Israel’s most prolific musician AVI ROSENFELD has just released his seventy-first album, yep you heard that right, seventy-one full-length albums, (he’s like the Stephen King of music), I am blown away by that number and even more blown away I have not heard of him, how can that be? AVI first picked up the guitar at the age of thirteen (and probably started working on his first album) but found that songwriting was his true passion and although was influenced by a lot of different musical styles, it always came back to classic rock. Initially captivated by THE BEATLES but watching the music and imagery of PINK FLOYD, DEEP PURPLE, URIAH HEEP and GUNS AND ROSES fueled his desire even more. His first recordings ever made were at the age of seventeen, with a regular computer sound card with an endless latency which he had to shift from side to side. His career is not with an actual band but with collaborations of world class musicians from around the globe. I am intrigued, curious and excited as I dig into the latest album from this amazing artist on “Burn the Castle” self-released in the fall of 2023 which includes David Stone of RAINBOW on keyboards and the mighty vocals of Josa Tamas and Deibys Artigas. I’m guessing by the time I finish this review, he’ll have another album released.

Starting out with the title track “Burn the Castle” is a quirky mid-tempo melody with keyboards creeping in the backdrop while the vocals of Josa Tamas provide an episodic twist that I wasn’t expecting, my initial reaction is ELP meets FRANK ZAPPA meets GENESIS, which is a strange combo, but definitely kept my listening attention. Me thinks we’re in for an interesting listen moving forward. “Down To The Water Line” features the second singer Deibys Artigas who delivers a sharp, clean vocal delivery giving a little more swag and is more guitar oriented with a nice, classic melodic riff. “Island Shores” is the hardest and edgiest song so far with a rousing riff balanced nicely by the keyboards that provide a DEEP PURPLE feel all packaged tightly by the savory vocal presence. A rhythmic grooving tempo powers “Rock Down the Stage” as the bouncy riffs set the table for a playful overall song, nothing complex or complicated and a nice guitar solo paired with a tight and balanced drum and bass backing. “Hey Uchnem” is a nice absorbing instrumental piece with all musical components showing up in full force and complementing each other in a most enjoyable way.

With over seventy albums under his belt, how can I say anything negative about AVI ROSENFELD or this album “Burn the Castle” because he is obviously doing something right. He offers melodically enchanting and appealing songs with all the pieces falling into place. All ten songs have a different sound and structure without being overbearing or pretentious. Although not a pure headbanging experience it does provide enough of a savvy edge to keep your attention.