Review | Patrick Rondat – Escape From Shadows

Verycords

Patrick Rondat is an inspiring figure in the world of instrumental guitar, celebrated for a career spanning four decades, bridging the worlds of metal, progressive rock, electronic and classical music. Emerging from the 80s metal scene, Rondat established himself as a creative force in the instrumental genre since debut ‘Just for Fun’.

Rondat’s artistry is marked by his relentless pursuit of musical excellence and his embrace of new horizons while crossing borders. His early work, including the acclaimed ‘Rape of the Earth’, showcased his technical prowess and his maturing compositional skills, blending virtuosic guitar work with intricate, emotional arrangements. Parallel to this solo career, Rondat collaborated with an array of artists, like the iconic Jean-Michel Jarre, with whom he recorded and performed at landmark venues such as Wembley Stadium, The Eiffel Tower, and the Acropolis.

GENRE-DEFINING ALBUMS

A characteristic of Rondat’s career is his passion for classical music, which he has woven into his rock and metal roots through both original compositions and ambitious adaptations of classical works. His partnership with pianist Hervé N’Kaoua in 2008, exploring the multitude of intersections of classical and contemporary forms as well as metal in general, highlights his versatility and deep musical curiosity as performer.

His genre-defining albums and collaborations with some of the world’s most respected musicians, make Patrick Rondat a vital and innovative force in modern guitar music, a composer and performer whose work continues to inspire and challenge listeners worldwide.

21 Years have passed since his acclaimed ‘Ephemeral World’ saw the light of day, and Rondat’s new album ‘Escape from Shadows’ was finally released. Having spent decades in the making, its creation saw Patrick facing challenges and deep tragedy. But the friendly Frenchman bounced back, and the new album is a monumental achievement that stands as an exclamation mark to his long spanning career and his evolution as both guitarist and composer. It touches deep and in its texture Patrick engrained his tears and his joy, his storytelling lamenting.

To truly grasp the album’s power, one must also spotlight the rhythmic brilliance of Patrick’s interplay with his long standing collaborators, bass player Patrice Guers and drummer Dirk Bruinenberg, whose performances elevate this record from a solo statement to a genuine ensemble triumph.

DEEP CLASSICAL ROOTS

From the outset, the album’s textures reveal Rondat’s deep classical roots, not only in his guitar phrasing but in the structural sophistication reminiscent of piano sonatas and chamber works. His ability to inject classical motifs and harmonic progressions into a rock and metal framework is nothing short of breathtaking. Tracks like this short classical toned and cinematic ,,Overture”, the album breaks away with its storytelling musical exercises. ,,Fear and Guilt” is woven into the dying notes of the overture and transcends with brisk alternating riffs and themes amid the piano melody returning to the fold. The way Patrick Rondat fuses the piano line and Manu Martin’s subtle keys with his guitar is absolutely phenomenal.

The many tempo changes and hooks are impressive and colour the song’s intensity, with drum and bass affirming the metal of its foundation. Patricks ravishing riff at the helm, the song flourishes with several solos that are colourful and gripping. Towering with intensity, the song progresses with epic pretentions, its breakdown ethereal and elemental, with cascading notes and extreme fretboard wizardry. Suddenly morphing contemporary, Bruinenberg once again kicks the song into gear with propelling double bass and tom runs, with Patrick and Manu doubling down on their interaction.

PROG MONSTER

The colourful cinematic appeal is evoked again on the wonderful and zesty ,,Invisible Wars” with Guers’ bass droning and growling underneath Rondat’s weeping guitar. The following ,,Whispery Hopes” sets sail in ominous tone, before it suddenly shifts shape with jazzy time signatures underneath the contemporary jabbing keys, suddenly lamenting melodies in its sonic richness. Dense atmospheric, light and crisp in its execution, the song keeps you on edge, with Patrick displaying all sides of his guitar spectrum. From fretboard freckling to weeping emotions and jagged bursts of (subdued) riff carnage. It’s a prog monster with eluding melodic toppings!

The turbulence scattering from ,,Back on Track” displays the stride of the master returning to the front, revealing his enormous potential and skills. The interplay is jaw dropping as is Rondat’s intense playing.

GOING EPIC

Going epic, ,,Escape from Shadows’’ showcases the synthesis of metal and classical music, with intricate melodies and shifting time signatures that reflect his dual mastery of guitar and piano. The result is music that is both technically dazzling and emotionally resonant, with each composition unfolding like a narrative. Rich in tension, release, and thematic development.

Rondat’s guitar tone is a marvel of sonic craftsmanship: warm, articulate, and commanding, every note imbued with clarity and intent. His playing is never mere display; rather, it’s a vehicle for storytelling, each phrase shaped by a deep understanding of dynamics and musical architecture. The production wisely preserves this organic resonance, allowing the nuances of Rondat’s touch; his vibrato, legato runs, and staccato bursts, to shine through without sacrificing power or drive. The flair of his playing on this title track fuses his past and present, entering full creativity. The execution is as daunting as it is comfortably nesting in your soul, the resonance transcending.

And check out the interplay of Patrice and Patrick around the six-minute mark, just before Patrick makes the song orbit into its final stance: DAUNTING!

NEW TERRITORY

Entering new territory, Rondat brings French singer songwriter Gaëlle Buswel in for the wonderful ,,Now We’re home”. The song touches with Americana in its structure, yet oozes soul and packs tremendous doses of metal, with Gaëlle belting out a warm resonant register. She breathes soul into the lyrics while the song explores the musical spectre further. The strumming guitar and lamenting solo, blend well with her vocals, and the sudden emission of spacerock sci-fi keys brings an unexpected glare. Phenomenal!

MULTITUDE OF MELODIES

The dying notes of the song fluently fade into the melodic antics of ,,Hold on to Your Dreams”, telling the story of hope. The glorious melodies and playing of Patrick Rondat really make the song impact in the deeper realms of your brain, with the resonance and vibrance piercing into the heart. Dirk and Patrice’s interaction defies the laws of musical physics, with Patrick drizzling his immersive melodic solos on top.

,,From Nowhere” is downright enormous. The song oozes melancholy and intensity before bursting into action with its progressive time change and poly rhythmic discharge. Guers’ bass growls and scatters into Rondat’s deployed heavy riffs before Manu’s keyboards morph rock to techy, maintaining the song’s eluding accolades. The speed burst is dazzling and when the song reforms into its melodic theme, is soars with key and guitar interaction, searing the multitude of melodies into a, atmospheric graceful ambiance.

After 8:49 the song dies out and has you immediately reach for repeat to rediscover its sonic outset.

Shaping his classical hallmark, Patrick closes the album with the piano-guitar boasted ,,Prelude and Allegro – in Style of Pugnani”. Whereas Rondat usually leans to composers for piano, Giulio Gaetano Pugnani was a violinist and composer of chamber music. The baroque elements colouring the dynamic interplay of Manu and Patrick, make the song a compelling track warping us back to the 1700s. As the song nears its end, Rondat displays his impressive virtuosic performing skills with dazzling speedruns and weeping soar. His style is fluent and rich, commanding in the lows. Absolutely marvellous and enigmatic. Martin’s piano and string arrangements intensify to boast the song’s classical attitude.

BASS AND DRUMS

But it is the interplay with his bandmates that truly brings these compositions to life. Patrice Guers, celebrated for his work with Rhapsody of Fire, delivers a revelatory performance. His bass lines are melodic, inventive, weaving counterpoints that both ground and elevate Rondat’s guitar work. Guers’s mastery makes him easily navigate complex time signatures and shifting moods, his playing serving the musical conversation rather than simply underpinning it. He brings a progressive sensibility that is technically formidable and expressive, anchoring the album’s more adventurous passages with authority and flair.

Dirk Bruinenberg, meanwhile, is the album’s rhythmic architect. His drumming is a study in versatility and precision, moving effortlessly from thunderous double-bass (,,Back on Track”) assaults to nuanced, jazz-inflected grooves. Bruinenberg’s experience across progressive and power metal is unmistakable, but what sets him apart here is his sensitivity to the music’s ebb and flow. He colours each track with exactly the right touch, propelling the heavier moments with explosive energy and lending the more introspective sections a subtle, dynamic pulse. At times his execution borders enigmatic. The result is a rhythmic landscape that is as varied as it is cohesive, providing the perfect canvas for Rondat’s melodic explorations. The dynamics of Bruinenberg and Guers anchors the musical progressive paths and equally brings the right spice lifting the song’s elemental spirit.

Manu Martin’s keyboards complete the picture, adding orchestral depth and harmonic colour that draw further from Rondat’s classical influences. He meanders from ethereal grounds to the rough terrain of Hammond-styled contemporary (Jon Lord) blisses, while also pushing pompous. Whether providing lush pads, baroque-inspired flourishes, or tasteful piano lines, Martin’s contributions are integral to the album’s cinematic scope.

PATRICK RONDAT – THE CONCLUSION

‘Escape from Shadows’ is a landmark release, not just for Patrick Rondat himself, but for instrumental music as a whole. It is a record where classical discipline and rock intensity meet, where every member contributes to a soundscape that is as ambitious as it is affecting. Rondat allows them space and room to breathe, enforcing the musical outcome. It is a team effort as much as it is a Patrick Rondat album. The master displays his tremendous skills and has carved a niche as a musician and composer, at the top of the league.

For those who seek music that challenges, moves, and inspires, this album is an essential listening.

Welcome back master!

Release date: 30 May 2025