Oleg Prodeus, a Russian composer living in Vienna, strikes out big with his album “The 13” and it is indeed a big album. As big as the whole eighties going into the nineties European rock scene, in fact. By now you will be expecting a trip down retro lane and, if that is what you are looking for, then you won’t be disappointed. However, the key thing to remember here is that Oleg Prodeus has captured that sense of scale, that relentless march of the technology army into the world of music that so defined that period of time perfectly.
Time to pick out a song or two. “Saviour” is pure drama from start to finish. Oleg Prodeus throws such theatrical emotion into his performance that could be nothing else than German cinematic neorealism put to song. Then, just to make sure that you know he has arrived, he throws in a solidly metal riff just where you would expect a wooden stake. In a less bombastic mood, he then parades “Do You Know The Way” as the sort of mid-tempo song that would provoke an immediate Roxette revival.
Being serious, however, it is impressive just how big this album sounds. I don’t just mean that it is loud either more that Oleg Prodeus, with this album, throws in enough dramatic presence to fill a decent sized stadium and still leave enough over for a rock opera.
For those of you who worry about subtitles, this album is sung in English.