image courtesy of Mark Barron

Album Review of Mark Barron: Redefinition

Rocker Mark Barron covers a lot of territory with axework that ranges from blistering to floating on Redefinition, and all that real estate is in the progressive rock township. Can I place it Barron’s music into a subcategory of progressive rock? Well, if progressive, soaring, guitar-wizardry-driven space rock is a progressive rock subgenre, then this would be the dictionary definition of it.

Barron is a jack of all trades, a multi-instrumentalist, not just a guitar wizard. The liner notes of Redefinition read: “Mark Barron: Vocals, guitar, keyboards, bass, drums, production and mixing. Music and lyrics by Mark Barron. Mastered by Doug Northcott at Amplitude Audio.” So we know he doesn’t master his own record. He can’t do everything, I guess, but Barron comes close.

First song “Praeludium” kicks off with heavy, soaring hard rock guitar, suggesting perhaps a heavier record than Redefinition turns out to be, the sort of anthemic, soaring heavy metal that might have instrumentally backed one of Dio’s more melodic productions. At the very least, it suggests images of knights and dragons and castles – very medieval and adventury sounding, like the backdrop of a D&D quest.

Then the title track, “Redefinition,” begins with a sort of synthy-sounding, ’80s electronic-style intro, which leads into some higher, more technical, prog rock instrumental shredding. Yet, a garbled, wizardly background vocal resumes the fantasy before the lead vocals themselves bring about an almost Styx-influenced mainstream-meets-progressive sound. By this point, it’s clear any and all expectations should be thrown out the window, and you should just sit back and enjoy the album’s journey.

Throughout the journey, you get energetic progressive rock with a soaring musical backdrop and plenty of axe-wizardly shredding.

“Closer to Me” soars softly, with a calm, outdoorsy vibe, with the music suggesting water imagery just before the lyric “as the wings crash down on me,” as if so-designed. The energetic kick into the song’s chorus is almost Survivor-like, though the rest of the song is pure floating, soaring, kinda mellow progressive rock. Of all the songs on this record, “Closer to Me” is the one that most often pops into my head, so do give it a listen.

A fun, lighthearted instrumental romp, “Burnout,” follows, and it’s my favorite instrumental number on the record, perhaps my favorite song overall. It’s followed by “Afterglow,” which features guitar noodling through the song’s first half before the first vocals, which soar angelically, turning the song into almost a hymn.

The rest of the album continues along similar themes while still unleashing new facets of Barron’s skill-set. “Leap of Faith” feels very Styx-ish. “Into the Wild” is a fun, 5-plus minute journey powered frequently by relatively fast-paced guitar and a persistent, driving drumbeat. And “Rift” features a bit more keywork than many of Redefinition‘s other numbers – in addition to plentiful guitar, natch – as the song leans toward the more mainstream end of progressive rock. The guitar in the instrumental “Divinity” is the crunchiest, thickest on the record, seeming to lean a little bluesy at times, too.

The album’s penultimate track, “Ivory,” is motored by pianowork, slow and very balladic, with Barron adding softer-edged though still insistent vocals; it also might be well-suited to musical theater, specifically something along the lines of Phantom of the Opera. Indeed, Barron seems to channel Andrew Lloyd Webber throughout much of this song.

The 11-song journey through Redefinition ends with “Weightless,” a 7-minute closing number that showcases many sides of Mark’s music, from the song’s soft opening to its varied guitar styles to an almost march-style rhythm and beat, particularly through its middle, before beginning its big, soaring-into-wide-open-spaces final minute-plus dramatic climax then fading out. It’s a fitting ending to an impressive progressive rock song collection!

So, if you’re a progressive rock fan, you should definition check out this record. It’s a good one. And if you’re not already familiar with Mark Barron, then you have a new name to remember. And if you’re not a prog rocker, well, maybe start by checking out “Closer to Me,” “Ivory,” and “Burnout” – there’s probably something in this collection you’ll like, too.