Running Man ~ The Running Man

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Open, To Love ~ Paul Bley

C. Jérôme ~ C. Jerome

Les Blue Stars ~ Les Blue Stars

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Word Up ~ Young Bird