Jason Blake is a technical prog-head dream. A warr guitar player laying down complicated math rhythms, joined by the drummer for Joe Satriani and Steve Wilson, and released via King Crimson’s Trey Gunn record label, Jason Blake’s A Confusion Sequence is an eye-opening collection of prog and math rock compositions that is infinitely rich with character.
Based in Chicago, Illinois, Jason Blake is a warr guitarist, and for those unaware of what a warr guitar is, it is basically a 12-string guitar that incorporates the tonal range of both a bass and a guitar (unlike a conventional 12-string guitar in which each of a guitar’s 6 strings is doubled by another string playing an octave or a unison), and is played exclusively by tapping. An instrument geared towards progressive music by nature, Blake’s warr sequences are electrifying and alien, and his compositions sprawling and expansive. On A Confusion Sequence, Jason Blake manages to stretch a mere 6 pieces for more than 40 minutes. A recipe for a masterpiece, or for a disaster.
Seeing that Blake is joined by masterful progressive rock drummer Marco Minnemann (of Joe Satriani, Steve Wilson, and The Aristocrats fame), the probability of the album becoming a disaster is considerably reduced and taking a short stroll through the back catalog of Blake’s releases, the probability is eradicated altogether. An efficient composer with an ear for a gripping sequence and a catchy atmosphere, Blake’s work on A Confusion Sequence is confusing in the best of ways. His tapping passages are maintained largely accessible, while being technically juicy. A tough balance. And Minnemann’s drumming is as restrained as can be, while being technically efficient, playing expertly well off of Blake’s intricate lines and parts. The results are delightfully nuanced. A fractured collection of tightly held math rock anthems.
The layering on the album is quite amazing. The pieces on the album all feature naturally intricate parts that incorporate bass lines, melodies, and riffs, all in one, then Blake proceeds to layer those parts with additional melodies here and there to further add to the album’s complex harmonic and melodic tapestries. The mysterious video for ‘Dormant Visions’ prepared by Fumihito Sugawara is colorful and open ended, left for interpretation through its multiple maze sequences that go hand in hand with the complicated warr guitar and drumming work on the piece, one of the album’s most immediate and approachable compositions.
A Confusion Sequence is an album that has quite a particular and distinctive audience. Probably -and sadly so- unmarketable for a non-prog audience, A Confusion Sequence is an album brimming with musicianship, talent, exquisite performances, and saturated with melodic and compositional nuance. Created by consummate experts for true lovers of the genre, the intricate sonic landscapes on A Confusion Sequence never failed to be captivating throughout its runtime.
