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Two titans of progressive music, Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Steve
Rothery (Marillion), come together on ‘The Roaring Waves’ - a striking
and deeply atmospheric instrumental album shaped by memory, imagination,
and the elemental power of the sea. The record has been much talked
about over the years, and it will now finally see the day on the 28th
August 2026 via InsideOutMusic.
Years
in the making, The Roaring Waves brings together seven instrumental
compositions that move fluidly between the cinematic and the intimate,
as Hackett explains, “It’s not the kind of album that guitarists normally make together.”
Written
and recorded intermittently over nearly a decade - with sessions at
London’s Racket Club and the duo’s home studios - the album emerged from
an organic, improvisational process. Jams and shared ideas form the
backbone of the music, allowing both players to explore a collaborative
dynamic defined by sensitivity and mutual respect.
Throughout
‘The Roaring Waves’, the duo embrace a painterly, almost filmic approach
to composition - crafting music that invites listeners to drift,
imagine, and immerse themselves. “You’re trying to create an atmosphere… like painting a picture,” says Rothery. “Taking people on a journey.”
by Geoff Bailie
If you asked ChatGPT who were the 3 most distinctive melodic British
prog rock guitarists active today… well, you don’t need AI to give you
the answer: Gilmour, Hackett and Rothery! So the fact that 2 of the 3,
Steve Hackett & Steve Rothery, have made an album together is
definitely something worth your attention.
Working together on and off over 10 years, the two Steves’
improvisations have created something that, perhaps, you might not
expect. The theme of the music is right there from the moment you get
the sleeve and the song/album title. The unifying theme is the sea and
all of the images and atmospheres that it creates. It may be helpful to
explain first what the album isn’t: it’s not a guitar-gunslingers at
dawn shred-fest (though the guitar playing is outstanding!) and it’s
also not a snoozy soundtrack album (though the scope and dynamic of the
music is cinematic in itself). It’s also not GTR Part 2 – and I say that
as someone who loves the GTR album! There are no vocals or pop songs,
yet there is a melodic strength that makes this music memorable.
(In the absence of track by track notes, I am going to make some
guesses as to who plays what, and will undoubtedly get it wrong –
sorry!)
Opener “The Storm” has Hackett (first guess) playing some Jeff
Beck-esque lyrical melodies, bending notes with ease, before the crash
of thunder shifts the pace. Daniele Pomo’s drums kick in and drive the
rest of the song forward. The two guitarists trade melodies as the song
progresses, very much like a duet – complimentary rather than competing.
“Sandsend” is next, with a main melody that could quite easily be a
vocal piece. A striking feature of this whole album is – what does the
guitarist do when the other is taking the lead? For me that’s a great
example of how well crafted an album this is – the subtleties and the
backgrounds will, I’m sure, stand out in the surround/ Atmos mixes.
There are various sound effects and other textures which all contribute
to the experience. “Red Dragon” has a great strummed riff, along with
some sitar-like playing. This one had me searching my notes to find who
was playing the bass – and what I discovered is that Ricardo Rommano
plays bass, and keys… and co-wrote and mixed the album! Rommano will be
known to some for playing keys in the Steve Rothery Band and with
Rothery’s second guitarist in The David Foster Band. He is a
multi-instrumentalist, writer and singer. You get the sense that he’s
also a vital contributor to this album and holds his own with the
Steves.
Title track, “The Roaring Waves,” starts with some nylon string
guitar which I assume is Steve H, before the underpinning orchestral
riff begins. I can certainly tell that it’s Rothery on the opening
electric section of this song. I have to say, this album invites you to
crank up your stereo/ surround set up, or immerse yourself with your
best headphones, close your eyes and picture the images it conjures.
The moving and flowing rhythms of this most certainly give you a picture
of The Roaring Waves, which then return to calm, symbolised by the
closing acoustic guitars.
If you haven’t already Googled, “K-129” was a Soviet submarine that
sank in the North Pacific, and all of its crew perished. When it was
eventually recovered, many wondered why it had sunk/ what had it been
doing/ what had it been carrying… producing the now famous governmental
response “We can neither confirm nor deny…”. The track begins with a
mechanic looping backing, symbolising the repetitive progress of the
ship through the water. Both guitarists jam over this backing, Rothery
playing more melodic, while Hackett digs deep into distortion and
“noisy” guitars, all subtly mixed! When the backing ends, the sonar ping
in the silence indicates something isn’t right – and the musicians
return with a series of imaginative solos. This section is a great
example of the Steves playing in support of each other, rather than
battling!
You may have heard “The Black Sea” already, as it was the first
single from the album. Like the whole album you get a mix of the fresh
and the distinctive guitar sounds of Hackett and Rothery. The chiming
Strat on this is presumably Steve R, as Steve H provides the shimmering
sounds behind him. When I first heard this track, it reminded me of an
update on Hank Marvin of The Shadows playing – smooth and melodic,
rather than harsh and shreddy!
Closing track “Pacific Coast Highway” is another shift. If you know
Steve Hackett’s history, you will know that his first instrument was a
blues harmonica, and that’s a featured instrument in this
America-inspired track. The most uptempo album track, with wordless
female vocals, blasts of Hammond organ, and the guitars slide and bend
at their bluesy best. The tempos shift throughout the piece, changing
the background scene and allowing more melodies and styles to emerge. It
all leads to a soft, clean toned ending, with the choral vocals
returning, sounding as if it could have come from either of the bands
the two are most famous for!
I’ve said it before, and I say it again here: I am a big fan of the
45 minute album, especially for instrumental music. This one is 45:08 in
total – so this is just perfect for me. Great kudos should be given to
the two Steves for producing an atmospheric guitar-led album, filled
with a rich variety of sounds and atmospheres. This is very much music
to fuel your imagination, and to create pictures and images in your
head, perhaps similar to what the musicians saw in theirs. The album
has clearly been a labour of love for Hackett and Rothery, and if you’ve
enjoyed any of their guitar playing within their bands, you should
definitely get a copy of this.
Bvdub - "Morning Glories" quiet details 54 (QD54)
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about
Credits:
Music by bvdub
Mastered by Brock Van Wey
Artwork by quiet details in collaboration with Brock Van Wey
Design by quiet details
© quiet details 2026 all rights reserved
FreeForm thanks Alex at Quiet Details for a complimentary copy of this release.
Very happy to welcome the return of one of the first artists to believe
in the idea behind quiet details, and dear friend of the label - the one
of a kind, inimitable Brock Van Wey, bvdub, with Morning Glories.
Aside from qd04 Days of Gold, the bvdub discography is vast. Spanning
over two decades, with a music history that goes much further back into
underground and rave culture - Brock is a music head in the truest
meaning of the term. Explorations into ambient, techno, house, drum and
bass and more - evolving into an artist like no other. He is a a
singular artist, completely unique and instantly recognisable -
something only a fraction of musicians achieve.
Morning Glories, coming fifty releases on from his first appearance on the label, is bvdub at his absolute peak.
From the first few seconds it’s clear this is something special - trademark lush pads and ethereal vocals, huge bass
weight and percussive propulsion - soon joined by melody that touches
your soul, and shaped to pull you in emotional directions that will be
unique to every listener.
This first track lays down a marker for what’s to come - as always, the
level of Brock’s production is sky-high - he’s created an incomparable
musical world, harmonically and technically. From the production through
to the mastering - there is clear vision, all coming together into a
beautifully cohesive whole. Nobody does it like bvdub.
As we move through the perfectly sequenced album, we get it all - huge
walls of sounds, the lightest gaseous clouds of ambience - moments of
deepest reflection married with driving releases of inner pressure.
Trance-inducing sonics of the highest quality.
Words don’t do it justice - this is a masterpiece from an unparalleled talent.
Huge thanks to bvdub, another essential addition to the series.
The artwork was made as always influenced by the music and idea behind
the album - originating from a photo from bvdub which was then captured
with analogue photography and processed here at quiet details studios.
As usual, the album is presented on the physical edition, a custom six-panel digipack with a separate fine art print too.
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