Review: Corque – Centauri Breach

Style: Prog Rock (clean vocals)
Review by: Will
Country: Australia
Release date: 15 December, 2021

Centauri Breach is the second EP by Australian guitarist and composer Corque (aka Chris Warren). The Sydney-based solo artist is influenced by thrash metal and progressive rock which he fuses into this epic, space-rock themed EP.

The title track ‘Centauri Breach’ is a solid opener for the album; fading in on a wave of interstellar synth, building the guitar slowly through clean chords before breaking into heavier riffs which is then overlaid by Corque’s signature soaring guitar solo, which will become a mainstay for the album. There also some interesting features throughout the album to sell the space theme: the synth on ‘Centauri Breach’ as well as a number of voice clips interspersed throughout the album, for example: a countdown in ‘Silicone Militia’, which is faintly reminiscent of Mike Oldfield’s Songs of Distant Earth.

The EP is instrumental save for the final track with Corque’s adroit guitar solos doing most of the heavy lifting for the vast majority of the album. The solos range from beautifully intricate and tight to the soaring, epic feeling guitar work that can only be properly performed standing on a cliffside, shirt open, hair blowing in the wind. Indeed, the music video for Centauri Breach (above) has Warren literally soloing on a cliffside overlooking the ocean, the footage following his movements across the fretboard so his skill can be better appreciated.

Creating a space-themed progressive album will inevitably invite comparisons to a number of artists including Ayreon, Hawkwind and (especially for a guitar-solo heavy albums) Joe Satriani. This comparison (unfair though it may be) highlights much of his compositional shortcomings; namely the distinct lack of variety across the album. Ayreon often throws in a ballad song to contrast with their faster tracks and even Satriani switches entire musical styles on Surfing with the Alien to keep the listener engaged. By comparison, Corque’s tracks are repetitive: there is little variety in terms of tempo and style, the rhythm section of the track only a vehicle to support the lead guitar and only briefly allowed to shine on its own. The drum track is effectively a metronome with little to offer the listener in the way of backfills or any more interesting playing and the bass is buried so deep in the mix that you really have to concentrate to know it’s there at all.

The EP definitely suffers from having too much of a good thing in terms of guitar solos. Though it’s easy to appreciate the skill with which Corque plays, the listener becomes numb to the consistent tone of the lead guitar. In fact, some of the strongest and most impactful moments in the album are where the relentless guitar solo abated in order to highlight some of Corque’s excellent rhythm pieces: The opening riff to ‘Centauri Breach’ is great and the thrash-y opening riff to ‘Singularity’ is one the best moments on the album, closely followed by the finale to the same song which features a breakdown that puts me in mind of Metallica.

The final track ‘Terror Stricken Gaze’ is one of the strongest tracks overall on the album, featuring all the strongest elements of the album as a whole: Some solid moments where the listener is allowed to appreciate the rhythm secion’s excellent riffs; the space-theme of the album comes through with synth backing and extra voice clips that adds extra texture to the song. The vocals on this song gives the listener the variety from the rest of the album as well as serving to keep the lead guitar from dominating the entire track. When the guitar solos are shorter in length their intensity is much easier to appreciate which is why this track more than any on the EP is what leaves the listener wanting more.

Recommended tracks: Centauri Breach, Singularity, Terror Sticken Gaze
Recommended for fans of: Ayreon, Joe Satriani, Metallica, Hawkwind
You may also like: Diagonal
Final verdict: 4/10

Related links: Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Label: Self released

Corque is: Chris Warren (solo project)