Press review from Czech metal magazine "SPARK 3/2002":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore
"Even in our country there are already maniacs, who have decided
to create burdensome conceptional rock or metal megaopus such as
AYREON. Conceptional albums were popular here couple more years
ago (PROGRES 2 etc.), but I haven´t noticed any in last few years...
Right now I have got the CD "Chart of Yore" by Zdenek Valecko. And
to tell you the truth, there is why to be amazed by some aspects
of his work. He had been composing his music between 1987 and 1998
and recording and mastering from 1996 to 2000!!! To keep a purpose
in your head for thirteen years, to keep following it, to persevere
and to achieve, it is an exploit and only this fact pays a tribute.
You must have an enthusiasm or even madness. Eventhough the final
quality is reasonable according to the time Zdenek spent on it.
It is quite unique in Czech conditions. I cannot say I like all
notes in whole project, some parts are not that strong, but some
are considered as almost genial. Whole CD is impressive, especially
by the instrumentation, where the guitar and keys work dominates.
Some play ups, effects and sounds, digital voice bustering as well
as keyboard solo are real peaks. It is not worth to describe "Chart
of Yore", it is more than necessary to listen to it. It is a piece
of mood-making music and first of all one of realized musical dreams.
Musical project and progressive rock fans should find it and above
all realize that such works are not created only outside of our
border."
Review from e-zine "Rotcod Zzaj #57":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore
"Deep organ fugue on the opening track for this very interesting CD in from the Czech Republic...
rapidly moves to some beautiful flute solo pieces over-th-top & heavy drumbeats to support and
sustain it. Vocal narratives (not really singing) compliment the piece, and it's not hard (at all) to imagine a movie
with Bela Lugosi or Vincent Price with music like this! As I recall it, Zdenek sent me links to .mp3 files, and the sound quality
on them (while impressive) was not nearly at the level this is! By the 3rd track, it has moved into (definitely) HIGH gear,
with some grand metal/prog (electric) guitar work that is VERY impressive! The CD inserts are very well done, in
Czech language, as well as in English. The overall listening experience comes across with GREAT energy, and is certainly
worthy of our HIGHLY RECOMMENDED rating! I was especially impressed with Valecko's guitar work!" Review from e-zine "The Unheard Music":
Zdenek Valecko - Shiver of the Mind
"Guitar improvisation from the Czech Republic...poignant, disappearing then reemerging, broken and bravely limping
chord-fragments, singing honestly, are tinged with augmentation, arpeggiated movement, then calm stasis...the exploration
of a fretboard area, chordal type, or gesture... echo/reverb/pitch-shifted guitar MEAT here ("Gate to the Other World"),
sounding for all the world orchestral, thick, shapely...MIDI???...now, an obese and obcenely TONY IOMMI sounding
gtr-groove/unaccompanied/enormous/naked, with an ass the size of Alaska on it! I am reminded of those early 80's ECM
abstract guitar stylist loss-leaders of yore...brave bastidz (ie; David Torn, Terje Rypdal) who collectively explored tone, duration,
post-Riley repetition, and nuance - while all the 'Sellerz' (Dimeola, VanHalen, Malmsteen, 'Bop' Schofield) were packing
MAXimum-notes-per-second into pint pails. Ick. That ain't here, so you won't vomit one lil' drop. Excellent textural guit-art.
I want to do a duets record with Valecko ASAP." Review
from e-zine "eSoundz Reporter ... 09/15/2002":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore
"Talented musician Zdenek Valecko from the Czech Republic presents his CD Chart of Yore. What
starts out as a gothic music ritual turns into a fine orchestration of metal compositions in counterpoint.
Listen closely and you will realize that this artist has captured every beat in its measure with superb timing
and accent. This is a fine contribution to Progessive Rock and Metal. We especially enjoy the creativity found in
the songs Unfathomable Awakening and Ignorance in Anomaly.
Valecko has presented to us a fine composition of theatrical music for Pop and Metal fans. eSoundz rates this "one to
hear." Review
from MP3 site "Starpolish":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore "Zdenek Valecko is an artist from the Czech Republic playing classic,
keyboard-driven progressive rock that draws heavily from both early Yes and Rick Wakeman's solo
projects, Dream Theater, Fates warning, The Scorpions and all of those obscure European metal bands
my friend Bryan Judas Priest somehow makes a living writing
about. There's also a slight Spinal Tap element to this music, maybe because it reminds me of that
over-the-top "Stonehenge" kind of theatrical rock. "Tale of Love" is a
multi-part, mini-epic with a gorgeous guitar part reminiscent of Rudolph
Schenker's work on The Scorpions' "Still Loving You." Zdenek Valecko's
heavily-accented vocals aren't that remarkable, but he's really into what he's singing about so that makes his delivery
engaging. I'd like to hear him sing in his native language. "Gate to Oasis" is a fun track
too, very Jethro Tull-esque. If you like any of the bands mentioned in this
review, you will love this guy. Commercially speaking though, this is cult stuff all the
way." Review
from e-zine "Left of the Dial":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore
"Chart of Yore is a progressive rock/metal album composed and played entirely by Zdenek Valecko.
Instrumentally, the album is driven by electric guitars and synthesizers, while the rhythm section is either absent
or made up of some simple drum programming. To give you an idea of Valecko's sound, the music reminded
me of a mix between Pink Floyd and Yngwie Malmsteen (and perhaps a bit of Queensryche).
Synthesizers are featured quite heavily in "Chart of Yore," both to create ambient textures that are interwoven
throughout the album and to add orchestration to the tracks. Valecko uses simple ideas and plays them out in a cool way.
On "Day of St. Eveline," the album kicks off with very dark and very gothic sounding organ effects. Elsewhere, the synthesizers
add ambience that complements the guitar playing nicely.
The guitar playing itself is consistently tasteful. Valecko cites David Gilmour and Yngwie Malmsteen as influences
(rather, he thanks them, which seems to imply that they are influences). Accordingly, Valecko's guitar playing mixes a shreddy,
neo-classical technique with a touch of a soulful blues style. This might sound chimerical, but it is pulled off nicely. Occasional
acoustic and classical guitar pieces add to the overall diversity of the instrumentation. On track six, "Fire and Water,"
the listener is treated to a short but compelling guitar and violin duet. It is a very pretty moment indeed.
While I have praised Chart of Yore, I should note a few points that I found to be rather weak. My reservations mostly
involve the lyrical rather than the musical content. Near the beginning of the album, someone who best could be
described as Arnold Schwarzenegger delivers a monologue intended to fill the listener in on the story. Yes, you will inevitably
laugh an embarrassed laugh if you hear it, and I for one, could have done without it. Furthermore, various parts of the songs
have these "robot noises" which I found ridiculous, even if they were thematically related to the story (I won't get into that).
Valecko's lyrics are often silly themselves, but I won't get into that either. On the other hand, his delivery of the lyrics, while
mostly nondescript, is in earnest.
All told, Valecko has some clear talent when it comes to composing and guitar playing. This combination makes for a
one man band capable of producing some great music. In fact, if Valecko traded Schwarzenegger and the robots in for a
talented bassist, a drummer, and someone else to write the lyrics then he would have a potent prog-metal outfit on his
hands." Review
from e-zine "PROG4YOU":
Zdenek Valecko - Chart of Yore
"I don't know what is going on, but somehow a lot of people decided to record and
release concept albums lately. This particular project comes to us from the
Czech Republic, and it has been an ongoing venture for these guys since 1987, so
it's just by coincidence that we ended up receiving it along with other works of
similar narrative intent, but still.
1987... Think about that for perseverance! That is admirable, and I salute these
fine people for this tour de force in discipline.
Unfortunately, although the album is really very carefully recorded, mixed and
mastered; the music itself did not really do much for me. Of course, I say this
in the context of the various hundreds of similarly self-produced recordings
that are flooding the prog underworld every year. For starters, I am really not
a big fan of sequenced drums for anything beyond a demo. The drum programs are
actually very good here, but they tend to give the music a strange electronic
flavor, often at odds with the somewhat gothic or neoclassical tone on the album
overall. Further, some of the compositions are also a bit lacking in
originality, at least to my ears, and after repeated listens, the album feels
more like a collage of various metal and prog clichés than a coherent, flowing
collection of pieces crafted to tie a story together. At random, I choose track
3, called the "Unfathomable Awakening". Listen to it, and then throw in
Queensryche's "Operation Mindcrime" and listen to "The Mission". Coincidence?
Could certainly be, but that kind of parallels can often be drawn, with uncanny
correlation accuracy.
Of course, that is a minor problem compared to the fact that the juxtaposition
of orthogonal musical elements, which permeates the album, together with the
almost cardboard cutout simplicity of the characters and the story, coats this
effort with just too much kitsch.
The story itself could be called "Muddy gets a lesson in the school of
not-so-hard knocks", Muddy being the leading character in this allegorical tale
about the ambiguity of life. I cannot judge the actual lyrics because the
translation will obviously lose a lot of the original punch, but there is
nothing we haven't heard before, and the fantasy-setting does little to create
any real empathy with Muddy. I just hope he had good walking shoes, but beyond
that, I really can't say I cared much for his pseudo-travails.
I hate to knock so hard what is obviously a labor of love for these folks, but I
honestly didn't find this to be the stunning culmination of 13 years worth of
work (the album was apparently released in Europe back in the year 2000).
However, some people go nuts with Bjorn Lynne's stuff, and there are
certain similarities. I suggest you email Mr. Valecko, and get more
information from him, especially if you dig electronic, keyboard-heavy
prog."
