Bill Lubera: "Global Warning" review

Review of Bill Lubera "Global Warning"

by Ben Kuzay

I just got done listening to Bill Lubera "Global Warning" and I am very impressed! Intricate compositions that are woven together in a very tasteful way; dominant and multiple guitars in each song (except the last one, which is a string quartet piece); and, very noticeably, a theme throughout- which is VERY uncommon in the instrumental genre.

Every track on this cd is the name of a weather catastrophe or natural extremity. Sound effects combine with the music to take you on a ride through all of the horror that Nature has to offer. You get no "Sunshine" or "Pleasant Rain" on this cd. Instead you get track names like "Hurricane", "Tornado", and "Icebergs". When I was over at his house, Lubera made several mentions of the weather calamities that residents of my state (Wisconsin) are faced with on a regular basis. He shuddered at the thought of our weather predicaments. The sincerity of this album is evident in (among other things) the fact that the album's theme is one which he expresses through dialogues in his daily life, as well. The message he preaches is one of warning: Natural calamities are coming our way, and we'd best beware and take precautions. A mad composer, obsessed? Or a musical prophet attempting to illuminate the world with true wisdom?

Progressive from the very beginning, this cd holds no bars in the area of composition. Lubera did not put in any "filler" tracks; nor did he attempt to lower the quality of his product to make it more mass-marketable. Instead, he created an album that will only appeal to the elite listener- the connoisseur of progressive music. Changes in time signature, and the use of extremely odd time signatures are some of the hallmarks of "Global Warning". I had the treat of hearing a few segments of a purely classical-metal flavor, as well. All-in-all, diversity in style- both of playing and of genre- run rampant throughout this work.

Produced by George Bellas, the sound-quality is excellent. Bellas also created the album art and design, which look great and are a very fitting visual accompaniment to the music. Is Bill Lubera the new force in progressive instrumental music? Some say it is so.

-Ben Kuzay

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/luberabill