Byron Metcalf

"Helpers, Guides and Allies... is a deep space journey of healing and ritualistic proportions. Byron Metcalf, a holistic shamanic psychotherapist, designed this album to create altered states of consciousness. It works! A deep didg and a powerful synth surround his persistent rhythm. This is not ambience. This CD requires close and deep listening."

"Metcalf's evocative compositions guide the human psyche inward to experience its greater life-one that both heals and expands the soul."

"Helpers, Guides & Allies...is a must have CD!! Byron and his talented colleagues have created a magnificent collection of sonic pictures, each artfully portraying segments of a fantastic journey. A journey with heart, excitement and drama. There needs to be a sequel!"

"Helpers, Guides & Allies...ranks high on the list of music for the dynamic part of experiential sessions. It is a truly unique piece, since it was produced by a very talented musician, who is also a certified holotropic breathwork facilitator, intimately familiar with non-ordinary states of consciousness."

"The best shamanic drumming, group trance/dance title to come along in ages."

"It is rhythmic, it is trance inducing, and it is altered state inducing. You find yourself breathing rhythmically as the music directs you and then you are transported elsewhere. This music takes you to the inner landscapes that most of us do not visit enough."

"True medicine music for the body and breath. The constant flow of varied rhythms and tempos created by percussionist Byron Metcalf create the perfect map for personal and group travels."

The second solo recording by shamanic counselor and master percussionist Byron Metcalf, "Not Without Risk" is a sturdy and reliable tool for otherworld/innerworld work. Wear your seatbelt!

Track 1: "Not Without Risk" The title track of the CD, "Not Without Risk" opens up with a thunderous and potent soniCDiving beat that issues a kind of declaration of sorts: "Hey, you, pay attention! This is the journey you've been meaning to take but haven't until now. It is a road of knowledge, but it is not without risk."

Technically the piece is a nice induction into liminal space and in-between consciousness. In some ways it struck me as being like an initiatory celebration. A rich, full-bodied and bold track (I feel as though I am describing a good beer or a meal) the listener will feel just that: fed. It is an initiatory feast.

Track 2: "Fields of Intention: Track 2 reminds me of Gabrielle Roth's "Stacatto" in her 5 Rhythms work. It is a profound reminder to not forget the body in otherworldly and visionary work. In Celtic tradition we think of the body as the soul-shrine. "Fields of Intention" is imbued with a sense of integration and acknowledgment that the body is how we experience our earthiness. A good piece for movement.

Track 3: "Primordial Recognition" Track 3 opens with a haunting multi-textured weave of ocarina, spirit breath, didgeridoo and various rattles and percussive instruments. The overall mood of this piece speaks of expectancy, as if we are being carried through a never-before-seen yet somehow familiar landscape to meet up with an ancestor. The smooth, even, and unrushed quality of "Primordial Recognition" is a refreshing change from so many recordings that have a tendency to blind the voyager with overly frenetic energy. This has its place, no doubt, but too much energy that never lets up prevents absorption. "Primordial Recognition" is superb in its ability to deliver remembrance.

Track 4: "Medicine Story" One of my absolute favorites, Track 4 is an astonishing recording. It is, no doubt, the product of seasoned journeyers who ears know as much as their eyes. Lena Stevens' contagious vocals gives the impression that we are accompanied. I felt her voice like an ancient grandmother telling a story, weaving a new dream from a cave. A standing rhythm sings forth from a frame drum, providing a trustworthy and reliable formulaic beat upon which soundworlds, chant and other spirit-breath sounds could germinate. At once filled with sensuality and mystery, as well as a feeling of home, "Medicine Story" conjures it all: birth, passage, sexual union, death, totemic awareness and arrival. *****

Track 5: "Spirit Gathering" "Spirit Gathering" is an apt name for this glorious piece. The blending of Native American flutes, drums, breath-sounds and nature sounds (tree frogs/crickets) ushers us to a center point of primal power, a veritable seed-pod from which all mysticism is born. My mind was filled with images of Buddhist prayers being uttered in a swirl of incense, Pueblo people wandering on Salt Pilgrimage, pilgrims making their way to Chimayo as well as up the side of Crough Padhraig in Ireland. The cyclic appearance, eclipse and reappearance of the deep earth drum beat from a frame drum offers the psyche a moment to catch up to itself, a time to integrate. Nice touch.

Track 6: "Dark Brew" The opening synthesizer soundworlds of Ron Oates on "Dark Brew" is subtle. It is laCDwith the emotion of hope. . . . hope that this grand experiment of humanity is leading somewhere. A feeling of a "future earth culture" stands out in this dance of and dialogue of didgeridoo and percussion. Snakes shedding skins, banished serpents from Ireland's shores returning, Ayahuasca teachings from writhing membranes, mortality, choicemaking.

Track 7: "Clan Travelers" African shaman Malidoma Some' once said, "It is a sign of impending illness if a person hears the drums and does not dance or does not fly." Enough said. Track 7 went straight to my feet and a druid night-dance spilled out onto the wood planks of the floor. This track comes with a prerequisite: move, fly or die.

Track 8: "Light From A Burning Bridge" The tapestry of Jamie Keehan's heart-melting voice aswirl with Ron Oates' soundsworlds, punctuated with drumbeats from Byron Metcalf that felt like rhythmic acupuncture needles in the soul, and the spirit cannot help but expand. A profound reattunement to one's place in the grand shape of things.

I love the new CD [NOT WITHOUT RISK]! There is such a shortage of really good, primal, powerful, organic, densely immersed and palpably dimensional drumming recordings. Sign me up!

This is Byron Metcalf's second solo release, and a perfect followup to last years critically acclaimed collaboration with Steve Roach, The Serpent's Lair (Projekt Records, 2000). Sonically, it's very much a deeper microscopic continuation of a shamanic journey, which began with The Serpent's Lair.

Byron combines his skills as a drummer/percussionist with his background as a psychologist and shamanic practitioner creating visionary soundscapes. Beginning with his 1998 debut release of Helpers, Guides & Allies, Byron's music has been used extensively in experiential shamanism and journey work, various meditation practices, breathwork, trance dance, bodywork and other healing arts.

In the process of creating NOT WITHOUT RISK, Byron fused layers of organiCDums and percussion, didgeridoo, soundworlds and sonic atmospheres, various indigenous instruments and voice to create a powerful musical experience.

The album also features Steve Roach on didgeridoo, spirit voice, loops and processing; Rian McGonigal on didgeridoo; Ron Oates on keyboards and soundworlds, Jack Coddington on digeridoo, Lena Stevens vocal on' Medicine Story'; Richard Blum Native American flutes on 'Spirit Gathering'; Shawn Cardinal (Byron's wife) and Michael Keehan, offer their spirt voices on 'Spirit Gathering', and Jamie Keehan's soprano voice is featured on 'Light from a Burning Bridge'.

NOT WITHOUT RISK is about communication beyond words, beyond language. It resides within the realm of pure sound, and natural rhythm. It is a multicultural, shamanic, percussive treat for the senses. NOT WITHOUT RISK can both evoke and create a mind-altering, transformative experience in listeners that are open to its deep, mysterious and sensuous grooves. The eight compositions that comprise NOT WITHOUT RISK stretch out over a period of almost 74 minutes, leaving the listener mesmerized as the last notes of 'Light from a Burning Bridge' echo off into the distance.

Joined by a supporting cast of nine musicians, Metcalf creates a true celebration of life. The rhythms are bold and evocative. Not only has he blended traditional world music influences into his own distinctive style, but he has also mastered playing each instrument using authentic techniques and rhythms. Listening to NOT WITHOUT RISK is an experience that warms the heart and soul. It is an exotic and personal musical statement. Metcalf has brought together a fabulous ensemble of players, accenting his inventive handling of rhythm, texture and pitch. It is upbeat and exciting collection of traditional and modern influences.

Highly recommended!

I have used Byron Metcalf's NOT WITH0UT RISK in shamanic divination journey work of various kinds, and have found it to be extremely valuable in taking one to the deep, at times frightening inner spaces that one often encounters in self-exploration. The deep resonant bass pulse and driving rhythms keep one moving through the changes, and provide a safe container for this kind of work.

Fans of Steve Roach will recognize the name of Byron Metcalf from last year's collaboration album, The Serpent's Lair. Metcalf, who like Roach lives in Arizona, is a specialist in shamanism, shamanic percussion and trance drumming. He's both a musician and a psychologist, who explores transpersonal and shamanic methodologies. Here on NOT WITH0UT RISK Metcalf and friends (many of whom also worked on The Serpent's Lair) send forth a set of eight percussion-filled pieces into the electronic aether. That wily coyote Steve Roach also shows up here and there on this album, contributing his characteristiCDsert drones and "serpent groove alchemy."

This album is good stuff. It begins with a powerful drum session, the first and title track "Not Without Risk." It continues loudly for a couple more tracks before settling into mysterious nocturnal rattling, tooting, whispering, and slow beats (track 4, "Medicine Story" and track 5, "Spirit Gathering"). The pace picks up again with track 6, "Dark Brew" and track 7, "Clan Travelers," which chugs along with a steady rhythm for about 10 minutes.

Then for the last track there's a major change of pace. This piece is credited to Ron Oates, rather than Byron Metcalf. Throughout the album up to this track, the drums have ruled, and melody and tone have been minimal. But here, in "Light from a Burning Bridge," the drums fall to a soft tapping, and floating, melancholy, wistful minor chords take over. The title is poignant, and made even sadder by events that Metcalf and Oates, when they made this music, could not foresee (light from burning skyscrapers). It's a moving finale to a 74-minute shamanic sound journey.

Another good thing I wanted to mention was technical excellence: how well the album was recorded. The big drums really came through, and the highs were clear and bright. A lot of percussion albums lose bass and volume and "attack" somehow, but this recording preserved the sound.

Byron Metcalf's life defines holistic integration. He holds numerous degrees in psychology and counseling and he is a shamanic practitioner. He is a pioneer of the therapeutic use and healing potential of "nonordinary" states of consciousness. He is also a world class percussionist and a leader in the field of healing music.

NOT WITHOUT RISK is his third CD. (His second CD was a collaboration with Steve Roach.) It is truly a worthwhile endeavor. (To quote Byron, "Any worthwhile endeavor is not without risk.")

Byron's soundworlds are deep and rhythmic journeys into the self. His intention is to give his listeners the opportunity to heal. He does not do the healing. Like any good counselor, Byron merely provides guidance and safety.

And Byron has assembled a stellar cast of supporters to assist him. Appearing with Byron are Steve Roach (Didg, spirit voice, ocarina, loops, processing, "Serpent Groove Alchemy"), Ron Oates (keyboards, soundworlds), Jack Coddington (didgeridoo), Richard Blum (Native American flute), Rian McGonigal (didgeridoo), Lena Stevens (vocals), Jamie Keehan (soprano voice), Michael Keehan (spirit voice) and Byron's wife and partner, Shawn Cardinal (spirit voice).

The set runs the gamut from intense rhythmic head music to gentle Native American minimalism. Byron weaves his magic throughout the disc. His percussion carries the flow and guides listeners to the healing touch. That touch comes from within each listener. It can be spiritual, emotional and/or personal. It is always powerful!

The second solo effort by percussionist Byron Metcalf follows his collaboration with Steve Roach, "The Serpent's Lair". On this new CD, he lets out all the stops, and dives straight into the heart of percussive, juicy music, with deep rhythms, a bottom that won't quit, and high-caliber production of his own design. Guest artists include Steve Roach, Ron Oates, Lena Stevens, Rian McGonigal, Richard Blum, Jamie Keehan and Jack Coddington. Through the fusing of organiCDums and percussion, didgeridoo, soundworlds and sonic atmospheres, various indigenous instruments and voice, Byron invites and challenges the listener to push the boundaries of their own reality. The risk Byron takes is the journey of venturing into new depths and levels of one's self. Turn it up on a good stereo & hang on!

Lloyd Barde, Backroads Music, November, 2001

[Not Without Risk] is another in Byron Metcalf's successful endeavors with shamanic music... it answers the very important question, "where this work fits into world music programming?"....there is a driving quality about all that is in this work that is an extension of his earlier CD "Helpers, Guides & Allies."

But it seems to me like Byron has narrowed his focus a bit and concentrated more on trance inducing music this time out...in reading the liner notes one can see that Byron and his wife/partner Shawn Cardinal use this music in some way in their transpersonal therapy work...I like the idea that good world music as we hear in this CD can be used in a healing practice....that just seems very exciting to me....

Favorite cuts here at KFCF 88.1 FM, Fresno are cut 1. title cut, cut 2. "Fields of Intention", cut #5 "Spirit Gathering", and cut #6 "Dark Brew." aaaaah nuts, I liked it all!!!

Any CD that includes some of the work of Steve Roach (and here on didgeridoo to boot) has to have that "I could listen to this music all night long" quality....

Byron so eloquently and masterfully brings rhythm and sound together in a way that speaks to the inner recesses of the soul. Each unique selection has a character of it own.

Every 5 years or so a recording comes along that breaks all pre-conceived notions, establishing a paradigm against which future releases are considered. Despite the fact that many of Roach's initial recordings made quite a splash upon their release, most collectors following his output agree "Dreamtime Return" was a seminal release, an apex within his early career. While there were many landmark recordings to follow, Roach made yet another quantum leap forward by way of the neck-snapping "The Body Electric", a recording brimming with charged sonics that left hearts beating quickly and heads swimming. "Serpent" continues in a similar vein to "Body" with patterns and shimmering sounds that seem to emanate from all points of the sound field. For this recording Roach is partnered with Shaman-Drummer, Byron Metcalf amidst the convivial gathering of ambient¹s finest musicians which include Jorge Reyes, Vidna Obmana, and Vir Uris. "The Serpent's Lair" is yet another landmark recording ­ one that seems destined for our "CD of the Year" decoration. The symbolism of the serpent shedding skin ­ ridding itself of that which it has outgrown - is not lost on "Serpent" as Roach and Metcalf, among a bevy of ambient artists, forgo previous techniques to take on a completely new style. "The Serpent's Lair" forces the listener into immaculate, imaginative sound worlds the likes of which have heretofore remained in the recesses of the human mind. This radiant music, densely wrought with emotional impact; create an experience similar perhaps to the welding together of Reyes' "Mort Aux Vaches" coupled with "The Body Electric"- while managing to surpass both. Roach wrenches far-fetched new sounds from the synth ­which convey a mental cinemascope of bejewelled temples, swarming tryptamine patterns and foreign worlds, while Metcalf¹s accomplished Shamanistic drum patterns combine into a hypnotizing set of Sacred space music.

Disc 1 teems with throbbing, distended rhythms, diaphanous synth threads ­ delicate as a spider web ­ and Metcalf¹s polyrhythmic drumming. There are moments of contemplative moods, yet those are rare as the majority of hour one is that of upbeat, ritualistic soirees. Here, Metcalf, lays down percussive configurations of intense complexity offset by assorted shakers, rattles and other sundry implements while Roach injects waves on undulating synth, chugging sequences and the odd sonic embellishment.

Whereas disc one is a formative composition of ambient art, it is disc two that plumbs the depths of the Other; taking the listener into sound worlds of such mind-boggling proportions that it begs to be heard. Roach's vitreous sound patches gracefully adorn the works as facets on a Faberge egg ­ scrupulously detailed beyond one's usual acuity. Beginning unassumingly - the music similar to that of side one - there is nothing to prepare the listener for what will soon transpire. Track two sets in motion an eerie, unearthly descent into the void ­ a sound-world filled with shadowed reverberations, metallic clattering and smooth, oblique drones trailing off into infinite space. There is a feeling of immense space; simultaneously creating gelled-like parameters that pulse to the vibrations. Track three drops the listener into the unknown, a swirling mass wrapped in sonic wind, haunting, ethereal chanting and drum cycles that implode only to form new, more intricate configurations. The result is one of ambiguity, loneliness and self-reflection. A peace-filled atmosphere develops, only to lead the listener through yet another doorway ­ not quite as foreboding ­ filled with overtone chant, and stillness backed by an array of gently beating percussives. The cycle complete, "Serpent" ends on an affirmative note ­ one of emerging from a cave to witness a surreal sunrise of magnificent depth-of-colour. Phased instruments briefly swirl amidst water sounds, whisperings and gently chanting female voice.

There is, in "Serpent", so much to wholly assimilate that it requires many plays to suitably grasp just how essential this release really is. Once again, Roach amazes with his delft styles ­ forging ahead and carving new paths in sonic architecture. "The Serpent¹s Lair" is a stunningly beautiful, otherworldly and deeply satisfying listen.

There are recordings that are more readily reviewed than others, allowing readers to a glimpse of the music, while there remains that which language fails at doing justice. Shivkumar Sharma, Arvo Part and many other Classical, World and Sacred music falls into this category. It is when music slides beyond the written word and into the psyche¹s emotional area that all words become trite and nearly meaningless, able only to describe the sonic goings on. "Serpent" falls into this category with deep listening techniques a requirement to fully obtain all this recording has to proffer.

Space music icon Steve Roach teams up with drummer/shamanic practitioner Byron Metcalf on this two-disc set to produce a vivid tone poem replete with serpentine rhythms and subterranean sounds. The serpent, which sheds its skin, is a common symbol in shamanic lore, and can be used as a focus in departing from the old self and transforming into the new. Clarion tones echo sharply between wet cave walls, get caught upon the wind, or ride the electric exhales of serpents. "Rite of Passage" features Middle Eastern drums, shakers, and tambourines that wind along a zigzagging rhythmic path, conjuring images of ceremonial processions and slithering serpents. On "Shedding the Skin," Roach sends doleful, breathy notes from his didgeridoo over a framedrum patter that mimics a snake's scales. Jim Cole's overtone chanting gives "Serpent Clan" and "Beating Heart of the Dragon Mother" a primordial dusting, while Lena Stevens's chant on "Ochua" adds the seductive mystery of a jungle siren. While it can be useful for serious visionary purposes, this space music does stay surprisingly serene throughout.

Ambient explorer Roach and percussionist Metcalf originally began this as an experiment into the effects of breathwork and the use of sound on a person "as a shamanic strategy for healing, personal growth, and transformation." The successful effects their music had in group settings were extended into these compositions. While billed as a collaboration between the two men, The Serpent's Lair also features contributions by (deep breath) violinist Vicki Richards, overtone vocalist Jim Cole, pre-Hispanic sound sorcerer Jorge Reyes, singer Lena Stevens, synthesist Vidna Obmana, "groove alchemist" Vir Unis, and djembe players Jeffrey Fayman and Momodu "Mohammad" Kah. The two discs in this package act as yin and yang--the eight parts of the first disc, "The Serpent's Lair," highlight intoxicatingly hypnotic drum rhythms slicing through churning ambient spaces, while the seven cuts that make up the second disc, "Offerings from the Underworld," travel down darker, spacier streams with subtle rhythms, reverberant vocals, and exotic aerophones caressing and riding the ethereal aural waves. This invigorating combination of musicians invents a dynamic new perspective on Roach's trademark deep-listening forays. It would be wonderful to hear more collaborations like this.

Over the past year, the collaboration between Roach and Metcalf on The Serpent's Lair evolved into an epic 2-CD set, augmented by the contributions of some very special guests, including one of my favorite violinists, Vicki Richards. Other musicians featured on the album are Vidna Obmana, Jeffrey Fayman, Momodou "Mohammad" Kah, Jorge Reyes, Jim Cole, Lena Stevens and Vir Unis. With a group of musicians such as this, you can readily sense that magic is afoot. The percussion on disk one is astonishing, in both the recording of the sound, and the actual music. You feel like Steve and Byron are sitting in your living room playing live. Kudos for superb engineering. Steve's expansive atmospherics, along with Byron's more acoustic/tribal tribal trance patterns create themes of shamanic initiation found throughout the world. As with the recent collaboration of Michael Stearns's and Ron Sunsinger on "Sorcerer", 'the initiatory energy of focused transformational ritual practice is integrated into the alchemical fire of psycho-spiritual death and rebirth. It is here that one is confronted with all the essential elements of danger and possibility.' The incredible energy of the percussion and synths emerge to hammer their authority home, effectively steeping the music in the grand traditions they evoke. Intensive soundscapes such as 'Big Medicine' eclipse the shamanic nadir most effectively, hypnotic electron tides summon spirit and soul in a fusion of ancestry and techno-tribalism. Roach and Metcalf create an insidious organic sonic plasma that doesn't so much instill meditative states as aspire you into them. For those weaned on Roach's glaciated formations and the continued evolution of ambient music, and Metcalf's ingenious percussion and shamanic studies, the album becomes required listening on the learning curve. The duo with the help of a very talented ensemble create sonic bits of flotsam and reintegrate them into an electrifying bold new entity.

"Byron has created something rare: Breathwork music by a practitioner who is also a real musician. Powerful rhythms and journey tracks by one who has felt it and knows how to play it. I hope there will be more."