The Red Hot Chilli Pipers - Breathe - [CD]

Ocking those Bagpipes for over a decade, BREATHE guarantees punchy versions of Kings of Leon's 'Use Somebody', ZZ Top's 'Gimme All Your Lovin', Gary Numan's 'Cars', the Eurythmics 'Sweet Dreams' and many more, all Chilli-fied with big blasting brass, rock guitars and the mighty sound of the three lads on the Great Highland Bagpipes. It's a wonder the Chillis have time to breathe as they take their powerful sound to many countries around the world. Make sure you remember to breathe as you listen to... BREATHE !! REVIEW Who would consider an amalgamation of scything synths,air-cleaving guitars, power-bass lines, blazing brass, shattering drumsand percussion overlaid with the unique sound of Highland bagpipes arecipe for success? The Red Hot Chilli Pipers that s who. Starting as agood idea between friends the Red Hot Chilli Pipers now deliver a uniquebagpipe-rock-folk fusion they call Bagrock . Their latest album Breathe demonstrates the power behind the concept - energised classic rock and poptracks morphing with traditionally inspired and original jigs, reels andstrathspeys into a fusion that defies classification.A breath-taking live act, the Chilli s music transfers to album withoutany loss of dynamism and drive. Breathe overflows with bagloads ofenergy. There remains that moment you recognize the tune, albeit in atotally unexpected format, then just as you settle in to the feel there sa ripping bagpipe-driven force field that nails you to your seat and twoseconds later rips you out of it to join in the mayhem. This music ishighly infectious - from the synth-fed transformation of Irish traditionwith Silver Spear through to the highly embellished, rock tingedScottish pibroch within Young Blood - hear it and you ll want more.There s the anthemic Don t Stop Believing fused with The Jig Runrig ;the punch of Gimme All Your Lovin with ZZ Top meets Scotland and thebizarre yet addictive combination of Cars with Smooth Criminal eachof these tunes bonded by bagpipes to form outlandish yet gorgeous beasts.Should you not know the band, make no mistake this isn t just a bunch ofitinerant pipers bashing out rock covers. Between them the band has fourmusic degrees from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. TheChilli s founding member and musical director, Stuart Cassells, was BBCRadio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year and snare drummerSteven Graham, he of the blisteringly fast hands, is a two-times worldchampion. And the respect for tradition and desire to ensure itscontinuance is profound. Breathe is a seething vortex, a hurricane, a twister that sometimesgently caresses but ultimately sweeps you away and leaves you fighting forbreath. My advice, just go with the flow and breathe.Reviewer: Tim Carroll --FolkWords