JASON BIELER And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra – The Escapologist (2025) *HQ*
Singer, guitarist and songwriter JASON BIELER is well known as founder member of 1990s Florida hard rockers Saigon Kick. Since 5 years ago, Jason re-invented himself with this terrific band: JASON BIELER And The Baron Von Bielski Orchestra. The ‘Orchestra’ is completed by three stellar musicians: guitarist Andee Blacksugar (Blondie, KMFDM, Peter Murphy), drummer Edu Cominato (Geoff Tate, Mr. Big, Soto) and bassist Johan Niemann (Evergrey).
“The Escapologist” is the third album released under the name, and believe us, if the previous LP’s were good, “The Escapologist” is outstanding.
The band already surprised with their eclectic mix of styles, innovative arrangements and impressive production. On “The Escapologist” all are augmented to the max. This is a mighty 44-minute album of ten concise, cleverly-arranged songs, terrific tunes, fabulous performances – a highly enjoyable and satisfying listen. It’s that good…
“The Escapologist” has a good mix of genres from rock to prog, even synthy 80s, sure to make anyone who listens enjoy it. It’s not straight prog as one might think either, it has soft and heavy elements and poignant messages throughout, slight and subtle changes that add a layer of “ohh, that’s nice,” where you might not have thought it would fit.
One of the great things about this record is how it grabs the attention from the very first seconds. Opening song ‘Industrious’, with its a capella / multi-part harmonies intro, heavy guitar riffs and time-shifting chorus immediately imprints a distinctive musical identity and creates huge anticipation for the rest of the album.
‘Savior’ is next and it could be accurately described as prog metal calypso on steroids! With energetic drums, funky horns, Caribbean vibes and incredible amounts of melody packed into a glorious three and a half minutes, this song cathartically expunges Marillion’s ‘Hope to the Future’ and puts a huge smile on your face. It’s an early contender for best drumming performance of the year – Cominato is on absolute fire here.
‘Stars Collide’ has a more radio-friendly feel and by this album’s entertaining standards is relatively mainstream. Its highlight is a tasteful guitar solo. Heavy guitar riffage kicks off ‘Violent Creatures’, which flows pleasingly with a less-is-more mid tempo shuffle. Its short but ear-catching instrumental bridge is a major hook and I love the anthemic chorus.
The album’s most tender song, ‘Hollow’ is next. Providing a useful contrast in mood to the rest of the songs, it’s a highly effective ballad with a gorgeous, heart-stirring lead vocal by Bieler and tear-jerking lyrics such as “…broken wings of a swallow…” which are guaranteed to bring a lump to the throat.
‘Zombies and Black Swans’ is a straightforward rocker, kickin’, and featuring some tasteful guitar work.
Album highlight follows with ‘No Real Goodbyes’ – a delicious cocktail of spooky keyboards, groovy drums, brooding bass and .multi-layered vocals. It’s an especially clever arrangement and I love the tension-building outro.
The remaining three songs are all top-drawer. ‘Space Debris’ is perky, catchy and has a pop sensibility that reminded me of the ’70s/’80s TV Theme ‘song era’ meets pop-rock synth beat and is hands down one of my favorites on the album. It’s a different kind of head bopper and head turner.
Penultimate song ‘Sacred Cow’ is another favorite. With a soaring, transcendental chorus and fabulous lush production, it scales major emotional heights and is truly impactful.
That’s not to say that actual album closer ‘March of the Vikonauts’ isn’t also a superb song – it is! With a brilliantly paced build, it features infectious vocals and an awesome guitar solo, setting the scene for a remarkable extended outro sequence with drums wailing over guitar ostinatos.
There are different styles on display so it could be said that the album is eclectic, but it also bonds together as a coherent listening journey. ‘Industrious’, ‘Savior’, ‘March of the Vikonauts’ and ‘Sacred Cow’ (especially) are four startlingly good songs. A must for lovers of melodic metallic progressive will get a kick out of this fascinating release.
While it’s far too early to be thinking about albums of the year, the sheer quality here is such that I’d be very surprised if ‘The Escapologist’ didn’t feature in some people’s countdowns.
It would be a terrible shame if this album resulted overlooked. It’s genuinely excellent and deserves to be heard.
HIGHLY Recommended
01 – Industrious
02 – Savior
03 – Stars Collide
04 – Violent Creatures
05 – Hollow
06 – Zombies & Black Swans
07 – No Real Goodbyes
08 – Space Debris
09 – Sacred Cow
10 – March of the Vikonauts
All songs conjured by: Jason Bieler & Baron Von Bielski
Jason Bieler: Vocals, Keys, Guitar
Andee Blacksugar: Guitars
Edu Cominato: Drums
Johan Niemann: Bass
Renaldo Eclipser Jr.: Drums on Hollow
Yuri Armstrong: Metal bowl on No Real Goodbyes
Buzz Bykovsky: Steel drums on Savior
Norrington Blamestown: Bass on Zombies & Black Swans
Pleasant Strife North: Keys on Space Debris
Nigel Biggles: Bass on Savior
Steambath McCrarey: Whistle on Savior
Jimmy Prudentialberg: Bass on Sacred Cow
Diatribe Impossibles: Bass on Industrious
Wilhelmina Waistaway & Bernadette Babbles: Backing vocals
Pre order:
lasercd.com/cd/escapologist-autographed-cd
