Omar Rodriguez Quartet "Sepulcros de Miel" with former Chili Peppers axeman Frusciante: A Review

If you are interested in this article, please first read:

http://www.examiner.com/x-64177-Red-Hot-Chili-Peppers-Examiner~y2010m8d13-Omar-Rodriguez-to-play-4-US-dates-to-promote-new-album-with-former-RHCP-guitarist-Frusciante

The package arrives in an unassuming brown cardboard box.  It's quite ordinary.  Once opened, however, what is revealed is nothing short of extraordinary.

Before there is even a chance to put the orange-swirled vinyl (it also comes in purple, if you prefer: http://omardigital.rodriguezlopezproductions.com/album/sepulcros-de-miel) onto the turntable, the album cover strikes a chord of its own.  The band name comes across the front like a comet, going diagonally upward.  The words are formed vertically, started at the top in a bright yellow, blending perfectly downward to orange, red, then violet.

The bottom of the front provides the title, "Sepulcros de Miel" and similarly changes color from yellow to green and fades away completely as it moves upward.

The bright colors aside, there are even more striking images.  The lower left shows two mythical beasts in battle.  One appears to be some sort of bird with ears like that of a rabbit.  The other appears to be a dog or maybe a hyena.  The bird-like animal appears to have the advantage, but both look like they are in pain.  From a personal email from the artist:  "The beasts in the lower corner are from a book of etchings from the Middle Ages. While they must no doubt have significance historically-speaking, that's not why we included them..." (read on to hear why they WERE included).

The upper left is even stranger.  There are two nude Greco-Roman statues, seen from behind in some sort of embrace.  One is standing and could be male or female.  He or she has placed his or her hand on the top the other one's head.  The second figure is crouching and appears distinctively male.  He has an arm wrapped around the waist of the other.  What is almost frightening is that the male has on his lower back a large tail, curling as it hangs downwards.  More from Sonny Kay: "The same goes for the statue of the satyr embracing the woman. I've assumed the satyr in question is Pan, though the image was incorporated more for its texture and juxtaposition factor with the other elements than for anything symbolic in a bigger sense. Omar is a big proponent of the embracing the absurd and nonsensical and tends to try and avoid the linear narrative of placing things side-by-side to deliver a specific message."
 

The most stunning of the cover artwork, however, is on the right side, running from nearly top to bottom.  It is a statue reminiscent of Central American goddesses, and has textured interlocking stars in front of the main image.  She (?) is both eerie and majestic.  Again, Sonny Kay states "...the main figure on the cover is Aztec, from Mexico."

The artwork together is a bold statement on the music that is to come.  Art, Layout and Design is done tastefully  by  Sonny Kay. (http://www.sonnykay.com/) (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonny-Kay/412736965493?ref=ts) (www.holdupart.com)  (www.ipaintmymind.org) (rodriguezlopezproductions.com)

Now comes the dilemma.  Does the reviewer give one listen and make the review on the first impression?  Or does he get to know the album fairly intimately, and as quickly as possible?  The decision is made by the end of the first listen.  This is complex, textured music which deserves thorough study before giving the full review.  The gut reaction, however?  It is Omar's finest "solo" work in years, at least since "Old Money" or maybe even "The Apocalypse Inside of an Orange."  It is certainly one of his most consistently enjoyable albums. 

Clocking in at  14:57 on Side A and 14:29 on Side B, the album is a slim 29 minutes 26 seconds.  The digital counterpart is slightly more at 30 minutes 44 seconds.  This is no doubt due to editing to fade out the first side of the vinyl and fade in the second side.  The RHCP Examiner has no qualms in revealing that he did also use the digital version for the sake of continuity and ease of reproduction in order to make this review.

On to the music itself.  It is clearly a cohesive, single piece of music, brilliantly produced by Omar.  It is divided into 8 parts (appropriately named "Parts I-VIII.")  The first and last tracks serve as bookends to the larger work as a whole.  They contain an odd-sounding but pleasing electronic beat.  For those of you who aren't musically inclined, think of it in terms of Morse code... "dot-dot-dot-dot-dash, dot-dot-dot-dot-dash."  For those of you who ARE musically inclined, the beat changes, first by adding some grace notes, then by changing the original rhythmic pattern.  It ends after 2:22 on both versions.

The comes the shock of the E-Clat, the rhythm section, and the distinctive wah-wah of Frusciante.  Master of guitar sound wizardry, Omar creates effects that mystify, intrigue and sometimes, even terrify.  From here on in, it is impossible to tell where one "track" ends and another begins, because, as previously stated, this is one piece of music.  At times it seems almost improvisational, but anyone who knows Omar's body of work, including with the Mars Volta (www.themarsvolta.com), knows that every note has been carefully planned out by producer Rodriguez.

Juan's bass and Marcel's drums keep the beat famously and interestingly for the first half.  John's wah continues on, sometimes striking two-note chords in the upper ranges of the guitar;  mostly it is soloing  and a single note melody that permeates the rest of the album (with slight variations, of course).  Meanwhile Omar Rodriguez uses the E-Clat and some of his many effects pedals to make these notes echo into infinity.

Only the flip of the record (and the digital versions, but they can only be seen and not heard) provide any real divisions.  It is painful to stop in the middle to make that vinyl flip to side B, because the listener has to interrupt this wonderful piece of work that is meant as a whole.  Ah, the bane of an audiophile's existence...

The drums become more defined and fast, and then all but fade away.  The same goes for the bass.  On side B, it seems that the only constants are the guitar line and more sound effects, possibly guitar created, possibly synthesized.  The drums and bass come back in and then fade away again.  The echoing effects sometimes overpower all.  During Part VI (?) things suddenly mellow out considerably.  Frusciante's chords strike more strings and ring out with less echo and some good old analog distortion.

Somewhere near the end of Part VI or the start of Part VII, the bass makes a triumphant return with a deep, powerful line of notes.  Quiet echoing then returns and pitch bending begins.

For the beginning of part VIII, the bass is particularly strong...at times...at other points in this section, it drops out completely for the return of echoing into infinity.  The the drums come back and alternate with the bass for the finale.  Once they've finished their amazing parts, the guitar continues and the echoes crescendo and speed up until they are nearly indistinguishable as individual sounds.

With about two minutes left on the album, "dot-dot-dot-dot-dash" comes in to end things.  Any of the sounds heard throughout this masterful 30 minutes of music are fair game now for a fade in/fade out.

The last one minute is almost identical to the first one.  It's come full circle, then it's suddenly gone.

4.5 of 5 stars. The only reason it doesn't get a "5" is that it's over too soon!

Album Credits:

"Omar Rodriguez-Lopez Quartet -Sepulcros De Miel'                                                                                        Omar Rodriguez Lopez * Juan Alderete De La Peña * John Frusciante * Marcel Rodriguez Lopez                 
 Recorded on the E-Clat Morgue Portable Disaster Unit
 At The Telesterion Occidental De Zapopan, Mexico By Lars Stalfors.                                                                     Mixed By Lars Stalfors, Mastered by Mark Chakecki.
 Original Art, Layout and Design by Sonny Kay.

2:22====A                                                                                                                                                                            5:07=====A                                                                                                                                                                       5:04=====A                                                                                                                                                                       2:24====A    

Produced by Omar Rodriguez Lopez

3:32====B                                                                                                                                                                           3:26=====B                                                                                                                                                                         3:09=====B                                                                                                                                                                         4:22====B "          

From the Digital album (once again, available Free             (http://omardigital.rodriguezlopezproductions.com/album/sepulcros-de-miel):                                            Part I  (2:22)                                                                                                                                                                         Part II  (6:21)                                                                                                                                                                       Part III  (5:05)                                                                                                                                                                       Part IV  (2:24)                                                                                                                                                                     Part V  (3:33)                                                                                                                                                                       Part VI  (3:27)                                                                                                                                                                     Part VII  (3:10)                                                                                                                                                                     Part VIII  (4:22)                                                                                                                                                                    

Hopefully everyone will take as much joy in the album as this Red Hot Chili Peppers Examiner!                                                                                                                                                                    wookciante@gmail.com for questions, comments, etc.