As a fan of AOR-progsters Asia, both the John Wetton and John Payne line-ups, one of the biggest reasons for my interest in the self-titled debut Dukes Of The Orient album from 2018 – a band that’s really a duo and consists of bass player/lead vocalist John Payne and keyboard wizard Erik Nordlander – was the fact that it was in large an album called Americana which was supposed to be an Asia record but got shelved when Asia reunited with its original line-up. I longed for that album to see the light of day but over the years I had more or less forgotten about it as Payne wasn’t all that in our faces for many years. When it showed up under the Dukes Of The Orient moniker, I was a happy camper. A bit more prog-laden than I had imagined, the album made yours truly an even happier camper – it was a killer record.
However, when the album was released, I had no clue whether DOTO was to be considered a real band or just a one-off, an outlet for Payne to make Americana see the light of day. I hoped not as the album was too good to be a one-off and Payne’s collaboration with Nordlander seemed like a match made in heaven where the mix of AOR and progressive Rock blended just brilliantly. Now, two years later it sure looks like DOTO is here to stay with the release of a new album – an album written from scratch and has nothing to do with Payne’s past. Together with guitarist Alex Garcia, drummer Frank Kelpacki and saxophone player (!) Eric Tewalt, the duo now feels more like an actual band – and the new effort come with a big batch of expectations in tow.
Opener “The Duke’s Return” is a smoother kind of symphonic rocker, upbeat with AOR tendencies yet on a straight-forward note. There’s a lot of Asia in here – the pompy, opening keyboard riff and especially the chorus, catchy as it is in all its grandiose soundscapes and walls of sound. With a sax-player in the band there will be saxophones and here we get a sax-solo which gives the tune a slight 80’s West Coast touch albeit not as light. A really good opener. The following “The Ice Is Thin” is a pop-groovy pomp-rocker, a quite laid-back number with ballad verses. It’s a smooth piece of music that sends to both Supertramp and Steel Dan with a 60’s melody-influence but also with a proggy undertone. The chorus is comfy, nice and chunky with a catchy enough vocal-melody. Good one.
The title-track is slower in pace and holds a darker, heavier approach with a plethora of Nordlander’s keyboards which pretty much takes over the track. There’s also both a sax-solo and an organ dito which in turn makes me wonder out loud – where are the guitars??? We get a chunky and pretty tough beat and a good yet not all that direct and effective chorus. I say it’s a good song that could have been much better. More guitars and a more effective refrain. The single “The Monitors” is a pomp-groovy, smooth, pop/AOR stomper with a lot of Asia in it. It’s straight-forward, big on keyboards with hooks both in verse and chorus. Reminiscent of the debut, the tune is a no-brainer as a single with its captivating and direct chorus which catches on immediately. Very good.
Upbeat in a mid pace, “Man Of Machine” is a slightly sullen tune with lots of pomp-keyboards, a symphonic arrangement that picks up the pace as the tune goes along. This hybrid of pomp-rock and AOR comes off as a bit rockier and for the first time – at least that I know of – a duel between saxophone and guitar is taking the solo-part. Cool. The chorus is smooth yet chunky and even though it might not be super-catchy, it do work decently well. Good track but a couple of steps from great. “The Last Time Traveller” starts out as a stripped, slow ballad-like pomp-tune based on keyboards that holds a spacey ambience. A mountain of keyboards comes in making the tune a lot bigger. The pumping groove holds a slow beat before the song speeds up into a faster pace. Another saxophone solo that goes into a organ dito comes in and then the song ends like it started – stripped and atmospheric. It’s both progressive and dramatic and even though it’s an ok song, I have a hard time remembering it afterwards.
“A Quest For Knowledge” is an upbeat stomper that brings on a bouncy groove and big pop vibes with a large chunk of pomp inserted on a heavier outlook and some rowdier keyboard-riffs. There’s some proggy arrangements here, some Asia meets 80’s Yes-like melodies and a vocal-melody in the chorus that has a slight Beatles-esque touch. The keyboard-line in the verse is slightly reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” with some time-changes that goes from slow into a laid-back passage before it takes on the faster pace once again. It’s a progressive pomp-AOR-rock number with a catchy enough refrain. It could have been a great one but I’ll settle for good only.
With lots of keyboard-hooks, the uptempo pomp-groover “The Great Bass Steam Engine” takes on a meaty beat. It’s an instrumental tune, straight ahead paced yet with an progressive input where Nordlander’s big keyboards creates a spacey and dark soundscape. In all honesty, this is merely a five-minute keyboard-solo of sorts and while it’s all well done, it’s also quite dull. I don’t hate it but it’s a skipper. “When Ravens Cry” starts out soft and stripped with vocals and piano only where Payne and Nordlander creates a soothing atmosphere. When the chorus arrives, it gets bigger and more pompous but it’s pretty much an AOR-pomp ballad on a pop-note albeit with a darker and laid-back ambience. The song also holds an upbeat passage with an 60’s pop-like, smooth melody-line. The chorus is also quite contagious which makes it stick. Without flooring me, I think it’s a really good song.
Getting close to the end, the album bids its farewell with “Until Then”, a slow, Beatles-esque ballad, very earthy and organic to begin with but when the rest of the band comes in, the tune builds a greater soundscape on a bombastic note with lots of keyboards which takes the song into a symphonic power ballad-like appearance. There’s also a darker and more spacey, dream-like room in the song which brings both Genesis and Pink Floyd to mind. Vocally, the “aaaah” singing makes it even more Beatles-esque. As a song, it’s a only good piece of music but as an album closer, it works splendidly.
Without raining on Payne’s and Nordlander’s parade and slagging the album off, which is impossible anyway, I must say that after the affable debut, this album is, if not a let-down, a disappointment. Why? Well, because I had expected more in terms of the song-quality. The fact the the duo and their cohorts are really good musicians is undisputed but it must be said that unfortunately, Payne has lost some of his range. He’s never sour but he’s not as broad-ranged as he was in his glory-days and he now has a raspier voice. Also, Nordlander’s keyboards takes over way too much which leaves the guitars in the background plus the fact that the saxophone is all over the place. I don’t mind saxophone as an addition but to use it as a part of every song, well, that’s not for me. All in all, a pretty good album with no bad songs but way too few great ones. It just don’t keep the promises the debut gave.
5/10
More Dukes Of The Orient reviews:
Tracklist:
1. The Duke’s Return
2. The Ice Is Thin
3. Freakshow
4. The Monitors
5. Man Of Machine
6. The Last Time Traveller
7. A Quest For Knowledge
8. The Great Brass Steam Engine
9. When Ravens Cry
10. Until Then
CD & Festival reviews 