Ken Snyder CD booms with ‘tremendous, Earth-shattering power’
Written by James Wall
Ken Snyder
Progressive by Nature
Ken Snyder doesn’t need Harry Potter’s knowledge of magic because his wizardry requires physical skill and intellectual depth, not mumbo-jumbo witchcraft. And while he can’t make people morph into spiders (unless you’re on some funny substances while listening to this record), Snyder can easily throw you under his spell. I hear the influences of four decades of rock & roll on Progressive by Nature. Besides the obvious spiritual fingerprints left by Joe Satriani and Steve Vai, Snyder plumbs the nearly the entire history of whup-ass rock, from the pile-driving stomp of Metallica (“Pitch Black”) to the downbeat grunge of Alice in Chains (“Time Passages”) to the space worship of Dark Side of the Moon-period Pink Floyd (“Equinox”). It’s quite breathtaking.
The energy of Snyder’s performances is awe-inspiring. The opening KO of “Pitch Black” and “From the Shadows” explode with tremendous, Earth-shattering power. Snyder’s solos are never excessive, which is shockingly rare in this genre; he gradually builds up to them, making these instrumentals feel like real songs and not just exercises in shredding. One of the best tracks is the title cut, which opens with moody, dreamy acoustics until the electric riffs coming storming in. It’s a deliciously thrilling moment, among many on this remarkable disc.
Rating: 10/10
