By Monk
The name Ian Wilson may not mean much to many of our regular readers, but his nickname of ‘Speedo’ may make things a little bit clearer, as it was by this epithet by which he was best known as the lead guitarist for stop-start-stop-start Belfast NWoBHM veterans Sweet Savage, for whom he slung the axe for almost three decades before being ignominiously being kicked out of the band for doing something as stupid as having a heart attack… Well, fuck that for a bag of beans, as while, apart from a few support gigs and festival appearances here and there, his former band mates have been relatively inactive over the past decade, Wilson has kept himself busy and has now finally, after years of promising to do so, got around to releasing his debut solo album.
Right from the off, let’s get two things straight. First of all, regular readers will know I’m not a fan of instrumental albums. Secondly, and more importantly, I’ve known Speedo for the guts of four decades, a time during which we have endured and enjoyed the rough and the smooth, had our fallouts, like all friends experience. So, I hope I he knows me well enough to know that everything I have to say is done so with brutal honesty and lucidity.
The first thing that strikes you about this album is the absolutely stunning artwork. Very obviously inspired by HR Giger, it is done by Wilson himself, showing off his talents as much as a graphic artist as he a sonic one. The second punch comes in his obvious reverence for Joe Satriani, as the opening duology of ‘Luca’ and ‘Dark Side’ combine those elements of jazz-inflected Tchaikovsky-esque grandeur that Satch evokes so eloquently, and Speedo equates to great effect.
One thing that strikes me about this album is that is does not reflect Wilson’s other great guitar hero, and that is Gary Moore, although ‘War Lock’ does possess a bluesier, more classic rock feel, particularly with its piano backdrop and Kinks-ish interludes, while closer ‘Space Cadet’ has some of that innate, laconic heaviness that always inhabited Moore’s work. My only problem with this latter track is that ends too soon, coming to a fatal conclusion just as it explodes and hints at further exrapolation.
‘Dark Matter’ is a beautifully crafted and thoughtful album, mature and measured like its creator. It has a natural energy and flow, leading you along an enjoyable path through woods deep yet enlightened.
- ‘Dark Matter‘ is out now.
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