Review BLING EGO “The Hunting Party”

Kalle Wallner is a very creative person. The guitarist, known from the musical mothership RPWL, has another project on the go. Blind Ego is the name of the band that is releasing with ‘The Hunting Party’ the fifth album in Blind Ego’s history.

The band premiered in 2007 and it is the “Preaching to the Choir” release that came out just before the pandemic, without the chance to promote the songs in a live atmosphere. After releasing an almost instrumental album with ‘Voice’, it’s the latest longplayer that will be welcomed by fans of well-crafted progressive rock and metal.

“The Hunting Party” contains seven songs that are a treat for your ears. The record shows great musicianship as well as containing songs that have many layers while still being melodic and accessible.
This also has to do with a different way of songwriting. Instead of writing the music and then adding the lyrics, Wallner turns things upside down. It’s a different way of working that leads to a different result and that’s why the lyrics of these seven musical gems were written first. The music came later and helps to transport the content and emotions expressed in the lyrics of each of these songs.

Aside from Wallner and his excellent guitar playing, it is frontman Kevin Kearns who does a great job of adding emotion to these tracks. While Kearns is usually the frontman of a metalcore band called Cyant, ‘The Hunting Party’ allows the singer to show a new aspect of his singing. He has a very powerful voice and yet creates a lot of touching emotions, fully supported by the music.

Blind Ego reflects the heavier side of Wallner’s musical ambitions. “The Hunting Party” is a great rock album, as you can tell from the great opener, which is the title track. Equipped with some layers and twists, the track slowly builds up, while the filigree solo part shows that Blind Ego is much more than just denim rock.

Melodies, softer acoustic parts and a darker vibe is what “The Stranger” reflects. It’s a beautiful song that grabs your attention the first time you hear it. In general, it can be said that every song on The Hunting Party is a great example of sophisticated rock music that always puts the song itself first.

Prog structures come to the fore in “Spider”, a gloomy song that will make you shiver, even if you love spiders. “The Hunting Party” finds the balance between harder rock music with style and calm soulful notes, the latter being the essential ingredient of the majestic “In a Blink of an Eye”.

“The Hunting Party is an excellent rock album. Twists and turns, combined with a great sense of melody, make this release a treat for both, ears and mind.