Hello Metalheads! This is John back with another album review, this time something a little different. Jason Beiler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra released The Escapologist in February 21st, 2025.
This album is way out of the ordinary for musical content that I usually latch onto. This to me is almost classic rock inspired prog music that is aspiring to be a space opera in content. While I LOVE prog music, I like it to have some sort of draw towards metal in most aspects, but especially if it has some death metal ties as well. This from the very first minute or two kept my ears wanting more and more. My first listen I got so drawn in that I didn’t even realize the 44 runtime had ended and I was shocked!
I just love how there are a ton of different genres, styles, grooves and even sounds throw around in this album. We get an industrial or grudge fueled passage in the first track Industrious(which makes sense from the title of the track). There’s a psychedelic ballad of sorts for Sacred Cow, and even a tribal feeling with brass instruments for effect in Savior. The orchestra name really earns its name at certain junctions like this throughout the album!
While I really enjoyed the whole work, the second half of this album from Zombies and Black Swans on is my personal preference. This track leading into the second half has a particular groove that is extremely tight feeling. There is lots of space in the mix and not over saturated in anyway. I find this song very pleasing to the ear and really easy to sing along to. The prechorus kind of reminds me of a build up that Van Halen or similar band would use to get the listener wound up and ready to sing the chorus.
Space Debris might be my favorite track on this whole album. The ensemble behind the singing really reminds of a more modern take on something I’d hear from Styx or a band like that. The singing in the verse section also has a strong resemblance to Styx in the way that it’s layered and the timbre that it creates. The chord progression for the whole track keeps going through the majority of the track it has a really nice little turn around that keeps it from being to repetitive. The chords during the verse have this feeling of being slower harmonicly, but actually just get repeated a bit more. It’s such a cool tactic. Plus there is a slight instrumental break that breaks it up a little bit.
While this album may be way out of norm for music choice, I’m glad this popped up on a random Facebook advertisement shortly after it came out. I genuinely enjoy this album and will be exploring more of material from this group. On my scale I’d give this a 9.5/10 for my rock albums of the year. As always don’t forget to listen and even buy this music if you like it. Links to all of the bands social and streaming sites will be listed below
https://www.facebook.com/share/1LqmZAWqeb/?mibextid=wwXIfr
https://x.com/jasonbieler?s=21
https://www.instagram.com/jasonbieler/?hl=en
https://jasonbieler.bandcamp.com
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jason-bieler-and-the-baron-von-bielski-orchestra/1533909077
https://open.spotify.com/artist/47biWYcWFwHFOUMWES43Kt
https://youtube.com/@jasonbieler?si=Bc6Qexhjnohs-LSy
The Escapologist by Jason Beiler and the Baron Von Bielski Orchestra
