“There’s no such thing as bad music, just music you like and music you don’t.”
It’s a very valid statement, my music tastes have changed down the years, in the 70’s I was a huge fan of the Police and then moved on to the new romantic scene in the 80’s. I wore out a copy of ‘Lament’ by Ultravox and played Simple Minds’ ‘Once Upon A Time’ to death while revising for my ‘o’ levels but it wasn’t until the late 80’s that I was introduced to progressive rock.
The first bands I listened to were Anderson, Bruford, Wakeman & Howe and Rush but the first band I ever saw live was Marillion, just after the departure of Fish and I saw them on the ‘Seasons End’ tour. That’s where I first realised what an amazing guitarist Steve Rothery was and my opinion hasn’t changed since. Weirdly enough, I didn’t get into Genesis until I started reviewing music and working with Bad Elephant Music around 2014/2015.
With the encouragement of David Elliott, Leo Trimming and others, I delved into their back catalogue to try and rid myself of the ‘Prog Bambi’ association and that’s where I discovered Steve Hackett. I’ve since seen Steve twice and realised what a guitar supremo he is.
So, that’s where my background is with these two guitar legends and I was very happy to hear that they had collaborated together on a new instrumental album. So much so that I ordered the vinyl before I’d even heard a note!
‘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.’
I always like a bit of drama in a promo…
‘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 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.’
So this album has a lot to live up to and, in the main, it does and actually goes even further. You’d expect sumptuous soundscapes and perfectly precise compositions from these two leviathans of the progressive rock scene and you get that and more. The guitar playing is incredible, two virtuosos at the top of their game, both making space for the other.
What is evident from the start is that, if they had egos to start with then they were left at the door. It’s a mutual appreciation society of an album, almost symbiotic in places. The guitar playing is sinuous, almost alive, with soaring solos and dramatic riffs galore. There’s emotion and heart and soul in virtually every note and it leaves you breathless in amazement at times.
The Storm comes across just like a violent tempest out at sea but delivered in a most impressive musical fashion, high drama at all times, just superb. Sandsend flows along beautifully, if you’ve ever been to this gloriously scenic village on the North Yorkshire coast then you can almost imagine being there as each heartfelt note reaches its heights. If you’ve ever heard Rothery’s ‘The Ghosts Of Pripyat’ then you’ll hear the similarities on this beautiful piece of music. That’s the thing with guitar legends, they each have their own style and you can tell which of them is playing the lead on each track.
Steve Rothery comments: “Red Dragon shows off the rockier side of our collaboration, it starts with the sound of a hurdy gurdy (an instrument which originated in medieval Europe around the 10th century), followed by a heavy guitar riff by myself and great guitar melodies and sitar guitar by SH.”
Steve Hackett adds: “Red Dragon was the name of the ship that was used by the East India Trading Company in its early years. I used a sitar guitar amongst others to give that authentic Eastern feel…”
Red Dragon is a peaceful easy feeling turned into a glorious guitar piece by Hackett & Rothery. Smooth and sensuous, the sitar definitely giving a feel of Eastern promise. I had a discussion with another superb guitarist, Nick Fletcher, this week and we agreed that it’s harder to make instrumental music as you don’t have any vocals to hold the listeners attention but, believe me, this music holds you rapt. The delicate Spanish guitar that opens title track, The Roaring Waves, is a delight to the senses, holding your attention perfectly before the harder edge of the electric guitar makes a fluid entrance. There’s a cinematic, widescreen feel to this piece of music, it ebbs and flows wonderfully and the guitar is almost telling a story as it reaches each soulful crescendo. The pent up emotion in each note is palpable, you can feel it deep in your core, the songwriting here is just stunning.
K-129 opens with some staccato guitar tapping and plucking, like an insistent message being sent out via morse code. You can feel something building though as the guitar and synths swirl around you, it’s as if there’s a thousand thoughts running around your head, vying for your attention. the music takes a calmer turn, just pausing for breath before a powerful guitar break of utter exultation fires out at you, it’s magnificent and leaves you slack jawed in appreciation.
Steve Rothery comments: “I think The Black Sea is the perfect introduction to the sonic world we’ve created between us. We have a very special chemistry.”
Steve Hackett adds: “For The Black Sea, our joint guitar sounds with the keys created a strong vibe of intrigue along with a sense of a musical dark sea adventure…”
The Black Sea opens quite inquisitively with a pulsating synth in the background and questioning guitar front and centre. To my ears it could be a soundtrack to a clever detective drama, just methodically moving along before the synth increases in intensity and the guitar follows suit with more emotion and a sense of style. There’s a fluidity to the music and a strong feeling of nostalgia, warmth and empathy from the elegant guitar playing. A powerful and absorbing track that pulls at the heartstrings. The album closes with the uplifting and exhilarating thrill ride that is Pacific Coast Highway. It’s a grin inducing piece of music from the first note of Steve Hackett’s harmonica and it never lets up at any point. You could almost be on the titular road in a drop top, enjoying the sun and the wind in your hair with this upbeat classic in your ears, it’s just sublime.
The Roaring Waves is exactly what you should get when you put two guitar legends of the genre together. It’s a wonderfully enjoyable instrumental journey full of emotion and a whole lot of soul. Is it almost too precise and perfect, perhaps but that doesn’t mean it isn’t some of the best music that Steve Hackett or Steve Rothery have ever created. What I’d like to see is them really cutting loose with reckless abandon, now that would really be something to hear. However, in the meantime, we can thoroughly enjoy this rather fine instrumental.
Released 28th August 2026
Order The Roaring Waves here:
https://stevehackettsteverothery.lnk.to/TheRoaringWaves-Album